One day, Emperor Akbar was sitting in his court, brimming with pride. He looked around happily, smiled at Birbal, and suddenly declared, “Birbal! Today, we are absolutely certain that no one in this world is wiser than us. If anyone thinks they are smarter, let them prove it!”
The entire court fell silent. Everyone knew that when the emperor spoke like this, a challenge had begun for Birbal. Birbal bowed respectfully and said softly, “Your Majesty, your wisdom shines like the sun. But with your permission, may I ask just three simple questions?”
Akbar laughed and replied, “Ask, Birbal, ask! We will answer everyone.”
Birbal calmly asked the first question: “Tell me, Your Majesty, what is the fastest thing in the world?”
Akbar thought for a moment and said, “A horse! No… the wind! Or perhaps the clouds!”
Birbal smiled gently and answered, “No, Sire. The fastest thing is the human mind. In a single moment, it can travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and even reach the heavens.”
Akbar fell silent. A soft ripple of laughter passed through the court.
Then Birbal asked the second question: “Your Majesty, what is the deepest thing on this earth?”
Akbar replied immediately, “The ocean!”
Birbal shook his head politely. “No, Your Majesty. The deepest thing is the human mind. We can measure the depth of the sea, but no one has ever measured the depth of a person’s mind.”
Akbar’s brows furrowed. He thought for a long time, then said, “Very well. Ask your third question.”
Birbal asked very gently: “Your Majesty, what is the most precious thing in the entire universe?”
Akbar answered proudly, “Gold and silver, diamonds and jewels, our throne and crown!”
Birbal folded his hands and said, “Forgive me, Sire, but the most precious thing is time. A single moment that passes never returns. Gold and jewels can be earned again if lost, but lost time never comes back to anyone.”
This time, Emperor Akbar became completely silent. His eyes lowered. The whole court was hushed. After several moments, Akbar spoke softly: “Birbal, today you have reminded us of our true place. We thought we were the greatest, but these three questions have shown us the truth.”
Akbar stood up, placed his hand on Birbal’s shoulder, and announced before the entire court: “From today, we will never again say that no one is wiser than us. True wisdom knows how to silence pride.”
Birbal smiled, bowed his head, and replied, “Your Majesty, this very lesson is the greatest victory.”
Moral Lesson: True wisdom defeats pride, and even the simplest questions can carry the greatest lessons.