दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी

(मूल अँग्रेजी से हिन्दी अनुवाद - डॉ. राज गोस्वामी)
सूरज उगने को था
दक्षिण जाने वाली
रेलगाड़ी
स्टेशन पर रुकती है।

मैं
गेट के पास
प्रतीक्षा करता हूँ।
तीसरे कम्पार्टमेन्ट से
वो
उतरती है।

कांधे से टंगा हैण्डबैग
ऑंखों पर काले कूलिंग ग्लासिस
दाहिने हाथ में फूल छपा छाता
किसी को न देखते हुए
सीधी
सेन्ट्रल एवेन्यू की तरफ
चली जाती है।

टिकिट कलेक्टर,
उससे
टिकिट के बारे में नहीं पूँछता।
शायद
उसको मालूम होगा
उसके पास
एम.एस.टी. होगी।

मैं
रहस्यमय ढंग से
उसके
पीछे हो जाता हूँ।

मोहल्ले के
तीसरे मोड़ पर
वह
अदृश्य हो जाती है।
शायद
वहीं स्कूल में शिक्षिका होगी।
मैं गम्भीरता से
पीछे मुड़ जाता हूँ।

घर जाकर
रिफरेन्स किताबें लेकर
यूनिवर्सिटी चला जाता हूँ।
लाइब्रेरी में बैठकर
जानकीट्स के ऊपर
थीसिस लिखने लगता हूँ,
तब
सफेद कागज पर
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
मंद-सी दिखती है!
ठीक
तीसरे कम्पार्टमेन्ट से
वो, उतरती
अस्पष्टता-सी दिखाई देती है।

रात को
जब मै लेटता हूँ
अचानक
चौंक जाता हूँ।

दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
कूकती
सुनाई पड़ती है।

चश्मा लगाकर
वह
रेलगाड़ी से उतरती है
ऐसा भ्रम होता है।
तीसरे पहर पर
कष्ट से
नींद में गिर जाता हूँ।

कभी-कभी
वह रेलगाड़ी लेट आती है
मैं
गेट के पास।
टिकिट कलेक्टर
मेरी ओर
नाराजगी से देखता है।
लेकिन
रहम खाता है।
वो
तीसरे कम्पार्टमेन्ट से
उतर कर
हड़बड़ाकर
सेन्ट्रल एवेन्यू की तरफ
दौड़ती है।
शायद
टाइम हो गया होगा।

मैं भी पीछा करता हूँ।
कभी-कभी
वो
अपने चश्मे को सम्भालती है
शायद
उसने मुझे देख लिया होगा।

मैं
शरमाते हुए
तिरछी नजरों से
देखता हूँ।

मोहल्ले में
तीसरे मोड़ के पास
पीछे मुड़कर
वह
मेरी ओर देखती है -
मैं
अवाक्
खड़ा रह जाता हूँ
उतने में
वह अदृश्य हो जाती है।
आखिर में
जो नजरें मेरी ओर फेंकती है
वो
दिन भर मुझे यादगार रहती हैं।

रविवार
अथवा
अवकाश के दिनों
वह नहीं आती है।
मैं तो स्टेशन पर
प्रतीक्षारत्
खड़ा रहता हूँ।
ठीक समय पर
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
स्टेशन पर रुकती है।
उस रोज
नहीं आती करके
मुझे
मालूम होने के बाबजूद भी
मेरी सम्पूर्ण नजरें
तीसरे कम्पार्टमेन्ट के ऊपर ही
ठहर जाती है।
इंजन
ताकत से डिब्बों को खींचता है -
थोड़ी देर में
रेलगाड़ी रफ्तार लेती है -
मैं तो
गेट के पास खड़ा होकर,
पूरी गाड़ी गुजरने तक
देखता रह जाता हूँ।
पहाड़ के मोड़ पर
रेलगाड़ी
अदृश्य होने के बाद
हिलता हूँ।

