Man or Woman: Birbal's Diplomatic Answer
Akbar-Birbal Stories · 1 min read
During a lively court session attended by both noblemen and noblewomen, Akbar, in a playful mood, posed a deliberately tricky question to Birbal: "Tell me honestly, Birbal — who is greater, man or woman?" The question hung dangerously in the air, since any direct answer risked offending exactly half the room no matter which way he answered.
Birbal considered for only a moment before replying carefully: "Whichever one a person leaves behind to seek something greater is the lesser of the two, Your Majesty. A woman leaves her father's house to join her husband's, seeking him as something greater — and that alone should tell us plainly which one the world itself considers greater between them."
The court erupted in delighted laughter and applause, the men satisfied by an answer that seemingly favored them, while the more thoughtful women present recognized privately that Birbal's answer honored the courage and sacrifice of leaving everything familiar behind far more than it flattered anyone's ego outright — a single sentence that let every listener hear the answer they needed, without Birbal ever actually taking a side he couldn't defend to the other half of the room.
Moral of the story
The wisest answer to an impossible question often lets every listener hear the truth they need, without taking a side you can't defend.