A Bitter Dish
One day, Akbar tasted a pot of food and found it scorched and bitter. He asked, “Who cooked this?”
The Servant’s Fear
A trembling cook came forward. “I lit a fire too strong beneath the pot,” he confessed. Akbar was angry, but Birbal calmed him.
Birbal’s Insight
He said, “Even too much heat spoils a good meal. So too, excessive punishment burns the soul.” The emperor forgave the cook.
Lesson to Be Learned
In discipline, balance is required. Just as fire must be regulated to cook properly, so too emotions and judgments must be tempered with compassion. In devotional life, correction must come with kindness.
