Shravan naam ka vyakti rehta tha. Uski aankhon mein hamesha sapno ki chamak rehti thi. Vo ek saadharan kisan parivar ka beta tha, lekin uske mann mein bade-bade sapne pal rahe the. Shravan chahta tha ki vo ek din bada aadmi bane aur apne gaon ka naam roshan kare.
Shravan bachpan se hi padhai mein bahut tez tha. Vo gaon ke school mein sabse hoshiyaar chhaatron mein se ek tha, lekin uske parivar ki aarthik sthiti bahut achi nahi thi. Uske pita kheton mein mehnat karte the aur maa ghar ke kaamon mein vyast rehti thi. Shravan ko apni padhai ke saath-saath ghar ke kaamon mein bhi haath batana padta tha. Shravan bhi apne mata-pita ki madad karne ke liye kheton mein kaam karta tha.
Vo jaanta tha ki parivar ki aarthik sthiti achi nahi hai, isliye usne apne sapnon ko kinare rakhkar apne parivar ki madad karne ka nirnay liya. Roz subah Shravan jaldi uthkar kheton mein jaata hai, mitti mein apne haathon se fasal bota aur apne mata-pita ke saath milkar kaam karta. Kheton mein kaam karte-karte Shravan ke haath kathor ho gaye the, lekin usne kabhi haar nahi maani.
Vo apne sapnon ko dil mein sanjoye hue mehnat karta rehta, lekin kismet ne ek din bada khel khela. Shravan ke mata-pita ka dehaant ho gaya. Ab Shravan ke kandhon par do chhoti behnon ki zimmedari aa gayi. Har subah suraj ke ugne se pehle uthta aur din bhar kaam karta rehta. Uski zindagi bas kaam aur zimmedariyon ke beech phansi hui thi. Shravan ki behne Reena aur Meena abhi chhoti thi aur unhe achhe se padhana aur paalana Shravan ki sabse badi zimmedari thi.
Vo khud ko kabhi aaram nahi deta kyunki vo jaanta tha ki uski behnon ke bhavishya ki zimmedari usi par hai. Suraj ki pehli kiran ke saath hi Shravan uth jaata aur ghar ke saare kaam karta hai. Phir vo kheton mein kaam karne chala jaata. Kheton mein kaam khatam karne ke baad vo gaon ke school mein apni behnon ko lene jaata. Ghar laut kar vo unki padhai mein madad karta aur unhe achhe sanskaar deta tha.
Shravan ka jeevan sirf kaam aur zimmedariyon mein bandha hua tha. Usne apne sapnon aur ichhaon ko poori tarah se chhod diya tha taaki vo apne parivar ki dekhbhal kar sake. Shravan ke dost aksar door-daraz ke ilakon mein ghoomne jaate the, naye jagahon ki khoj karte the. Jab vo laut kar aate aur apni yatraon ke kisse sunate, to Shravan ke mann mein bhi un jagahon ko dekhne ki ichha jag jaati.
Lekin apni zimmedariyon ke bojh ke tale Shravan apni ichhaon ko dabaa leta tha. “Mere paas ghoomne phirne ka samay nahi hai,” vo sochta. “Mera kaam hai apne parivar ka dhyan rakhna aur unki dekhbhal karna.”
Ek din Shravan ka sabse kareebi dost Arjun uske paas aaya. Arjun ne Shravan ko dekha aur bola, “Shravan, main teri mehnat aur tyaag ki bahut kadr karta hoon. Tum waaqai apne parivar ke liye ek zimmedar insaan ho, lekin dost, tumhe apni khushi ke liye bhi thoda samay nikalna chahiye.”
Shravan ne muskurate hue jawab diya, “Mere liye meri khushi yahi hai ki meri behnein khush rahe aur hamara ghar accha chale.”
Ek shaam Shravan kaam se thaka hua ghar laut raha tha. Uska din bahut lamba aur mushkil bhara tha. Vo apne kaam se bahut thaka hua tha aur uske dimaag mein dher saari uljhanen chal rahi thi. Raaste mein usne ek sundar bagicha dekha. Ye bagicha bahut hi shaant aur hara-bhara tha. Shravan ko ye jagah bahut achi lagi aur usne socha ki thodi der yahan baithne se shayad use bhi kuch rahat milegi.
