Akbar and Servant Story!!

One day, while cleaning in Emperor Akbar's bedroom, one of the vases fell from the hand of the servant and broke. The servant got scared because it was Akbar's favorite vase. The servant gathered all the pieces and secretly threw them.

When Akbar came to the bedroom, he found his favorite vase missing. He called the servant and asked about it. Out of fear servant lied, "I had taken that vase home to clean it properly."

Akbar ordered him to bring that vase back to his room immediately. After getting the order, seeing that he can not hide the truth anymore, he told Akbar everything and started apologizing with folded hands.

Akbar got angry, at the servant for lying to him. So, he sentenced him to death. The servant kept pleading for forgiveness but Akbar didn't listen to him.

The next day, Akbar made this topic a point of discussion in his court and asked his courtiers, "Has any of you ever lied?"

All courtiers refused in one voice.

When Akbar asked Birbal, Birbal replied, "Your Majesty, Everyone lies sometimes. I have also spoken. I think there is no harm in telling a lie that doesn't harm anyone."

Akbar got angry after listening to this and expelled Birbal from his court. Birbal left but he was worried about the servant's death sentence. So, he started thinking of a way to save him.

After some thought, he went to a goldsmith's shop and asked him to make a paddy of rice (threshed unmilled rice) out of gold.

The next morning, the goldsmith gave Birbal a paddy made out of gold. After taking that gold paddy, Birbal went to Akbar's court.

Akbar was angry seeing Birbal's audacity to come to court even after being expelled from the court but still, Birbal somehow convinced him to listen to him.

Showing gold paddy to Akbar, Birbal said, "Your Majesty, I wanted to tell you something important, that's why I had come here today."

Yesterday evening, while going home, I met a Saint. He gave me this gold paddy of rice and told me to plant it in some fertile land. If we sow this, there will be a gold crop in that field.

"I have found a fertile land. I want all the courtiers and you to come too to that field to plant this gold paddy. Then we can see whether what Saint said was true or not."

Akbar agreed and ordered all courtiers to reach the field, the next day at a fixed time.

The next day, when everyone reached the field, Akbar asked Birbal to plant that gold paddy in the field.

But Birbal refused and said, "While giving this plant, Saint instructed me that field will yield gold only if it is planted by a person who had never told a lie. That's why I can not plant this."

Please order one of your courtiers to plant this. "When Akbar asked courtiers to plant that paddy in the field, no one came forward."

Akbar understood that everyone had lied at one or another time. When no one came forward, Birbal gave that paddy of rice in the hands of Akbar and said, "No one is truthful here. That's why you should plant this.."

But even Akbar hesitated to take that paddy and plant it in the field and said, "I have also lied in childhood. That's why I also can not plant this."

After hearing this, Birbal smiled and said, "I got this gold paddy made by a goldsmith. My aim was just to make you understand that people in the world sometimes lie. A lie that doesn't harm anyone is not a lie."

Akbar understood Birbal's words. He gave him his place back in court and pardoned the death sentence of the servant.

Flash - Lying can never lead to a permanent solution even if it creates a temporary respite in your mind. The story demonstrates that lying can have severe consequences. The servant faced the possibility of death for lying to Emperor Akbar, and Birbal was expelled from the court for his perspective on lying. This highlights the importance of being truthful and the potential negative outcomes that can arise from dishonesty.

Moral - Honesty is the best policy. The story emphasizes the importance of honesty and truthfulness. It shows that lying can lead to severe consequences, as seen with the servant who initially lied about breaking the vase. It is always better to be honest, even if the truth may be difficult to admit.

"A lie can take care of the present but it has no future."