तब तक
टिकिट कलेक्टर
प्लेटफार्म पर
इधर उधर घूमते
रेल्वे पोर्टर
पटरियों की मरम्मत करने वाला गैंगमैंन
झण्डी को हिलाने वाला स्टेशन मास्टर
सभी
मुझे ऐसे ही देखते रहते हैं
मगर
मैं कुछ भी फील नहीं करता हूँ।

रोज की भाँति
सूरज
उगते समय
स्टेशन के पास खड़ा हो गया।
सूरज उगा
थोड़ी देर में
और विकसित हो गया।
बहुत समय हो गया
फिर भी
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
नहीं आई।
स्टेशन पर यात्री कम थे
टिकिट कलेक्टर न दिखा
पोर्टर प्लेटफार्म पर न मिला
गेंगमेन का पता न था
अंत में
स्टेशन मास्टर से पूछा-
ज्ञात हुआ
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी का
बारह मील की दूरी पर ऐक्सीडेन्ट हो गया।

मेरा दिल
रफ्तार से कँपने लगा।
एकदम
ऐक्सीडेन्ट स्थल पर
दौड़ कर पहुँचा
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
पटरी से उतर गई
तीसरा कम्पार्टमेन्ट नीचे गिर गया था।
शायद
शव हो सकते हैं
उसी के ऊपर
सफेद कपड़ा चढ़ा था।
रिलीफ टीम
और कुछ शवों को
बाहर निकलवा रही थी।

मैं
हड़बड़ाकर ढूँढ रहा था
एक जगह
लंबा हैण्ड बैग
काला चश्मा
फूल छपा छाता
दिख गया था।
बगल में
उसी का शव
मेरा दिल रो पड़ा।

शाम तक
उत्तर के कुछ लोग आये।
शायद
उसी के लोग होंगे
उसका शव
कार में लेकर
उत्तर की ओर चले गये।
और
मैं ऑंसू लिये
दक्षिण की ओर
चला गया।

एक सप्ताह के बाद
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
पुन: आने लगी।
मैं गेट के पास
इंतजार करता हूँ
तीसरे कम्पार्टमेन्ट को ढूँढता हूँ।
वो नहीं आएगी,
मुझे मालूम है
वो नहीं है
मुझे मालूम है।

फिर भी
मैं
ढूँढता हूँ
रेलगाड़ी हाँफती हुई
चली जाती है।

टिकिट कलेक्टर
रेलवे पोर्टर
गैंगमेन
स्टेशन मास्टर
सभी
मुझे ऐसे ही देखते हैं।
पहले तो कुछ था
मगर
अभी वो नहीं होने के बाबजूद भी
मैं
स्टेशन के पास क्यों इन्तजार करता हूँ
सोचकर
सभी
मेरी खिल्ली उड़ाते हैं।

टिकिट कलेक्टर ने
मुझे पागल कह दिया।
रेलवे पोर्टर ने
उन्मादी बोला।
गैंगमेन ने
उसे भूल जाने के लिये सुझाव दिया।
स्टेशन मास्टर ने
मुझे
स्टेशन नहीं आने के लिये सचेत किया।

फिर भी
ठीक
सूरज उगते समय
मैं
स्टेशन गेट के पास
इंतजार में रहता हूँ।

उसी समय
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी
कूकती आवाज में
स्टेशन पर रुकती है
सभी कम्पार्टमेन्ट्स ढूँढता हूँ।
दूर -
पहाड़ के मोड़ पर
रेलगाड़ी गायब होने तक
मैं
पूरे शरीर को
ऑंखें बना कर देखता हूँ।
टिकिट कलेक्टर,
रेलवे पोर्टर
गैंगमेन
स्टेशन मास्टर
मुझे ऐसे ही देखते हैं।

मैंने उसको प्यार किया
सभी को पता है।
मगर
मैंने
दक्षिण जाने वाली रेलगाड़ी को भी
प्यार किया है।
यह कितने लोगों को मालूम होगा?

