सुदामा और कृष्ण

Dwapar Yug ki baat hai. Porbandar ke nikat ek chhote se gaon mein Sudama naam ka ek nirdhan Brahman rehta tha. Sudama atyant vidwaan, dharmaparayan aur sadaachari the, parantu daridrata ne unka jeevan atyant kathin bana diya tha. Unka parivar — patni Susheela aur bachche — pratidin bhookh aur abhaav se joojhta tha. Ghar mein ann ka ek dana bhi nahi bachta tha. Sudama ki patni Susheela atyant dhairyavaan aur pativrata stri thin, parantu bachchon ko bhookha dekhkar unka hriday vidirn ho jata tha.

Sudama bachpan mein Guru Sandipani ke ashram mein padhe the. Wahin unki mitrata Shri Krishna se hui thi. Dono ne saath-saath vidya arjit ki, saath-saath khele, saath-saath guruseva ki. Ashram ke dinon mein ek baar gurumata ne dono ko jungle se lakdi laane bheja. Jungle mein bheeshan varsha ho gayi. Raat bhar dono mitra ek vriksha ke neeche ek-doosre ka saath dete rahe. Gurumata ne dono ko chane ka sattu diya tha. Krishna ko bhookh lagi to Sudama ne sattu akele hi kha liya aur Krishna ko bataya ki sattu bheeg kar kharab ho gaya. Krishna ne sab jante hue bhi muskurakar kuch nahi kaha. Yahi thi unki mitrata ki neenv — nishchhal, nirmal aur atoot.

Shiksha poorn hone ke baad dono ke maarg alag ho gaye. Krishna Dwarka ke raja bane, sone ki nagri mein aishwarya se paripurn jeevan vyateet karne lage. Sudama apne gaon laute aur daridrata mein jeevan bitane lage. Varshon beet gaye, parantu Sudama ne kabhi apni mitrata ka labh uthane ka vichar nahi kiya. Unka swabhimaan unhe Krishna ke samaksh yaachak banne se rokta tha.

Ek din jab ghar mein khane ko kuch bhi nahi bacha aur bachche bhookh se vyakul hokar rone lage, tab Sudama ki patni Susheela ne kaha — "Swami, aapke bachpan ke mitra Shri Krishna Dwarka ke raja hain. Kyon nahi aap ek baar unse milne jaate? Main nahi kahti ki unse kuch maangiye, parantu ek purane mitra se milne mein kya burai hai? Shayad Bhagwan ki kripa se koi maarg nikal aaye." Sudama ne bahut socha. Ve Krishna se milna to chahte the, parantu khali haath jaane mein sankoch tha. Mitra se milne jayen to kuch bhent to le jaani chahiye.

Susheela ne padosiyon se maangkar mutthi bhar chaawal ka poha (chivda) jutaya aur ek phate vastra mein baandhkar Sudama ko de diya. Sudama ne woh potli apni bagal mein dabai aur paidal hi Dwarka ki or chal pade. Maarg lamba aur kathin tha. Unke pairon mein joote nahi the, dhoop mein pair jalte the, parantu Krishna se milne ki utkantha unhe aage badhati rahi.

Kai dinon ki padyatra ke baad Sudama Dwarka pahunche. Sone ki nagri Dwarka ki bhavyata dekhkar Sudama awaak reh gaye. Vishaal prasaad, ratnjadit maarg, swarnim shikhar — sab kuch swapn jaisa tha. Sudama ne socha — "Mera mitra is aishwarya ka swami hai aur main in phate vastron mein uske dwaar par khada hoon. Kya woh mujhe pahchanega bhi?" Phir bhi hriday mein mitrata ka vishwas liye ve rajmahal ke dwaar par pahunche.

Dwarpalion ne is deen-heen Brahman ko dekhkar rokna chaha, parantu jab Sudama ne kaha ki ve Krishna ke bachpan ke mitra hain, to soochna bheetar bheji gayi. Shri Krishna ko jaise hi Sudama ke aagaman ki soochna mili, ve sinhasaan chhodkar nange pair daud pade. Dwaar par apne priya mitra ko dekhkar Krishna ki aankhon mein aansu aa gaye. Unhone Sudama ko gale se laga liya. Yeh drishya dekhkar Rani Rukmini aur samast darbari aashcharyachakit reh gaye ki Dwarkadhish ek nirdhan Brahman se itne prem se mil rahe hain.

