ल्हासापाको — मञ्जुश्री लाकि सरस्वती ?

ल्हासापाको — मञ्जुश्री लाकि सरस्वती ?

राजेन मानन्धर

बहुधार्मिक देसय् सलंसः दँतक एकछत्र राजयानाच्वंपिं हिन्दुतय्सं थनया धार्मिक बहुलता व सहअस्तीत्व स्यंकूगु, छगू धर्मं मेमेगु धर्मयात क्वत्यलायंकूगु नं झीके प्रमाणत दु । लूगु हे जक नं यक्व दु, सुचुकातःगु, लुइके मखंगु, मफुगु व मालेमानिगु ला झं गुलि दइ । थज्याःगु छगू दसु ल्हासापाको मञ्जुश्रीया थासय् अप्वयावयाच्वंगु  अतिबादी हिन्दु गतिविधियात कायेफु ।

कमल विनायकं ६गू किमि तापाःगु थ्व छगू रमणीय व ऐतिहासिक महत्वं जाःगु थाय् खः । बौद्धविद्वान वा बोधिसत्व महाचीनं स्वयम्भूज्योति दर्शन यायेत दकलय् न्हापां थन बिज्याःगु अले थ्व थाय् धइगु ल्हासां वयेगु लँपु खः धइगु जनविश्वास दु ।

थन उलि ततःधंगु संरचना निर्माण जुयामच्वंगुलिं थन ऐतिहासिक प्रमाणत यक्व पुलांगु खनेमदु । नेसं ९८०य् इलाचोत्वाःयापिन्सं “मञ्जुश्री सत्गुरुयात” ल्वहँया सिंह दयेकाः छाःगु,  प्रधानमन्त्री जङ्ग बहादुर राणं विसं १९१८य् बेखालटोलया मनबाँडा गुभालयात “श्रीमहामञ्जुश्रीया” पुजारी दरसन्तानदर खोसमोस नास्ति यानाबिउगु लालमोहर लूगु दु धकाः धयातःगु दु । अन नेसं १००३य् द्यःगः सतः व धर्मशालाया प्रतिस्था यानातःगु दु, विसं २०२५ सालय् थँहितिया मानन्धर दातातय्सं तुयुगु दुरुल्वहँया मञ्जुश्रीया मुर्ति तःगु खनेदत । अन हे लिंयागु कलात्मक मण्डल दु सा रञ्जना लिपिं ओममाणे पद्ममेहुँ धकाः नं कियातःगु दु । थन जिं थ्व थाय्या ऐतिहासिकता प्रमाणित यायेगु स्वयाः थुकिया अस्तित्वयात जक ब्वयेगु कुतःयानागु खः । 

खय् बरमूतय्गु बाहुल्यता दूगु थ्व थासय् आः थुकियात सरस्वती खः धकाः प्रमाणित यायेगु व जोरजुलुमयानाः हेसां थ्व सरस्वतीया द्यःगः हे खः धकाः धायेकांत्वःतेगु अभिप्राय ज्वनाः जुजुया प्रत्यक्ष शासनकालय् सक्रिय जुयाजूम्ह छम्हसिया निर्देशनय् छगू पुचः सक्रिय जूगु खनेदत । 

अन थ्यंकेगु तप्यंगु ल्वहँया स्वहानेतगिंया फुसय् लाक्क पुलांम्ह मञ्जुश्रीया द्यःगलय् वनेगु लँय् हे आः तिनि ढलान यानाः न्हूगु तजाःगु द्यःगः दयेकातःगु दु । आः अन सरस्वती द्यः पलिस्था यानाः अनया महामञ्जुश्रीया नां हे हुयाछ्वयेगु तकं ज्या जुयाच्वन धइगु न्यनेदु । 