उसी रेलगाड़ी में
हरदम
मैं उसी के प्रतिबिम्ब को देखता हूँ।यह कितने लोगों को मालूम होगा?

WHO IS HAPPY, ANY WAY?

Of late, there has been sudden realization amongst some, if not more, that the real target to be achieved in life is happiness. As such, life appears to be target-less. Purposeless. Since ages, philosophers have been trying to explore the raison d’ etre of life. Some said that one should go to heaven. Others who did not believe in God became atheistic existentialists by satisfying themselves with the idea of living for oneself in a free world, amidst uncertainties, without causing avoidable inconvenience to fellow beings.
Such ideas cropped up because of the fact that living alone appears to be objectiveless. We go to school for a certificate. Certificate fetches a job. We work for money, that gets us food. Food is for living and living is for what ? We don’t know. Somebody is living and we also imitate.
In olden days, the Charvaka philosophy attracted many by its dissemination of pleasure principle. Epicureanism and other ancient western schools also reflected the same views. In the interregnum till modern age pleasure philosophies silenced themselves due to many reasons, explicit or implicit.
When the economic upsurge across the world brought no requisite relief in terms of mental peace and emotional happiness, the theory of happiness is doing rounds now-a-days. And the crude word for happiness can be equated to pleasure, provided its interpretation and connotation agree to the etymological understanding.
Sometime back, David Cameron, the Chief of Britain’s Conservative Party also made an emphasis on earning happiness juxtaposed to wealth creation. He went to the extent of making his point in terms of GNH(Gross National Happiness) rather than GNP(Gross National Product).
In the present day world, man has suddenly found himself in a complicated situation. Despite causing no harm, he is facing problems, in terms of unsavoury relations and inconvenient circumstances. To go through the situations and relations unharassed has become toughest job. Is it due to changing world or is it because of his unchanging outlook towards the changing times? Or is it due to one’s own thinking that has been set in one direction without allowing it to turn around to appreciate other directions?
Satchit-ananda of Indian philosophy exhorts man to achieve eternal bliss through thoughts, sayings and actions. Christ’s sermon on the mount is replete with how man, in whatever situation he may be, can be happy.
Why is it that the talk of happiness has gained sudden attention in the present? Is it due to stress that is taking on most of us? Is it due to shrinking of the world? Is it due to interpersonal competitiveness? Is it due to deteriorating values, ethics and morals on the part of man or is it due to man’s increasing inability to judge between good and bad?
There may be many reasons. But the fact, as we see is that happiness does not depend upon something that most of the people usually think. Amongst the rich, some are happy but some not. Amongst the poor, some happy and some not . Amongst the powerful, some happy ; some not .That way, if we analyse, logical conclusion will be that happiness does not depend upon-
- Money
- Power
- Status
- Name
- Fame

