How Birbal Came to Court
Akbar-Birbal Stories · 1 min read
Long before he became Akbar's most trusted advisor, a poor but brilliant poet named Mahesh Das wandered into the capital hoping to find work at the royal court, though he had no connections and no title to his name.
Akbar, testing the wits of everyone who sought a position, posed a challenge to the gathered hopefuls: cross a small stream nearby without touching the water, the bridge, or the boat — using only your own two feet and nothing else.
One by one, clever men attempted elaborate tricks and failed. When it was Mahesh Das's turn, he calmly held out his hand and asked the emperor to simply pull him across himself. Puzzled, Akbar reached out and pulled him over the water in one motion — and Mahesh Das smiled. "Your Majesty asked me to cross without touching the water, bridge, or boat. I did not — you carried me across with your own hand, and I never touched a single one of them myself."
Delighted by this cleverness, Akbar gave him a position at court on the spot and the name Birbal, and from that single riddle began a friendship that would shape the empire's history for decades.
Moral of the story
A clever answer can turn an impossible test into an easy one, if you look at the question sideways.