अनया महायानी गुम्बाय् च्वनाबिज्याःम्ह आनीजुं स्थानीय मनूत पाखें थौंकन्हय् अनावश्यक दबाव व असहयोग जक मखु आतंक हे क्यनेगु जुयाच्वंगु धकाः धायेमाःगु अवस्था अथें वल खइमखु । अन वइगु हितिया पाइप चानाबिइगु, अले वसपोलं उगु थाय् संरक्षणया निंतिं हःगु बजेट गांया मेगु थाय्या विकासय् यंकेगु, अनच्वंगु महायानी गुम्बा हे लिकायेकेत व उकुन्हुतिनि तःगु नगरकोट महामञ्जुश्री नगरपालिका धइगु नां हिलाः नगरकोट नगरपालिका यायेत दबाव बिइगु ज्या सहअस्तित्वय् विश्वास दुपिन्सं याइमखु । अथे हे अन आः दुनेच्वंम्ह मञ्जुश्रीया मुर्ति चिइकाः अन सरस्वतीया मुर्ति तयेगु धकाः ख्याच्वः वयेवं आः अन डण्डी तयाः वेल्डिङ यानाः रक्षा यायेमाःगु तकं अवस्था वयाच्वंगु दु । गुलि ग्यानाच्वनेमाःगु बुद्धया देसय् बुद्धमार्गीत ।

उगु सम्पदाया रक्षाया निंतिं हारगुहार माःजुयाच्वंम्ह पद्मसुन्दरजु शाक्यजुया बिन्ति दु, थुगुु थाय्या मौलिक स्वरुप, महत्व व धार्मिक पहिचान ल्यंकेत दक्व थःथःगु थासं जायेमाःगु दु, ऐक्यवद्धता क्यनाः थुगु ऐतिहासिक सम्पदायात ल्यंकेमाःगु दु । 

थज्याःगु हे अवस्था जिं भारतया महाराष्ट्रया कारला गुफाय् नं स्वयेनंगु दु । अन नं निद्वःदँ पुलांगु भारतया हे नां दंगु ऐतिहासिक बौद्ध चैत्यागारया लुखाय्लाक्क छम्ह एकवीरा देवीया द्यःगः दयेकातःगु दु । अनया बौद्धतय्सं थुकिया विरोध तकं यायेफयाच्वंगु मदु, छाय् धाःसा व हिन्दू द्यःगलय् अतिबादीहिन्दुतय्गु ततःपाःगु पोस्टर तयातःगु दु । 

जिं बुद्धधर्मया पैरवी वा हिन्दु धर्मया विरोध यानाच्वनागु मदु । थःथः धार्मिक आस्थाकथं थः यःयःम्ह द्यःया भक्ति आराधना यायेदयेमाः । तर छगू धर्मया लोकोक्ती, ऐतिहासिकता व धार्मिक पहिचान क्वबियातःगु छगू सम्पदास्थलय् मेगु धर्मयापिं मनूतय्सं उकियात हरतरहं थःगु धर्मकथंया दयेकेगु कुतःयायेगु व उकिया निंतिं डर धम्कीया साथ तकं कायेगु धइगु धर्मनिरपेक्ष राज्यया निंतिं मल्वः । न्हापा छुं मदुगु थासय् हिन्दू, बौद्ध जक मखु मुस्लिम व इसाइतय्सं छुं दयेकूसां उकिइ जिगु आपत्ति मदु । सरस्वतीया द्यःगः दयेकेत थ्व राज्ययाके मेचीनिसें महाकालीतकया जग्गा उपलब्ध दु । न्हूगु थासय् बुद्ध मूर्ति जक दयेके दइमखु, थ्व नेपाःया धर्मनिरपेक्ष राज्यं सुर्खेतय् बिउगु नजीर खः ।  