Likewise, unhappiness also does not depend upon the same. It we look at things in a little bit deeper way, we find that as such that there is no such thing called unhappiness. Some perceive certain situations as problems and some as challenges. So it is how we look at things. A state of mind. A wealthy man gets inconvenient to certain situation but an unwealthy man may feel convenient to the same situation. Unhappiness is always created. Problem is always created. Due to ignorance or arrogance. First they are created in mind.
Happiness is achieved because of fulfillment of certain criteria. Foremost among them is the knowledge propelled approach. Scriptures say, tama soma jyotirgamaya. From darkness to light. Light is knowledge. Ignorance incapacitates judging abilities. As long as we are ignorant, whatever decisions we take, they all go wrong. Knowledge only paves right path. It is power. It prioritises the objectives. Wrong priorities bring unhappiness. Craving for unimportant things make us miss the real and important things. This happens due to faulty prioritization.
To be happy, one should keep himself healthy-physically, psychologically, emotionally, financially, socially and spiritually. All
aspects of health must be given equal emphasis. All to be on equal priority. If someone takes care of financial health, paying no heed to the other, he may become victim of the same leaving behind his property, to somebody else. One thing that is clear is-that happiness does not like an unhealthy man. It prefers healthy people to stay with them for long. Alexis Carrel puts health as a precondition to joy.
Originality boosts up happiness. Artificiality brings in pseudo-pleasures. Simplicity is the product of originality. Some said that the greatest things in the world are always the simplest. Originality in thought , expression, behaviour, action and aim will prevent unhappiness happening. Humility shines.
One must cultivate the art of forgiving. It is divine in character. It pre—empts confrontations with fellow beings. It helps one avoid conflicts with situations. Anger, which is one’s own enemy will be done away with. It kindles compassion .It makes one giving type-that brings happiness. Then one looks at others with peace and love. Sometimes, it is not possible to forgive every one at all times. Then the recourse should be taken to, the art of forgetfulness. We come across a river called’ Lethe’ in Greek myths, the water of which, if drunken, will make one forget the things. Therefore, the people in distress and sorrow used to drink its water. Howsoever the myth is , forgetfulness, while in conflict, pays.
A happy man will never be hasty for excecution of tasks. He puts in effort but never feels curious or anxious about results. Because he knows that the results are not more important than peace in life. Patience is adhered to, in the process. Time goes on. It flies. One must not race with time. We must know our limitations especially in regard to time .Time is effort friendly but haste deadly. One time haste is negligible but all time haste is fatal to happiness.
Positivity in thinking, saying and doing will clear the road for happiness.
To be happy, one should also put himself through three checks.

- Belief check
- Reality check
- Elthics check

Long back, one famous writer said that he had no belief in belief. Belief should always conform to positivity. If some body says that
something should not be done, we need not believe him blindly. Traditions and customs figure in this category, which are area and time specific. They might be relevant and happiness giving in those times, in those places. If they still give happiness, in present day, we can continue. If they cause inconvenience and discomfort, we may subject them to belief check because happiness is supreme, not tradition or custom as long as such happiness does not cause inconvenience to others.
Reality check enables one to appreciate the situation in right perspective. Qualities of a thing or situation do not remain constant at all times and at all places. Everything is changing. We have to change with the time. Otherwise, time will change us, which will be painful, as one noble soul noted long back. Presenting a motor bike to a teenage son about twenty years back may be an act of showing love, when there used to be neglible traffic on roads. But the same act, if done now - the era of automobile jungle where, especially in India, road journey has increasingly become un-safe may not stand the test of affection unless the children are thoroughly matured and sensitised about safety and value of life. With the increasing trend in diabetes amongst children, buying them creamy food every may not conform to safe parenting. Definitions change with change of time and place.
Whenever we find ourselves in dilemina, ethics check will come to our rescue. Some situation at times arise when we are unable to decide upon the course of action. Then consideration needs to be given to various alternatives available, legalities and moralities. Ultimately, one should apply ethics check in the following manner—
- whether the action contemplated will do larger good ?
- whether it will make him feel good ?
- whether it will make his family feel good ?
- whether it is just ?
Sometime back,The times of India reported that an Israeli professor by name Ben-Shahar had been making an impact at Harvard University with his impressive lectures on the theory happiness.
His rules for happiness are —

- Be human
- Engage in activities that are personally significant and enjoyable
- Realise that it is a state of mind
- Simplify
- Remember body- mind connection
- Express gratitude whenever possible.

Consequent upon the analysis made out in the foregoing paras, to make the concept much simpler, we may draw the inferences such that—
Happiness (H) is-directly proportional to health(h) in all aspects
- directly proportional to the will(w) to enjoy without causing
inconvenience to self and others
- indirectiy proportional to desires (d)
- indirectly proportional to attachment (a)

H µ hw
da

H = C. hw
da
C is happiness constant.