In Akbar’s palace, there were many precious items, but one particular flower vase held a special place in Akbar’s heart. Akbar always kept this vase near his bed. One day, while cleaning the room, the vase accidentally broke. The servant tried to mend it but failed. Disheartened, he threw the broken vase into the garbage and prayed that the king wouldn’t find out.
When Akbar returned to the palace, he noticed that his favorite vase was missing. He inquired about it, and the servant, fearful, began to tremble. Unable to come up with a good excuse, the servant confessed that the vase had broken, and he had disposed of it, hoping the king wouldn’t find out.
Hearing this, Akbar became furious. In his anger, he sentenced the servant to death by hanging. The next day, during a court session, Birbal opposed this decision. He argued that everyone tells lies at some point in their lives. If the lie doesn’t cause harm or wrongdoing, then telling a lie is not wrong. Akbar, angered by Birbal’s statement, immediately expelled him from the kingdom.
After leaving the royal court, Birbal decided to prove that everyone tells lies at some point. He came up with a plan and went straight to a goldsmith. He had the goldsmith make an earring that looked like it was made of wheat grains. Taking the earring, Birbal went to the king’s court.
Upon seeing Birbal, Akbar asked why he had come. Birbal replied, “Today, something extraordinary will happen that no one has ever seen. You just need to hear me out.” The king, along with his courtiers, became curious, and Akbar allowed Birbal to speak.
Birbal said, “Today, I encountered a sage on the way. He gave me this earring made of golden wheat and said that wherever it is planted, a crop of gold will grow. Now, I need a small piece of land in your kingdom to plant it.” Akbar, intrigued by the story, agreed to provide Birbal with the land.
Birbal continued, “Before we proceed, I want everyone in the court to witness this miracle.” Saying this, Birbal took the golden earring and acted as if he were planting it in the ground. Observing the courtiers’ reactions, he then asked if anyone in the royal court had never told a lie.
The court fell silent. When Birbal insisted, Akbar admitted that he, too, had told lies in his childhood. Realizing the truth of Birbal’s words, Akbar stopped the hanging of the servant and admitted that everyone tells lies at some point in their lives. He rescinded Birbal’s expulsion from the kingdom, understanding the wisdom in his words.
The moral of the story is that one should not impose severe punishment without considering the circumstances, and sometimes, people tell lies for various reasons.