ल्हासापाकोय् थथे सरस्वतिया द्यःगः दयेकाच्वन धइगु थीथी थासं खँ वया हे च्वंसां बौद्ध धर्मया नामय् दयेकातःगु सलंसः संघसंस्थां व अन सम्बन्धित बौद्धविद्वनतय्सं थ्व पाखे चिउताः मतःगु छगु खेदजनक खँ खः । थःगु धर्मयात संकट वःबलय् सःतक नं तयेमफुगु संस्थाया औचित्यय् कन्हय् न्ह्यसःचिं जूवयेफु । झी थः बौद्ध धयावयापिं ल्हासापाकोय् गुलि थ्यं ? अन वनां हे नं छु यायेफयाच्वंगु दु ? बौद्धतय्गु धार्मिक आस्थायात हाथ्या वयाच्वंबलय् थःगु उपस्थिति क्यनेमफुपिन्सं कन्हय् अबौद्धतय्थाय् वनाः बुद्धधर्मया शिक्षा इउँजुइधकाः नं गुकथं आशा यायेगु? नेपाःया बौद्ध विद्वानतय्सं संसार चाःहिलाः स्वयाच्वंगु दु, थःगु त्वादेवा क्वय्या वस्तुस्थिति मखं ।

मेगु, नेवाः बौद्धविद्वानतय् थःगु पहिचान छुकिइ दु धइगु थुइके थाकुयाच्वंगु दु । थःत बौद्ध विद्वान धायेकेयःपिन्सं हे मञ्जुश्री व सरस्वतीया दथुइया भिन्नता मखनीगु अले व हे खः धकाः तर्क पेश यानाच्वनेगु धइगु उमिगु धाथेंगु बौद्धिक चेतनाय् न्ह्यसः खः । उमिगु अज्याःगु ज्या थःगु धार्मिक पहिचानया लागि ल्वायेमालाच्वंपिं बौद्धतय्गु निंतिं सुखकर खँ जुइफइमखु । राज्यसत्तां झी नेवाःतय्त छगू संस्कार ज्वंकातःगु दु – न्ह्याथाय् न्ह्याम्ह द्यः खंसां अन्यायेगु, जाकि निगः ह्वलेगु, सिन्हःस्वां छायेगु, भ्वय् नयेगु । राज्यं झीत ब्वंकातःगु छगू हे पाठ – हिन्दू धर्म व बौद्ध धर्म व हे खः, नेवाःतय्सं नितां मानेयाइ, छुं मपाः अले उमि थवंथवय् सहिष्णुता दु । राज्यया ला स्वार्थ दु, तर झी बौद्ध विद्वानपिन्सं नं थुकियात हे थःगु मन्त्र भाःपा नवानाजुइगु व च्वयाजुइगु धइगु थःगु अक्षमताया उद्घाटन सिबाय् मेगु जुइमखु ।

धर्म–कां जुइगु धइगु धार्मिक सहिष्णुता मखु । झीसं खनाच्वना, नेवाः बौद्धतय् दुने हिन्दुधर्मया कचा खः धाइपिं सक्रिय दु । उकिं हे नेवाःबौद्धतय्गु वडाय् हिन्दु राष्ट्रया समर्थततय्त भोट वंगु खः धकाः मनूतय् थुइधुंकल । अज्याःपिन्सं यानाः ल्हासापाकोय् बौद्ध समम्पदाया रक्षा जुइमखु । बाखनय् जक न्यनातयाम्ह शंकराचार्य झी जःखः हे दइ । हलू धाःसेंलि कुतिं न्यानाच्वनेम्वाः ।

वस्वयाः पिने नेवाःत दुने हिन्दू नं बौद्ध नं दूगुलिं थन हिन्दू नेवाःतय्सं बौद्ध नेवाःतय्त अले बौद्ध नेवाःतय्सं हिन्दू नेवाःतय्त तर्कं बुकेगु कुतः ला जुया हे च्वनी । विशेष यानाः नेवाः हिन्दुत थ्व थाय्यात सरस्वती हे खः धकाः प्रमाणित यायेत लगेजुयाच्वंगु नं खनेदयावःगु दु । थज्याःगु अवस्थाय् कमसेकम झीगु नेवाःतय्गु भूमिइ थःगु म्हसिका ल्यंकातयेत थवंथवय् सहअस्तीत्वया खँयात लुमंकाः छपँ छधी जुइफतकि पिनेंवःपिं लिचिली । झीसं सिउ, जिम्ह च्वलय् नइम्ह धुं छिम्ह च्वलय् नं ल्यंकीमखु ।

