An Unwise Investment
A greedy man brought a lump of metal to Birbal and said, “I’ve been told this is gold. I want to sell it.” Birbal inspected it and replied, “It is not gold, but iron.”
The Man’s Denial
The man shouted, “But I paid gold’s price!” Birbal replied, “Then you paid the price of foolishness.”
The Emperor’s Amusement
Akbar laughed, “Let all take heed—greed blinds wisdom.” The man, ashamed, accepted the truth.
Lesson to Be Learned
Greed leads to illusion, just as attachment blinds us to reality. As Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam warns, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt—fear and illusion arise when we forget the Lord and chase material desires.
