काशीनरेशकी महारानी अपनी दासियोंके साथ वरुणा स्नान करने गयी थीं। उस समय नदीके किनारे दूसरे किसीको जानेकी अनुमति नहीं थी। नदीके पास जो झोपड़ियाँ थीं, उनमें रहनेवाले लोगोंको भी राजसेवकोंने वहाँसे हटा दिया था। माघका महीना था, प्रातः काल स्नान करके रानी शीतसे काँपने लगीं। उन्होंने इधर उधर देखा; किंतु सूखी लकड़ियाँ वहाँ थीं नहीं। रानीने एक दासीसे कहा- ‘इनमेंसे एक झोपड़ेमें अग्नि लगा दे। मुझे सर्दी लग रही है, हाथ-पैर सेंकने हैं।’ दासी बोली- ‘महारानी ! इन झोपड़ोंमें या तो कोई साधु रहते होंगे या दीन परिवारके लोग। इस शीतकाल में झोपड़ा जल जानेपर वे बेचारे कहाँ जायँगे।’
रानीजीका नाम तो करुणा था; किंतु राजमहलोंके ऐश्वर्यमें पली होनेके कारण उन्हें गरीबोंके कष्टका भला क्या अनुभव ? अपनी आज्ञाका पालन करानेकी ही वे अभ्यासी थीं। उन्होंने दूसरी दासीसे कहा- ‘यह बड़ी दयालु बनी है। हटा दो इसे मेरे सामनेसे और एक झोपड़े में तुरंत आग लगाओ।’
रानीकी आज्ञाका पालन हुआ। किंतु एक झोपड़ेमें लगी अग्रि वायुके वेगसे फैल गयी। सब झोपड़े भस्म हो गये। रानीजी तो इससे प्रसन्न ही हुई। परंतु वे राजभवनमें पहुँचीं और जिनके झोपड़े जले थे, वे दुःखी प्रजाजन राजसभामें पहुँचे। राजाको इस समाचारसे बड़ा दुःख हुआ। उन्होंने अन्तःपुरमें जाकर रानीसे कहा’यह तुम्हें क्या सूझी ? तुमने प्रजाके घर जलवा कर कितना अन्याय किया है, इसका कुछ ध्यान है तुम्हें?” रानी अत्यन्त रूपवती थीं। महाराज उन्हें बहुत मानते थे। अपने रूप तथा अधिकारका गर्व था उन्हें । वे बोलीं—’आप उन घासके गंदे झोपड़ोंको घर बता रहे हैं! वे तो फूँक देने ही योग्य थे। इसमें अन्यायकी क्या बात।’
महाराजने कठोर मुद्रामें कहा- ‘न्याय सबके लिये समान होता है। तुमने लोगोंको कितना कष्ट दिया है। वे झोपड़े गरीबोंके लिये कितने मूल्यवान् हैं, यह तुम समझ जाओगी।’
महाराजने दासियोंको आज्ञा दी – ‘रानीके वस्त्र तथा आभूषण उतार लो। इन्हें एक फटा वस्त्र पहनाकर राजसभामें ले आओ।’ रानी कुछ कहें, इससे पहले महाराज चले गये अन्तःपुरसे बाहर । दासियोंने राजाज्ञाका पालन किया। एक भिखारिनीके समान फटे वस्त्र पहने रानी जब राजसभामें उपस्थित की गयीं, तब न्यायासनपर बैठे महाराजकी घोषणा प्रजाने सुनी । ‘जबतक मनुष्य स्वयं विपत्तिमें नहीं पड़ता, दूसरोंके कह रहे थे कष्टोंकी व्यथा समझ भी नहीं पाता। रानीजी ! आपको राजभवनसे निर्वासित किया जा रहा है। वे सब झोपड़े, जिन्हें आपने जलवा दिया है, भिक्षा माँगकर जब आप बनवा देंगी, तब राजभवनमें आ सकेंगी।’
The queen of Kashinaresh had gone to take bath in Varuna with her maids. At that time no one else was allowed to go on the banks of the river. The people living in the huts near the river were also evicted by the Rajsevaks. It was the month of Magha, the queen started shivering with cold after taking bath in the morning. He looked here and there; But there were no dry woods there. The queen said to a maid-‘ Set fire to one of these huts. I am feeling cold, have to bake hands and feet. The maid said – ‘ Queen! In these huts, either a monk or the people of the poor family must have lived. Where will those poor people go when the hut gets burnt in this winter.’
Raniji’s name was Karuna; But because of being brought up in the opulence of the royal palaces, what good experience did he have of the sufferings of the poor? She was used to getting her orders obeyed. He said to the second maid – ‘ She has become very kind. Remove it from my face and set fire to a hut immediately.’
The order of the queen was obeyed. But the fire in a hut spread with the speed of the wind. All the huts were burnt to ashes. Raniji was pleased with this. But she reached the Raj Bhavan and the sad people whose huts were burnt reached the Raj Sabha. The king was deeply saddened by this news. He went to the palace and said to the queen, ‘What did you think of this? Do you have any idea of how much injustice you have done by burning the houses of the people?” The queen was very beautiful. Maharaj used to respect her a lot. She was proud of her appearance and rights. She said – ‘You are telling those dirty grass huts as your home! They were fit to be blown up. What is the point of injustice in this?’
Maharaj said in a stern posture – ‘Justice is equal for all. You have caused so much trouble to people. You will understand how valuable those huts are for the poor.’
The king ordered the maids – ‘Take off the queen’s clothes and ornaments. Bring him to the Raj Sabha wearing a torn cloth.’ Before the queen could say anything, Maharaj left the palace. The maids obeyed the king’s orders. When the queen dressed like a beggar was presented in the court, the people heard the announcement of the king sitting on the court. ‘Until a man himself does not fall into trouble, he cannot even understand the agony of the sufferings others were saying. Rani madam ! You are being banished from the Raj Bhavan. All those huts, which you have set ablaze, when you get them built by begging, then you will be able to come to the Raj Bhavan.’