Shravan bagiche ke andar chala gaya. Ek kone mein usne ek vyakti dekha, jiska chehra bahut shaant aur tejasvi tha. Vo vyakti gehre dhyaan mein tha aur uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi. Is chamak ne Shravan ko bahut prabhavit kiya aur vo uski taraf kheenchta chala gaya.
Shravan us chamak se mohit ho gaya aur dheere-dheere us vyakti ke paas jaakar bola, “Kshama karein, main dekh raha hoon ki aap bahut shaanti se dhyaan kar rahe hain. Main apni samasyaon se bahut pareshan hoon aur mujhe samajh nahi aa raha ki kya karoon. Kya aap meri madad kar sakte hain?”
Vyakti ne dheere-dheere apni aankhen kholi aur Shravan ki taraf muskurate hue dekha. Unhone kaha, “Main Gautam Buddha hoon, tumhari kya samasya hai?”
Shravan ne apne dil ka bojh halka karte hue kaha, “Main zimmedariyon ke bojh tale dab gaya hoon. Mere mata-pita ke nidhan ke baad saari zimmedariyaan mujh par aa gayi hain. Mujhe har din kai kaam karne padte hain aur apne liye samay nahi nikal pa raha hoon. Isse meri mansik sthiti bhi kharab hoti ja rahi hai. Main hamesha chintit rehta hoon.”
Bhagwan Gautam Rishi ne dhyaan se uski baat suni aur phir bole, “Putra, jeevan mein samasyaayein aur zimmedariyaan sabke paas hoti hain. Sabse mahatvapurn hai ki hum inse kaise nipat-te hain. Chinta mat karo, har samasya ka samadhan hota hai. Tumhe bas thoda shaant hokar apne andar jhaankna hoga.”
Bhagwan Gautam Rishi ki taraf dekhkar Shravan ne kaha, “Tum bahut pareshan ho, tumhare sawaalon ka jawab tumhe milega, lekin iske liye tumhe thoda dhairya rakhna hoga. Kal subah suraj ugne se pehle tum mujhse nadi ke kinare aakar milo. Wahan main tumhe tumhari samasyaon ka samadhan doonga.”
Shravan ne Bhagwan Gautam Rishi ki baat suni. Vo jaanta tha ki Gautam Rishi ke paas uske sawaalon ke jawab zaroor honge.
Vo raat bhar so nahi saka kyunki use agle subah ka besabri se intezaar tha. Agle subah suraj ki pehli kiran jab dharti par padi, Shravan uth gaya. Vo jaldi se tayaar hua aur nadi ke kinare chal diya. Raaste mein use tarah-tarah ke vichar aa rahe the. Use laga shayad Bhagwan Gautam Rishi use koi vishesh mantra sikhayenge ya dhyaan ki koi vidhi batayenge.
Jab Shravan nadi ke kinare pahucha, to usne dekha ki Gautam Rishi pehle se hi wahan baithe hue the. Bhagwan Gautam Rishi nadi ki taraf dekh rahe the jaise vo prakriti ki sundarta mein kho gaye ho. Shravan Gautam Rishi ke paas gaya aur jhuk kar namaskar kiya. Gautam Buddha ne muskurate hue kaha, “Shravan, tumhari samasyaon ka samadhan bahut hi saral hai, par isse pehle humein is nadi ke us paar pahunchna hoga.”
Shravan ne nadi ki taraf dekha. Nadi bahut vishal thi aur paani tez gati se beh raha tha. Shravan dar gaya aur Bhagwan Gautam Rishi se poocha, “Gautam Buddha ji, hum is nadi ko kaise paar karenge?”
Bhagwan Gautam Rishi muskuraye aur bole, “Shravan, chinta mat karo, hum is nadi ko avashya paar karenge.”
Ye sun kar Shravan ko thodi rahat mili, lekin uske mann mein abhi bhi shanka thi. Gautam Rishi ne aage kaha, “Lekin hum is nadi ko paidal paar karenge
