God and His Devotees: Birbal’s Ingenious Lesson

Emperor Akbar, though a Muslim ruler, respected all religions equally and was deeply curious about theological stories. One day, he asked Birbal, “Is it true that in one of the ancient tales, a god came to personally save an elephant that prayed for help?”

Bowing respectfully, Birbal replied, “Yes, Your Majesty. The tale speaks of Gajendra, the king of elephants, who was caught by a crocodile and sought the protection of Lord Vishnu. Moved by his prayers, Lord Vishnu himself descended to save him.”

Akbar, intrigued, said, “But Lord Vishnu had countless servants, didn’t he? He could have sent one of them to rescue the elephant. Why come personally?”

Birbal smiled and said, “Your Majesty, I will answer this question in due time.”

The Setup

In the evenings, the prince often went on walks with a trusted servant. Birbal befriended this servant and asked him to keep their friendship a secret. A few days later, Birbal crafted a lifelike wax statue resembling the prince and instructed the servant to take the statue for a walk instead of the prince while the prince rested.

The Incident

That evening, the servant, following Birbal’s instructions, took the wax statue to the garden. Pretending to stumble, the servant let the statue fall into a pond. In a panic, he rushed to Akbar, crying, “Your Majesty! The prince has fallen into the pond, and he can’t swim!”

Hearing this, Akbar leapt from his throne and ran toward the pond. Without hesitation, he jumped in to save the prince. To his relief, he found only a wax statue. Wet and furious, he turned to find Birbal waiting on the bank.

The Lesson

“Birbal! What kind of joke is this?” Akbar demanded.

Bowing slightly, Birbal replied calmly, “Your Majesty, why did you jump into the pond yourself? You could have sent a servant. After all, you have so many at your disposal.”

Akbar, recalling his earlier question about Lord Vishnu, understood the point. Birbal continued, “Your Majesty, just as you couldn’t bear the thought of your son being in danger and personally leaped to save him, so does God. His love for His devotees compels Him to come to their aid Himself. That is why Lord Vishnu appeared to save Gajendra.”

Realizing the depth of Birbal’s explanation, Akbar smiled and said, “You have made me understand something profound, Birbal. No one could have explained it better.”

Moral of the Story:

A parent’s love for their child mirrors God’s love for His devotees. It is this unconditional affection that drives divine intervention.

This tale beautifully illustrates how Birbal, with his wisdom and creativity, used a relatable analogy to answer a philosophical question, leaving everyone in awe of his insight.