स्वविश्वास (एक पेड़ की कथा) / Confidence (story of a tree)
Scroll down if you don't read Hindi
पेड़ को गर्व था
थी जड़ें इतनी गहरी
सालो से तना खड़ा था
जंगल के एक छोर का प्रहरी
तूफ़ान कितना भी हुंकारा
किन्तु पेड़ गिरा नहीँ
आँधियो ने पत्ते नोचे पर
पेड़ तनिक भी हिला नहीँ
अचल अडिग अजेय
पेड़ अनगिन युगों से
स्वविश्वास लिए खड़ा रहा
फिर एक दिन चंचल चिड़िया
आ के पेड़ के कान में बोली
काश तुम चल सकते तो देखते
पहाड़ के उस ओर भी एक जंगल है
झील है, झरने हैं, प्रकृति का सौंदर्य है
पर
काश तुम चल सकते तो देखते ! पेड़ ने सुना और सोचने लगा
जो गर्व था वो कुछ ढह सा गया
जड़ ताकत नहीँ बाधक लगी
प्रहरी का स्वविश्वास उस पल से
पंगु का स्व-आभाव बन गया
पत्ते पीले हो कर गिरने लगे
जड़ निर्बल हो मुरझाने लगी
दीमक तने के बल को खाने लगी
और जो सदियों के तूफ़ान ना कर सके
वो चंचल चिड़िया का उलाहना कर गया
पेड़ का विश्वास हताहत हुआ और
पेड़ खोखला हो स्वत् ही मर गया !
For my friends who don't read hindi -
The tree was very proud, its roots ran so deep. For years
its trunk had been standing, Sentinel of one end of the forest. No matter how menacing
the storm roared, the tree did not fall. The winds shattered its leaves but could
never move the tree even a bit.
Immovable, unshakable, invincible!
The tree stood there rooted in self-confidence for countless
ages
Then one day a mischievous bird came
and whispered in the tree's ear
“If only you could walk, you would
see, there is a forest on the other side of the mountain too. There are lakes,
waterfalls, the beauty of nature on that side is mesmerizing.
Alas, you can’t; If only you could
walk, you would see”
The tree heard that and started thinking. The pride it held for centuries,
started to crumble. The unshakable roots that had been his pride, started
appearing to be an obstacle. The self-confidence of the sentinel turned into
self-doubt of a cripple in that moment. The leaves turned yellow and started to
fall. The roots lost its power and started withering, the termites saw the
opportunity and infested the trunk, gnawing its strength away.
So, what the storms of centuries could not do, was done by the misplaced
pity of the mischievous bird. The tree lost its faith in its own
strength, became hollow and eventually died on its own.
Moral of the story ( Poem)
~ Learn not to be like this Tree and let any doubt impact your self esteem and confidence
~ Try not to be like this bird and hurt someone's pride even by subtle suggestions and misplaced sympathy