Krishna Sudama ko apne kaksh mein le gaye. Swayam apne haathon se unke dhool-dhoosarit pair dhoye. Rukmini ne pankha jhala aur chandan ka lep lagaya. Krishna ne Sudama ko apne aasan par bithaya aur kaha — "Mitra, tum aaye, yeh mera saubhagya hai. Bachpan ke ve din yaad hain? Guru Sandipani ka ashram, woh jungle, woh varsha ki raat!" Dono mitra bachpan ki smritiyon mein kho gaye. Krishna ne hanste hue kaha — "Mitra, woh sattu jo tumne akele hi kha liya tha, woh aaj bhi mujhe yaad hai!" Sudama lajjit ho gaye.

Phir Krishna ne pucha — "Mitra, mere liye kya laye ho? Bhabhi ne kuch bheja hoga." Sudama lajja se gad gaye. Unke paas to bas mutthi bhar poha tha — woh bhi phate kapde mein bandha. Ve use chhupane lage. Parantu sarvagya Krishna ne swayam woh potli kheench li aur kholi. Poha dekhkar Krishna ke netron mein premashru chhalak pade. Bole — "Are! Yeh to mera priya poha hai!" Aur ek mutthi poha munh mein bhar liya. Bole — "Waah! Isse swaadisht bhojan maine kabhi nahi khaya!" Doosri mutthi uthai. Rukmini ne vinramta se Krishna ka haath pakad liya aur kaha — "Prabhu, bas. Do mutthi mein hi to inhe sab kuch de diya." Iska arth tha ki Krishna ki kripa se Sudama ko is lok aur parlok dono ka aishwarya prapt ho gaya.

Sudama ne Krishna se kuch nahi maanga. Unka swabhimaan aur mitra ke prati shraddha unhe yaachak nahi banne deti thi. Ve kai din Dwarka mein rahe, Krishna ke saath samay bitaya, purani baatein kin. Jab vidai ka samay aaya, tab bhi Sudama ne koi ichha prakat nahi ki. Krishna ne bhi koi dhan-sampatti dekar mitra ke swabhimaan ko thes nahi pahunchai. Sudama khali haath hi wapas chale.

Maarg mein Sudama sochte rahe — "Main Krishna se kuch maang nahi paya. Patni ko kya munh dikhaonga? Bachche ab bhi bhookhe honge. Parantu koi baat nahi, mitra se milkar mann tript ho gaya." Jab Sudama apne gaon ke nikat pahunche to ve apni aankhon par vishwas nahi kar paye. Jahan unki tooti-phooti jhonpdi thi, wahan ab ek bhavya prasad khada tha. Swarn kalash, sangmarmar ke stambh, sundar udyaan, sevak-sevikayein — sab kuch swapn jaisa tha.

Sudama ne socha ki shayad ve maarg bhatak gaye hain. Tabhi unki patni Susheela reshmi vastron aur aabhooshanon mein saji hui daudkar aayin. Bachche swasth aur prasann the. Susheela ne kaha — "Swami, yeh sab aapke mitra Krishna ki kripa hai. Aap jaane ke baad yeh sab chamatkar ho gaya." Sudama ki aankhon se ashrudhara beh nikli. Unhone Dwarka ki disha mein haath jodkar kaha — "He Krishna! Tumne bina maange hi sab de diya. Tumne mere swabhimaan ki bhi raksha ki aur mere parivar ki bhi. Tumhari mitrata aur kripa ka koi mulya nahi chuka sakta."

Sudama ne kabhi is vaibhav mein ahankaar nahi kiya. Ve sada Krishna ka smaran karte, daan-punya karte aur Ishwar ki kripa ka gunagaan karte rahe. Yeh katha batati hai ki Bhagwan ko mehengi bhent nahi, sachche prem aur shraddha chahiye. Sudama ka poha sansaar ki sabse mehengi bhenton se adhik mulyavaan tha kyonki usmein nishchhal prem tha. Krishna ne bhi bina maange dekar siddh kiya ki sachcha mitra wahi hai jo mitra ke swabhimaan ki raksha kare aur uski aavashyakta swayam samajh le. Sudama-Krishna ki mitrata sansaar mein sachchi mitrata ka sarvottam udaharan hai, jo yugon-yugon se prerna deti aa rahi hai.