अन्तय्, ल्हासापाकोया द्वन्द्वयात ल्हासापाकोया रुपय् जक मकाये । थन थःगु पहिचानया निंतिं ल्वानाच्वनापिन्त मचायेक तापाक्क लाःगु थासय् सहअस्तीत्व स्वीकार मयाइपिन्सं हमला यायेधुंकूगु दु । ल्हासापाकोय् नेवाः पहिचान ल्यंकेमफइगु खःसा असनय् च्वनाः नेवाः राज्य व नेपालमण्डलया “माकःफुइँ” मक्यंसां जिल । थौं थन सुम्क च्वनेगु धइगु कन्हय् नमोबुद्ध, झोरबही, क्वाःबहाः वा स्वयम्भुइ नं आक्रमण यायेगु लुखा चायेकाबिइगु जुइ । उकिं थुकियात कया बौद्ध संघसस्थात अध्ययन प्रतिष्ठानत, खलःपुचःत आदिया दथुइ व्यापक चर्चा व संम्बाद जुइमाः, थःगु लागि सःतयेमाः । झीगु सम्पदाय् आक्रमण धइगु झीगु पहिचानय् व अस्तीत्वय् हे आक्रमण खः धकाः झीसं चायेकेमाःगु दु । 

Published in Sandhya Times on 2014 01 28 (2071 Magh 14) "Lhasapako - Manjushree or Saraswati?"

A rich beggar

Rina Tuladhar (Baniya)

Riya is excited, while making coffee for her husband and herself at the bedroom coffee table. After a month-long foreign trip, her husband Ranjeet, a business tycoon of the city, returned home today.

Ranjeet is lying on his back on the luxury bed and searching for his favourite TV channel. Perhaps, he is looking for Fashion TV, in romantic mood. His crave for sensual pleasure is unlimited.

With two coffee mugs in her hands, Riya came and sat next to her husband. She placed the mugs on the side-table. He dragged her in and gave a tight hug.

She also replied by leaning her head on his chest.

She was waiting for him to say something. She looked at his face, just to find that some change has occurred. He was thinking over some other issues.

"What are you thinking over?" she asked, touching his chest hair. Eyes closed, he did not reply.  She knew, he was worried about his business and her love for him did not mean that much for him.

He suddenly stood up. He opened his suitcase, pulled out the branded dresses and ornaments and said, "I bought all these things for you. I just forgot to give you. My secretary did shopping for me. Check them out, if they are of your choices."

"I know, the choices are of your secretary, always," there is satire and pain in her voice.

"How can I find time for shopping for you in my business trip?," Ranjit replied indignantly. He took out a file form the suitcase and sat on the sofa, then became busy with his cellphone.

Riya did not even go to the things. He always brings a pile of gifts for her, as if he is obliged to. For her, the gifts did not carry her husband's love. She was not looking for lifeless objects but for his warm love. She sat sipping coffee silently on the bed. A moment of silence followed.

Ranjeet again fell on the bed and asked Riya for a peg of whiskey.

"I've brought coffee," she said shortly.

"I won't take coffee. Make a Blue Level."

She went to the cupboard, took out the bottle and a glass, added some ice-cubes from the fridge in it. She handed it to him and he swallowed it up in one sip.

She has something else in her heart, but asked, "Would you like to listen to a story?"

"Story? Ha ha ha. Do you think I'm a child?" he joked.

"What to do? I'm not lucky to have a child…" she tried to relate it to some other topic but it was not making any sense to him.

"You know what is it about? A hungry beggar," she threw a clue.

"OK, go ahead," he said disgracefully.

