One day, a pandit wearing a tall turban arrived in the court. He walked with great pride. He bowed to Akbar and said, “Your Majesty, I am a great scholar. I know all the scriptures by heart. I can even predict the future and read people’s minds.”
Some courtiers were impressed. Akbar showed interest and said, “If you are truly such a great pandit, then show us your knowledge.”
The pandit closed his eyes, chanted a few mantras, and said, “Today the Emperor will receive great good news!”
Birbal was smiling quietly. He said to Akbar, “Your Majesty, if you permit, may I also ask this pandit a few questions?”
Akbar agreed.
Birbal asked the first question, “Pandit ji, which is the purest water?”
The pandit quickly answered, “The water of the Ganga!”
Birbal then asked, “If something dirty falls into the Ganga, will the water still remain pure?”
The pandit got nervous and said, “Yes… it should remain pure.”
Birbal asked the third question, “Pandit ji, you said you can read minds. Tell me, what am I thinking right now?”
The pandit closed his eyes and said dramatically, “You are thinking that I am a great scholar!”
Birbal laughed and said, “Wrong! I was thinking that you are a false pandit. And now I have proved it to everyone.”
Then Birbal asked a simple question that any truly educated person could answer, but the false pandit could not. He began to stammer.
Akbar understood that the man was only pretending. He said, “Birbal, once again you have caught him correctly!”
The false pandit apologised and promised to live honestly from now on. Akbar forgave him but warned him that pretending to have knowledge is not right.
Moral: True knowledge is not shown through pretence, but through behaviour and honesty. A lie is always caught one day.