Birbal Cooks Khichdi.
One of the stories I read in Champak back in the ‘90s (I can’t believe I just called it that ’back in the 90s’!) The story keeps coming back to me. The beginning of the story involves the king Akbar declaring a hefty monetary prize for any person who would dare to spend one night in the freezing pond of the town. A poor old man, in desperate need for money to feed hi starving family, decides to attempt. He manages to get through the night and is awarded the promised cash. When asked how he could keep up the strength and determination (and other such heavy words), the simpleton that he was, all he could reply was that he happened to notice a light in the distance and he concentrated all his thoughts on that light for the whole night. That is how he could make it to morning. The king’s court had its share of sycophants and evil minded people who objected the prize money saying the old man obtained heat from that light source. The king, mind-blinded by the power and the illogical voices surrounding him, took the money back. Mr Birbal couldn’t bear to see this and decided to make the king realize his mistake. He did that in his own sweet way and we all know the rest of the story. But that is not the point I'm making. For me, the hero of the story is the old man (well that's one way to look at the story!)
One of the stories I read in Champak back in the ‘90s (I can’t believe I just called it that ’back in the 90s’!) The story keeps coming back to me. The beginning of the story involves the king Akbar declaring a hefty monetary prize for any person who would dare to spend one night in the freezing pond of the town. A poor old man, in desperate need for money to feed hi starving family, decides to attempt. He manages to get through the night and is awarded the promised cash. When asked how he could keep up the strength and determination (and other such heavy words), the simpleton that he was, all he could reply was that he happened to notice a light in the distance and he concentrated all his thoughts on that light for the whole night. That is how he could make it to morning. The king’s court had its share of sycophants and evil minded people who objected the prize money saying the old man obtained heat from that light source. The king, mind-blinded by the power and the illogical voices surrounding him, took the money back. Mr Birbal couldn’t bear to see this and decided to make the king realize his mistake. He did that in his own sweet way and we all know the rest of the story. But that is not the point I'm making. For me, the hero of the story is the old man (well that's one way to look at the story!)
The weak old man made it through the cruel cold night. That is what makes him a hero (obviously I'm sure he doesn't know he's been given the hero status). First, he wanted that money real desperately. Second, he knew he had no choice but to stay in the water for the whole night, facing the cold. Third, he looked for that one light in the otherwise black night. He decided to give importance to that far located light and not to the water around his body or to the black darkness of the night or to the numbing cold of the weather and the water. That light returned the attention in kind and helped him survive the ordeal. (Nice no?)
Life as a human being is a gift. Only a very small proportion of living forms in this universe are given this beautiful gift by God. It is not right to return it to God saying “Thanks, but no thanks”. Living the life beautifully will lead one to meet Him. Meeting Him is the prize money. In order to get there, we have to go through life and there is no way out of this. Living your share of life is just like the old man having to stay in the water for the whole night. Difficult times and sadness are the dark night and the chilling weather. Now it is up to us to look for that one light source, identify it and make it all-important. It will surely help us get through the cold night. Because like the night, trying times will surely end and like the next morning there will be a not-so-bad time to follow. We just need to find that light and concentrate on it.
While in the water, the man felt cold, wet, his skin wrinkled, he may have been bitten by the creatures in the pond. He may have cried. He may have cursed. He may have wished he was dead. He may have thought of forgetting about the money and giving up. Of course he may have; he is human after all. But he overcame all these and did what made him emerge a victor (and also a hero according to me) at the end. He held on, strong. He cried, cursed, but did not give up. He saw the one good that he could see and pulled through the night. He may have been poor, weak, old. But he certainly was very wise!
Be like the old man. Cry, curse, contemplate; do whatever comes to you while in pain and tough times. But never give up, never think about getting out of the pond. Hold on and the prize is yours!
The story : (I have come across slightly differing versions of the same story, the message remains the same nonetheless. Following is one of the versions)
It was winter. The ponds were all frozen. At the court, Akbar asked Birbal, "Tell me Birbal! Will a man do anything for money?" Birbal replied, 'Yes'. The emperor ordered him to prove it.The next day Birbal came to the court along with a poor brahmin who merely had a penny left with him. His family was starving. Birbal told the king that the brahmin was ready to do anything for the sake of money. The king ordered the brahmin to be inside the frozen pond all through the night without any attire if he needed money. The poor brahmin had no choice. The whole night he was inside the pond, shivering. He returned to the durbaar (court) the next day to receive his reward.
The king asked "Tell me Oh poor Brahmin! How could you withstand the extreme temperature all through the night?" The innocent Brahmin replied "I could see a faintly glowing light a few kilometers away and I withstood with that ray of light." The court members started whispering among themselves and managed to convince Akbar that he had got warmth from the light and that was cheating. Akbar turned him away, without the prize money. The poor brahmin could not argue with him and so returned disappointed and bare-handed. Birbal tried to explain to the king but the king was in no mood to listen to him.
A few days later Birbal invited the emperor to his place for dinner. He requested the emperor to skip lunch that day so that he can eat to his heart's content at Birbal's house. Akbar showed up at Birbal's place on the decided day and found him sitting outside his house, with a small fire burning and a pot of khichdi placed several feet above the fire. He was confused, but knowing how wise Birbal was, decided to keep mum. After some time he asked Birbal how long would it be before they can have their dinner. "As soon as the khichdi is cooked Jahaanpanah" was Birbal's only reply. The reply remained the same every time the king inquired about dinner. Hours after hours passed and the emperor's hunger increased and eventually became unbearable. He finally lashed out at Birbal "How will the khichdi get cooked when you have placed the pot so distant from the fire? The heat from the fire is not even touching the pot. Have you called me here to keep me hungry?" At this, Birbal smiled in his usual manner and said, "Oh my great king! When a person can get heat from a small light source situated kilometers away, why can my khichdi not be cooked by this fire?" Akbar understood his folly. The very next day he called the poor Brahmin and rewarded him handsomely.
