In our childhood, we all read Akbar and Birbal stories and liked them a lot. They always ended with a sweet little moral that taught us a thing or two about life. Birbal, known for his wisdom and wit was the favorite minister of king Akbar. The king always asked simple and tricky questions to Birbal and he surprisingly had the right answer for every question. This story is about that incident between the two when Akbar asked Birbal these four questions about god:
(1) Where does God live? (2) What is his duty? (3) What does he eat? and, (4) Why does he take human form although he can do everything by mere willing?
For which, Birbal replied:
(1) God is all‑pervading. He gives His Darshan to the holy devotees in their hearts. You can see Him in your heart.
(2) He pulls down those who are at a high level and elevates those who are fallen. His duty is to cause constant change.
(3) He eats the ‘Ahamkar‘ (ego) of the ‘jivas’ (human beings)
While Birbal could answer three questions easily, he asked Akbar to give him some time for thinking out and giving a suitable reply for his fourth question.
In the meantime, when Birbal was finding the answer to Akbar’s fourth question (Why does he take human form although he can do everything by mere willing?), he went to a nurse who was nursing the child of Akbar. He asked her to help him with the answer to his fourth question.
He told her: “Look here, you will have to help me today in this matter. I will have to give a proper answer to Akbar on a certain philosophical question. When Akbar comes and sits by the side of the tank to play with the child, hide the child in a certain place and bring this toy‑child. Take the toy‑child near the tank and pretend to tumble down and throw the child into the tank. Then wait for Akbar to react. Do the whole thing dexterously. I know you can do it well. ” And she at agreed to do so.
When Akbar returned from his evening walk, he sat on a bench by the side of the tank. He then asked the nurse to bring the child. The nurse slowly went by the side of the tank, pretended to tumble down and threw the toy‑child into the tank.
Akbar at once hastened to jump down into the tank to rescue the child. Birbal intervened and said: “Here is your child. Do not be hasty. “
Akbar was very much annoyed at the impertinent behaviour of Birbal and ordered him to be punished. Birbal then said: “I have now given a practical answer to your fourth question. Why are you angry towards me?
Explaining to Akbar, Birbal said: “Even though there are so many servants to rescue your child, out of affection for the child you yourself wanted to jump into the water. Even so, although God can accomplish everything by mere willing or Sankalpa, yet he comes out himself out of love for his devotees to give them his Darshan. You see the point?”
Akbar was very much pleased with the answer and presented Birbal rich presents of a shawl and a diamond ring.