Dasha Mata Katha

Ek raja tha jiska naam Nal tha aur unki rani ka naam Damayanti tha. Vah bade prem se rajya karta tha. Ek din ek Brahmani paani bharne aayi. Vah Brahmani rani ke paas aayi. Usne gale mein peela dora baandha tha. Rani ne dora dekhkar usse dore ke baare mein poochha to vah boli- Dora Dasha Mata ka hai, pehenne se sukh sampatti, ann-dhan ghar mein aata hai. Usne rani ko bhi ek dora de diya.

Iske baad us raat raja ke swapn mein do striyan aayi. Un dono mein se ek stri boli- "Raja! Main yahan se ja rahi hoon." Dusri stri boli- "Raja main tere ghar aa rahi hoon." Raja ko lagataar yeh sapna 10 se 12 din tak aaya. Rozana aisa sapna aane se raja udaas rehne laga. Rani ne udaasi ka karan poochha to raja ne swapn ki baat bata di. Rani ne raja se un dono striyon ka naam poochhne ko kaha. Tab raja ne unse unke naam poochhe to jaane wali stri ne apna naam "Lakshmi" tatha aane wali stri ne "Daridrata" bataya.

Lakshmi ke jaate hi sab sona-chandi mitti ho gaya. Rani sahayata ke liye apni sakhiyon ke paas gayi. Lekin rani ka bura haal dekhkar koi bhi usse nahi bola. Dukhi man se raja-rani paanch varsh ke rajkunwar ke saath jungle mein kand-mool khakar apne din bitane lage. Chalte-chalte rajkunwar ko bhookh lagi to rani ne kaha- "Yahan paas hi ek malan rehti hai jo mujhe phoolon ki mala dekar jaati thi. Usse thoda chaach-dahi maang lao." Raja malan ke ghar gaya. Vah dahi bilo rahi thi. Raja ke maangne par usne kaha- "Hamare paas to chaach-dahi kuch bhi nahi hai."

Raja khaali haath laut aaya. Aage chalne par ek saanp ne kunwar ko das liya aur rajkumar ki mrityu ho gayi. Vilap karti rani ko raja ne dhairya bandhaya. Iske baad vah dono aage chale. Raja do teetar maar laya. Bhune hue teetar bhi udd gaye. Udhar raja snaan kar dhoti sukha raha tha ki dhoti udd gayi. Rani ne apni dhoti faadkar raja ko di. Ve bhookhe-pyaase hi aage chal diye. Kuch aage chal kar raja ke dost ka ghar aaya. Wahan jaakar usne mitra ko apne aane ki soochna di. Mitra ne dono ko ek kamre mein thaharvaya. Wahan mitra ne lohe ke auzar aadi rakhe hue the.

Daivyog se ve saare auzar dharti mein sama gaye. Chori ka dosh lagne ke karan ve dono raaton-raat wahan se bhaag gaye. Aage chal kar raja ki behen ka ghar aaya. Behen ne apne ek purane mahal mein raja aur rani ke rehne ki vyavastha ki. Sone ke thaal mein unhe bhojan bheja, par thaali mitti mein badal gayi. Raja bada lajjit hua. Thaal ko wahin gaadkar dono phir chal pade. Aage chal kar ek sahukar ka ghar aaya. Vah sahukar raja ke rajya mein vyapar karne ke liye jaata tha. Sahukar ne bhi raja ko thaharne ke liye purani haveli mein saari vyavastha kar di. Purani haveli mein sahukar ki ladki ka heeron ka haar latka hua tha. Paas hi deewar par ek mor ankit tha. Vah mor hi haar nigalne laga. Yeh dekhkar raja-rani wahan se bhi chale gaye.

Ispar rani bolti hai ki "Kisi ke ghar jaane ke bajaye jungle mein lakdi kaat-bechkar hi hum apna pet bhar lenge." Rani ki baat se raja sahamat hua. Dono ek sookhe bagiche mein pahunche. Un dono ke wahan pahunchte hi bagicha hara-bhara ho gaya. Yeh dekhkar baag ka malik bahut prasann hua. Usne dekha wahan ek stri-purush so rahe the. Unhe jagakar baag ke malik ne poochha- "Tum kaun ho?" Raja bola- "Musafir hain. Mazdoori ki khoj mein idhar aaye hain. Yadi tum rakho to yahin hum mehnat-mazdoori karke pet paal lenge." Iske baad bagiche ke malik ne unhe apne yahan naukri par rakh liya.