Riya started : Once, there was a rich merchant. One day, a beggar came to his home and said, "Sir, I' terribly hungry. Please give me some food."

The merchant gave him some money. He came back again and asked for some thing to eat again. The merchant gave him more. He went and came back again. The merchant gave me gold ornaments. Similarly, he went and came back. The merchant again gave him diamond ornaments. But the beggar again came and asked for food.

The merchant yelled," What a beggar ! I've given you that much but you are still not satisfied. Can't you buy food with that money?"

The beggar left with tears in his eyes. Riya ended the story.

"Oh. Is that the end of your story?" Ranjeet made fun of her.

It was always like this. Feeling of sentimental Riya was never red by materialist Ranjeet.

"Then. I'll start my story. He jumped over Riya's body. He finished over making love of his kind. Her heart shattered into pieces. Her pain was not different from that of a raped woman. This is not the first time Riya felt like this. A routine, it was in her married life.

Ranjeet started snoring soon. Tears fell from Riya's eyes, as she got up and went to the sofa. She stared at the ceiling and threw eyes on everything in the room. The room was decorated with imported luxury items. I'm one among those items – I'm a decoration of the room when he does not need me and when he needs me, the rooms turns out to be a brothel. She ground her teeth in anger for a while and then slept.

It was a home only till my mother in law was here. She passed away quite normally, just because of a heart attack. Her dream of seeing a grand children wad not fulfilled. Only two people make this family. It has been ten years I'm waiting for a child. I visited a doctor but I was told that both the husband and wife should come.  I always failed to take him along with me. He said it was not necessary for him to meet a doctor because he knew that he had no problem. He openly told me that he had made two of his girlfriends pregnant. What an insult for me!

I was shocked by his announcement, which came like a thunder. It was darkness everywhere. I could not see anything and felt dizzy. It is my ill fate, I shouted, it was like crying of an animal in front of a butcher.  He showed off his masculinity. We had quite a long discussion over this issue. I left the home, as it was impossible for me to live with a man like that. Where could I go? A lonely woman I was. I stayed with my parents for some months and my relatives suggested me to return here. I came back to this dark cage again. This place gives me mental torture, if not physical. I did fight, shouted and protested. But I failed to find a solution. I said to myself, "I will find a way out one day."

Riya got up from the sofa, poured some water in a glass from a jug and sat on the sofa again. She continued her thoughts – It's my fault. I also am a woman, affected with the stereotype thinking that a husband constitutes a woman's entire world after marriage. I've been loving and respecting my husband, as if he is my all-in-all.  And in return, I've always been expecting a pint of love from him. Like the hungry beggar, asking for food. Wife of such a big business tycoon, I'm a beggar.

In fact, he does not need me. He just needed a beautiful woman to show in grand parties of businessmen. It is not necessarily me, whom he needs. He has big choices to make in hotels, wherever he goes.

X X X

"Riya. Get up!" a call woke her up. She was sleeping on the sofa. Ranjeet did not even ask her why she was sleeping on the sofa.  He made an order, "My flight is at 12.00. I have to leave the house at 10.00. Pack my things."

"Flight at 12.00?" Riya was not surprised. It was also not a new thing. He came yesterday and today he is going again. Their lifestyle is like this.

"Yes. Flight at 12.00. I'm going to attend a business conference in Singapore. It may take a week for me to return as I have some other things too, to handle."

"If so, why did you return for one day," Riya was a bit angry.

"It's none of your business," this is his usual response. He went to the bathroom.

She did not hurriedly obey him this time. She was still sitting on the sofa. He came out after taking a bath and shouted as he saw that she was still sitting there.

"What the hell you are doing here? I'm getting late."

"You are getting late. I'm not," Riya also shouted back. Ranjeet's eyes were full of anger.

Unwillingly though, she packed his suitcase. She was completely silent.

"Where is my breakfast?" he was annoyed.

Riya did not reply. She picked the phone and dialed at the kitchen and said, "The master has asked for his breakfast."

