Why God Helps Us Himself?
One day King Akbar asked Birbal, “Why is it that Hindu Gods behave so strangely?” Birbal thought, “Our king respects Hinduism and Islam equally. He must be trying to tease me by asking such a question.” King Akbar continued, “Lord Krishna is a fine example of that. Doesn’t your Lord Krishna have any servants? Each time a devotee calls for help, the Lord runs himself to see the devotee’s needs. Surely he can employ others to do such work?” “Oh yes, surely he can,” Birbal replied, but he already had a plan to explain the facts to the King. Birbal knew King Akbar loved his grandson, Khurram, very much. Birbal asked a statue-maker to make a wax idol of Prince Khurram in his exact image. When the idol was ready, he called Khurram’s guardian and said, “Take this idol and dress him up in the Prince’s clothes and jewels. Go to the lake in the royal garden with the idol in your hand. At my signal act as if you have slipped, then let the idol fall in water.” The Prin...