The Place is An Inn
Once Akbar passed strict orders that no one should take shelter near the parapet wall of the emperor’s residence. He had to pass this order because many persons, especially the roving mendicants were found taking shelter in the cool surrounding of the emperor’s residence. This order created a furore among the mendicants. When Birbal came to know about it he was rather unhappy as this order tarnished the benevolent image of the emperor.
So, one day, disguising himself as a mendicant Birbal reached near the emperor’s palace and reclined on the low parapet wall of the emperor’s private palace. When the guards posted there requested the mendicant to go away, Birbal didn’t budge. Since the palace sentries had been instructed not to harras holy men in any manner, they could not do much except repeatedly requesting did not heed to their requests they waited for the emperor’s return who had gone to have a stroll.
When the emperor returned, he saw a mendicant resting against the boundary wall of the palace. Akbar was annoyed at the temerity of the mendicants. The sentries told, the Emperor that despite their best efforts the mendicant did not move away.
The emperor was turious. He went near the mendicant and roared. “hey…. You, sprawled near the palace of my residence. What do you think the palace to be a public inn where all could come and recline against the parapet of my palace’s boundary wall.”
The disguised Birbal merely looked at the emperor and questioned in an unruffled manner: “Who was staying in this palace before you occupied it?”
“My father, The emperor Humayun,” replied the emperor.
“And before him,” asked the mendicant
“My grandfather, the emperor Babar,: replied the emperor.
“And before him,” asked the mendicant once again.
“Well, There lived the Lodi King Ibrahim Lodi, whom my grandfather defeated him in the pitched battle,” the emperor replied with a peevish look. He was now losing temper at the silly questions being asked by the curious mendicant.
“It means many persons were occupying the palace before you moved in ,” said the mendicant in a firm tone. “Then how can you call this palace exclusively yours. It is a veritable inn or a Dharamshala!” “What do you mean? How it can be?” asked the emperor sternly.
“Don’t we call that place to be an inn or Dharamshala where people come and stay for a short while. In fact the whole world is an inn where people come and stay before their departure to the final abode. What Is your private property or your personal treasure in this transient, fey and unreal world?”
The wise emperor was immensely pleased with the mendicant’s explanation. Suddenly the emperor looked closely at the face of the mendicant and was delighted to see Birbal standing before him in the guise of a mendicant. The emperor said happily: “Thanks a lot, my dear friend, for opening the inner eye of my mind. There is nothing permanent in this temporal world.”
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