Ek din baag ki malikin bhi Sampada Devi ki katha sun dora le rahi thi. Rani ke poochhne par usne bataya ki yeh Sampada Devi ka dora hai. Rani ne bhi katha suni. Dora liya. Raja ne phir patni se poochha ki yeh dora kaisa baandha hai? To rani boli- "Yeh wahi dora hai jise aapne ek baar todkar phenk diya tha aur iska apmaan kiya tha. Usi ke karan Sampada Devi hum par naraaz hain." Rani phir boli- "Yadi Sampada Maa sachchi hain to phir hamare pehle ke din laut aayenge."

Usi raat raja ko pehle ki tarah swapn aaya. Ek stri kah rahi hai- "Main ja rahi hoon." Dusri kah rahi hai- "Raja! Main wapas aa rahi hoon." Raja ne dono ke naam poochhe to aane wali ne apna naam "Lakshmi" aur jaane wali ne "Daridrata" bataya. Raja ne Lakshmi se poochha ab jaogi to nahi? Lakshmi boli- Yadi tumhari patni Sampada Ji ka dora lekar katha sunti rahegi to main nahi jaungi.

Yadi tum dora tod doge to main wapas chali jaungi. Baag ki malikin jab wahan ki rani ko haar dene jaati to Damayanti haar goonthkar deti. Haar dekhkar rani badi prasann hui. Usne poochha ki haar kisne banaya hai to malan ne kaha- "Koi pati-patni baag mein mazdoori karte hain. Unhone hi banaya hai." Rani ne malan ko dono pardesiyon ke naam poochhne ko kaha. Unhone apna naam Nal-Damayanti bata diya. Malan dono se kshamayachna karne lagi. Raja ne usse kaha- "Ismein tumhara kya dosh hai. Hamare din hi kharab the."

Ab dono apne rajmahalon ki taraf chale. Raah mein sahukar ka ghar aaya. Dono wahan sahukar ke paas gaye. Sahukar ne nai haveli mein unke thaharne ka prabandh kiya to raja bola- "Main to purani haveli mein hi thaharunga." Wahan sahukar ne dekha deewar par chitrit mor naulakha haar ugal raha tha. Sahukar ne raja ke pair pakad liye. Raja ne kaha- "Dosh tumhara nahi. Mere din hi bure the."

Raja aage chal kar behen ke ghar pahuncha. Behen ne naye mahal mein hi rehne ki zid ki. Jaise hi uske pairon ke neeche ki dharti khodi to heeron se jadit thaal wahan se nikal aaya. Raja ne behen ko vah thaal bhent swaroop diya. Raja aage chal mitra ke ghar pahunche to usne naye makan mein thaharne ki vyavastha ki, par raja purane kamre mein hi thahara. Wahi mitra ke lohe ke auzar mil gaye. Aage chale to nadi kinare jahan raja ki dhoti udd gayi thi vah ek vriksh se latki hui thi. Wahan naha-dhokar dhoti pehne raja aage chala to dekha ki kunwar khel raha hai.

Maa-baap ko dekhkar usne unke pair chhuye. Nagar mein pahunchkar raja ki malan doodh lekar aayi to raja bola- "Aaj doodh lekar aa rahi ho, us din chaach ke liye mana kar diya tha." Rani ne raja se kaha- "Vah to tumhare bure dino ka prabhav tha." Iske baad dono wahan se apne mahal ki taraf gaye. Rani ki sakhiyan dhan-dhaanya se bhare thaal liye geet gaati aayi. Naukar-chaakar sab pehle ke samaan hi aa gaye. Dasha Mata ke dore ke prabhav se hi unko yeh sab praapt hua. Isliye sabhi ko shraddhapoorvak Maa Dasha Mata ki pooja karni chahiye aur striyon ko katha-poojan kar dora dharan karna chahiye.