One day Akbar and Birbal were
walking together in the royal garden. While they were walking along and talked
to each other, they came across the plantation of small brinjals.
The plants heavy with the small
hanging brinjals, seeing which Akbar said, ‘Brinjal is a very healthy and
nutritious vegetable. It can be made into various wet and dry dishes. I would relish
this vegetable for sure’.
While Akbar kept telling how
delicious and healthy the vegetable, Birbal stood by his side enjoyed listening
to Akbar. He even sang two songs appreciating brinjal, much to amazement and
pleasure of Akbar. He admired the vegetable as well and said, 'Indeed, brinjal is the king of vegetables. As a matter of fact, God has himself coronated the brinjal with the beautiful green crown!'. Both of them had a light moment together and laughed around.
After a few days the royal chef
cooked brinjal curry for lunch. That day Birbal sat besides Akbar for the
lunch. They were served with a dish of egg plant (brinjal). When the curry mix
was served to the emperor he sighed at the preparation. He complained that the
vegetable was stale and tasteless. He said that it was full of worthless seeds
and lacked appropriate level of nutrition.
When the curry reached Birbal’s
plate he refused to take it, saying that brinjals are not good for health. He contended, 'Brinjal is a vegetable void of any merits. That is why it is called Baygun (void of merits) in Hindi. Hearing this, Akbar said, ‘Birbal didn’t you sang songs in praise of this
vegetable? You said you liked it. Now why are to refusing it?’
Birbal was witty as always. He
humbly replied, ‘O respected emperor, I praised this vegetable because my
emperor – whom I serve praised it and I criticized it when he condemned it. In
other words, he is loyal towards his emperor and not towards the brinjal’.
Birbal continued, ‘This brinjal cannot
make me a minister no matter how much I praise it. My Majesty, I am loyal and committed to serve
always!’
The emperor was pleased by his
honest, bold, and witty response.
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