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 Prince’s guardian agreed. Birbal came into the garden with King Akbar. At Birbal’s signal, the guardian
dropped the wax idol into the deep lake. As soon as King Akbar saw this, he jumped into the lake’s cold water
to rescue his grandson. He realised later that it was just a wax idol.

As King Akbar was helped out of the lake by the guardians, Birbal commented, “Your Majesty, why did you
jump into the cold lake to rescue the young Prince when you have so many guards and servants at your beck
and call?”

“Oh, I have hundreds of them but my grandson is my precious one, so I couldn’t stop myself.”

“Now, you see, your Majesty, that’s why Lord Krishna, who loves each of his devotees, comes to their help Himself.”

“As always, I agree with you, Birbal,” smiled King Akbar as he walked away.

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