Distant dreams - Birbal and Winter night in cold water!!!

There are many stories we have heard of Akbar and Birbal. All of them mostly involve subtle and timely use of wit and wisdom to solve any issue at hand or problem faced.

One interesting story I recalled some time back was that of the poor man winning a challenge laid down by King, for standing in cold water for entire winter night. When at the end of excruciating night, this poor man demanded his prize, one of the courtiers disputed and told that throughout the night the man was staring at the two lamps lighting at the lamppost of the palace. Therefore he got the warmth from these lamps and violated the condition of standing in cold water without warming himself. He ruled the man out of court and dismissed his claim for prize.

Birbal saw this and thought that it was against what he considered just and right. He tried advocating for the man, but Akbar did not listen to him. Some days later, Birbal did not come to court. On enquiring the King got to know that Birbal has put “Khichadi” for cooking and will resume to the duty of court once the “Khichadi” is cooked. For entire month he did not come to the court, and then King himself went to his place. He found that Birbal had put on the stove on the ground and the pot containing “Khichadi” far above it.

King asked “How foolish are you? This way Khichadi can’t be cooked, it is not receiving the fire.” “Huzoor,” replied Birbal, “how can the man, then, get warmth from the lamps lighting that night. Please award him the prize he deserves.”

Enamoured by this wisdom, Akbar gave the prize to the poor man.

So far so good, but a thought crossed my mind once. Was the analogy used by Birbal fit?

Aren’t there times when we human beings actually surpass long never ending testing times by keeping our eyes on the distant dreams we have?

These dreams, though way too far for any direct effect and impact, surely have power to influence people in countering their present plights.

Who knows what dreams ran through that poor man’s mind while he was focusing on those lamps.

It is slightly unnerving to dispute with someone with so much celebrated intelligence as Birbal, but I would fancy a probability that the man was surely lighting some dream in his heart through those lamps that night. And that lamps did play a role in his being able to spend that winter night in cold water.

Do you also think so??