धनका परिणाम – हिंसा

दो सगे भाई थे, ब्राह्मण थे और दरिद्र थे। बहुत कम पढ़े-लिखे थे दोनों कंगालीसे ऊबकर दोनों साथ ही घरसे निकले और समुद्र किनारेकी एक वस्तीमें पहुँचे। वहीं मछुओंके घर ही अधिक थे बड़ी ऊँची पगड़ी, भव्य तिलक और पोथियोंकी बड़ी बड़ी गठरी थी दोनों भाइयोंके पास दोनोंने अपनेको ज्योतिषी प्रसिद्ध कर रखा था। मन्त्र-तन्त्र, झाड़-फूँक सभी करते थे वे। दोनोंने उन अपढ़-सीधे, श्रद्धालु मछुओंको भरपूर ठगा। कुछ दिनोंमें ही उनके पास पर्याप्त धन हो गया। दोनों जब घर लौटने लगे, तब उनके पास उनके कमाये धनके रूपमें सोनेकी मोहरोंसे भरी थैली थी।

बड़ी विचित्र दशा थी मोहरोंकी थैलीको बारी बारीसे वे अपने पास रखते थे। परंतु जिसके पास थैली रहती थी, उसीके मनमें विचार आता था मैं यदि अपने भाईको मार डालूँ तो पूरा धन मेरा हो जाय।’

दोनों सगे भाई थे। दोनोंमें प्रगाढ़ प्रेम था। इसलिये दोमेंसे किसीने अपने पापपूर्ण विचारको कार्यरूप नहीं दिया। उलटे घरके समीप पहुँचकर जिसके पास थैली नहीं थी, उसने दूसरेसे कहा- ‘भैया! क्षमा करना। जब-जब यह थैली मेरे पास आयी, तब-तब मेरे मनमें तुम्हें मार देनेकी इच्छा हुई। इसलिये यह धन तुम्हीं रखो।

दूसरे भाईने कहा- ‘मेरी भी यही दशा है। थैली मेरे पास है, इसलिये इस समय भी मेरे मनमें यही विचार उठ रहे थे। हम दोनों ही भ्रातृत्वका नाशकरनेवाले इस धनका त्याग कर दें, यही उत्तम होगा।’ घरके समीप ही एक गड्ढा था, जिसमें घरका कूड़ा-कचरा डाला जाता था। दोनोंने वह थलो उसीमें फेंक दी। यह भी चिन्ता नहीं की कि उसे ढक दिया जाय। वे उसे फेंककर घर चले गये। परंतु उनकी बहिन थोड़ी देरमें ही फल तथा शाकके छिलके उस गड्ढे में डालने आयी। थैली लुढ़की पड़ी थी। मोहरें कुछ बाहर गिरी दीख रही थीं। उस नारीने उस धनको उठाकर वस्त्रोंमें छिपाना प्रारम्भ किया, जिससे रात्रिमें अपने पतिके पास उसे भेज सके।

‘आप कूड़ेके गड्ढेमें क्या कर रही हैं?’ भाइयोंमेंसे एककी स्त्री किसी कामसे घरसे बाहर निकली और अपनी ननदको कूड़ेके गड्ढेमें कुछ करते देख उसके पास पहुँचकर पूछने लगी । ननदने समझा कि भाभीने मोहरें देख ली हैं। हाथमें फल काटनेकी छुरी थी ही, उसे उसने भाभीके पेटमें भोंक दिया।

छुरी लगनेसे एक चीत्कार की घायल स्त्रीने उस चीत्कारको सुनकर उसका पति दौड़ आया । बहिन घबराकर भागने लगी तो उसकी बगलमें दबी थैली नीचे गिर पड़ी। अब बहिनको और कुछ नहीं सूझा, उसने वह छुरी अपने पेटमें भी मार ली!

‘भैया! पापके कमाये इस धनने फेंक देनेपर भी इतना अनर्थ किया।’ दूसरा भाई भी दौड़ आया था। जो पहले आया था, वह सिर पकड़कर बैठ गया था।

There were two real brothers, they were Brahmins and they were poor. Both were very little educated, both bored with the pauper, both left the house together and reached a sea shore settlement. On the other hand, there were more fishermen’s houses, there were big high turbans, grand tilak and big bundles of pothis, both brothers had made themselves famous as astrologers. They used to do mantra-tantra, exorcism. Both of them cheated those illiterate, devout fishermen a lot. Within a few days, he got enough money. When both started returning home, they had a bag full of gold stamps as their earned money.
It was a very strange condition that they used to keep the bag of coins with them alternately. But the person who had the bag used to think that if I kill my brother, then all the money will be mine.’
Both were real brothers. There was intense love in both. That’s why neither of them gave action to their sinful thoughts. On reaching near the opposite house, the one who did not have the bag, said to the other – ‘Brother! pardon. Every time this bag came to me, I felt the urge to kill you. That’s why you keep this money.
The second brother said – ‘ I am also in the same condition. The bag is with me, so at this time also the same thoughts were arising in my mind. It would be best if both of us give up this wealth which destroys brotherhood.’ There was a pit near the house, in which the household waste was dumped. Both of them threw that bag in him. Didn’t even worry that it should be covered. They threw it away and went home. But his sister came in a short while to put the peels of fruits and vegetables in that pit. The bag had rolled. Some of the stamps seemed to have fallen out. The woman picked up that money and started hiding it in clothes, so that she could send it to her husband at night.
‘What are you doing in the dustbin?’ The wife of one of the brothers came out of the house for some work and seeing her sister-in-law doing something in the garbage pit, approached her and started asking. The sister-in-law thought that the sister-in-law had seen the stamps. He had a knife to cut fruit in his hand, he poked it in his sister-in-law’s stomach.
An injured woman screamed after being stabbed, her husband came running after hearing that scream. When the sister started running in panic, the bag lying next to her fell down. Now the sister couldn’t think of anything else, she stabbed that knife in her stomach too!
‘Brother! This money earned by sin did so much harm even after throwing it away.’ Another brother also came running. The one who came first, sat holding his head.