சொர்க்கம், நரகம்

கடவுளை பார்க்க அவரது நண்பர் ஒருவர் வந்து இருந்தார். கடவுளிடம் பேசிக் கொண்டு இருந்தவர், " இங்கு நீங்கள் சொர்க்கம், நரகம் என்று இரண்டு இடங்களை உருவாக்கி வைத்து உள்ளீர்கள் என்றும், நல்லவர்கள் சொர்க்கத்திற்குச் செல்வார்கள் என்றும், கெட்டவர்கள் நரகத்திற்குச் செல்வார்கள் என்றும் பூமியில் பேசிக் கொள்கிறார்களே" என்று கேட்டார்.
மேலும், நான் அதனை பார்க்கலாமா ? "அது இரண்டும் எப்படி இருக்கும் என்று கேட்டார்?" என்றும் கடவுளிடம் கேட்டார்.

கடவுளும். ”முதலில் நீங்கள் அந்த இரண்டையும் பாருங்கள், பின்னர் நான் நீங்கள் கேட்ட கேள்விக்கு பதிலைச் சொல்கிறேன்” என்று அந்த நண்பரை முதலில் நரகத்திற்கு அழைத்துச் சென்றார். நண்பர் நரகத்தை பார்வையிட சென்ற நேரம் மதிய வேலை சாப்பாடு நேரம். நரகத்தில் உள்ளவர்களுக்கு சாப்பாட்டிற்க்கான அழைப்பு விடுக்கப்பட்டது.

அனைவரும் வந்து சாப்பாடு மேசையில் அமர்ந்தனர். அவர்களுக்கு சாதம், அப்பளம், பாயசம், கூட்டு, பொரியல், அவியல், இனிப்பு எல்லாம் வழங்கப்பட்டது. அனைவரும் மிக தாராளமாக அமரும் வகையில் இட வசதி இல்லாமையால், சற்று நெருக்கியே அமர்நது இருந்தனர். முறையாக சாப்பிட முடியவில்லை.

ஒருவர் சாப்பாடு எடுத்து வாயில் வைக்கும் போது அவரின் கையானது மற்றவரை இடித்தது. அவரது சாப்பாடு கீழே விழுந்தது. அவர் கோபம் கொண்டு இடித்தவரை அடித்தார். அவர் அருகில் இருந்த மற்றவரின் மேல் விழுந்தார். அவர் இவரை அடிக்க, இவ்வாறாக ஒருவர் மேல் ஒருவர் மேல் விழுந்து அந்த இடமே போர்க்களமானது. சாப்பாடு எல்லாம் தரையில் கொட்டி யாரும் சாப்பிட வில்லை. பட்டினியாக இருந்தனர்.

இதனை பார்த்த நண்பர், கடவுளிடம் என்ன இப்படி இருக்கிறது நரகம், சொர்க்கத்தில் எப்படி வைத்து இருக்கிறீர்கள்?, அங்கு தாராளமான இட வசதி, ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் தனி தனி மேசை, இதை விட அதிகமான, தரமான சாப்பாடு என்று வைத்து இருப்பீர்கள் தானே ? என்று கேட்டார்.
கடவுள், சிரித்துக் கொன்டே, ”சரி, வாருங்கள் அதையும் பார்த்து விடலாம்” என்று அழைத்து சென்றார்.

அங்கு சாப்பாட்டிற்கு அனைவரும் அழைக்கப்பட்டனர். அங்கும் அதே மாதிரி இட வசதி இல்லாத மேசை, அதே சாதம், அப்பளம், பாயசம், கூட்டு, பொரியல், அவியல், இனிப்பு ஒன்றும் பெரிய வித்தியாசம் இல்லை. இதனை பார்த்து அதிர்ந்த நண்பர், “என்ன கடவுளே, சொர்க்கத்திற்கும் - நரகத்திற்கும் நீங்கள் எந்த ஒரு வித்தியசமும் வைக்க வில்லையே ?. அப்படி என்றால் இரண்டிலும் இருப்பதும் ஒன்றுதானா?” என்று கேட்டார். மேலும், ”நீங்கள் கண்டிப்பாக சொர்க்கத்திற்கும், நரகத்திற்கும் கொஞ்சமாவது வேறுபாடு வைத்து இருக்க வேண்டும்.” என்று உரிமையுடன் நண்பர் கடிந்து கொண்டார்.

கடவுள் அவரிடம், சற்று பொறுங்கள் நடப்பதை பாருங்கள் ! என்றார். சொர்க்கத்தில் அனைவரும் சாப்பிட வந்தனர்.

ஒருவர் எடுத்து சாப்பாட்டை வாயில் வைத்தால் அருகில் உள்ளவரை இடிக்கும் நிலை. இரண்டு இரண்டு பேராக திரும்பிக் கொண்டு ஒருவருக்கு ஒருவர் ஊட்டி விட்டனர். யாரும் யாரையும் இடிக்க வில்லை, சண்டையும் இல்லை, உணவும் கீழே விழ வில்லை. அனைவரும் எந்த வித பிரச்சினையும் இன்றி பசி அமர்ந்தனர்.
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இப்போது கடவுள் நண்பரை பார்த்து சொன்னார், “இங்கு சொர்க்கம்-நரகம் என்று எதுவுமில்லை, எல்லாமே ஒன்றுதான், மனிதர்கள்தான் தங்கள் சுயநலத்தால் ஒரு இடத்தை சொர்க்கமாகவும், நரகமாகவும் மாற்றுகின்றனர். எங்கு அன்பு உள்ளவர்கள் அதிகமாக உள்ளார்களோ, எங்கு விட்டுக் கொடுக்கும் மனப்பான்மை அனைவரிடமும் இருக்கிறதோ அந்த இடமே சொர்க்கம் என்றார்.

நீங்கள் இருக்கும் இடத்தை சொர்க்கமாகவோ இல்லை நரகமாகவோ வைத்துக் கொள்வது உங்கள் கையில் தான் உள்ளது !” என்றும் கூறி முடித்தார் கடவுள்.

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