Her behaviour apparently agitated him. "What has made you angry?"

She did not reply. She went to the sofa, after completing her duty.

"Won't you come to see me off at the airport?" he asked, with full control over his anger.

Riya briefly answered, "No."

Ranjeet left the room for the airport, without even looking back.

After the husband's departure, Riya was alone in the room. She trembled like an outraged woman. She shouted," Why? Why Riya? Why are you like this? Where is your existence? Where is your life?"

She hurriedly opened the window. She looked out of the window – she saw that the Sun, from the clear blue sky, is giving warmth to the earth. Her face glowed.

She withdrew and opened a drawer with a loud noise. Turned all the contents upside down and picked out what she needed – her educational certificates – and she smiled.

X X X

Two weeks later. Ranjeet came back to the airport, after completing his tour. The wife, who used to be there every time, was not there. He felt something uneasy and took a taxi to his home.

"She used to call me continuously or send me emails, but this time, she did not contact me at all. She was fuming when I left," he was murmuring in the taxi.

He was expecting his wife to wait for him at the door. She was not there. He sat on a sofa at lobby. He hoped that she would appear soon but she did not come. His servants appeared instead. He did not feel comfortable, and asked, "Where is Riya?"

One of them replied that she is in her bedroom. He quietly entered the room. She was standing upright there.

He was quite upset that she did not come to receive him. He jetted a question in anger, "Then, you are still angry with me?"

"I was waiting for you," Riya spoke with weighty voice. It did not seem to be her voice. And she did not have the respect she used to show. He was a bit confused.

She slowly moved in front of him. She had a bunch of papers. She stood straight, looked into his eyes. He saw that she did not have that look with which she used to beg for love. He failed to say anything, when she was looking at him with eyes full of anger.

"You better try to understand the meaning of the hungry beggar."

"Oh, you are angry because I did not understand your story?" he tried to cover the situation with some humourous touch, without knowing how serious the situation has turned.

Riya produced the paper bunch to him and said, "Take it. Read these papers. And sign on them."

Ranjeet could not guess what was going around. He took the bunch and browsed. It was documents of application for divorce, already been signed by Riya.

"You scoundrel. What do you think of me? What do you want?"

"I want my rights. That I cannot win by asking, but fighting for it," she roared confidently.

"You want divorce? OK. OK! I can marry fifteen women like you," he replied.

"You may marry again. I've been watching your misconduct for years. But, keep it in your mind, I will get my rights back. The legal process of divorce will go ahead. Porperty…., I will not compromise on anything. Just remember," she said. She was just different.

"Legal process? Ha ha ha. What do you know about all this? Legal process. Huh?" he was still underestimating her.

"Marital sexual exploitation is my issue. Legal provisions today are rights of we, the women," she has completely changed.

"What the hell are you talking about? Are you all right?" he tried to be a bit soft.

Riya then replied with low tone, "I did not went outside to eat that is available in the hotel. I only agreed to eat the pure thing that is cooked at home. That is why I'm always hungry."

"Don't talk things in roundabout way. Say your thing directly," he tried to fix the situation.

"Straight and frank. I will seek divorce from you on the ground of sexual exploitation,"

"OK. You will be in loss. This is not going to affect my life. You women are like pairs of shoes for me," he was talking indifferently, as if he does not have blood in his heart.

"Ha ha ha," she laughed off loudly and said, "You will understand what effect it will make to your life when the character of the business tycoon will go for auction. I have the thing in my hand, which will make your character suitable for auctioning in the bazaar. Media is everywhere. I have collected all the evidences of your misconduct. The loose character of the business tycoon will go to the streets. Ha ha ha," she laughed loudly again, as if Goddess Durga has entered in her.

Ranjeet suddenly kept numb. He was puzzled, like a man who has lost his destination.

"Just keep waiting for me. I will come to see you again with arms of law and media," Riya went out, shouting and she did not look back.

Translated by Razen Manandhar