Friday, March 7, 2008

A Matter of devotion - Indian Short Story



This story is continued from Akbar Birbal Tales. Tales of Akbar and Birbal are widely popular in Indian subcontinent, for the wisdom and cleverness of the Legend of Birbal and generosity and greatness of King Akbar. This animated stories uploaded on you tube videos are dubbed in Hindi Language, English narration or translation is given below. These stories will be loved by kids as they generally like to watch cartoons plus they get some inspiration from these stories too.

A Matter of Devotion

King Akbar is well known for his love of arts and religion. One of the arts he loved was the art of music, and just like Birbal who was considered as one of the nine jewels of King Akbar's court, Tansen was one f the jewels greatly known and respected for his high level of singing capabilities. It is said and believed that there was none better than Tansen and none could compete him in the art of singing.

Once, King Akbar after listening to King Tansen's music and singing was much pleased with the great art as always, praises Tansen's art of singing and praises Tansen with respect.

He says to Tansen, 'You the best artist in the world, you are great, incomparable.'

Tansen with the gratitude replies, ' This is your opinion, there are artist in the world, who are better than I am.'

King Akbar denies his answer, he says, ' You are getting ashamed Tansen, You are best among all.'

King Akbar is seen on a walk with Birbal, Tansen and others in the gardens. He starts the conversation with Birbal and asks h the reason for his silence. Does he not agree what the king has just said?. Birbal responds that just as Tansen has said there are better artist and musicians in this world.

King Akbar says to Birbal that he likes challenges and this time his challenge was to find a better singing artist than Tansen, which according to Akbar was next to impossible. Not satisfied by giving this challenge Akbar throws his valuable ring in a dry well and asks Birbal to bring out the ring from the well, without getting down in the well and without any support.

It seems Akbar loved issuing mental or intellectual challenges to Birbal as much as Birbal loved getting them. The greatness of man is often increased while facing the challenges. All great man we know have loved challenges and not got scared away by challenges or getting themselves down with the challenges.

About finding the better artist than Tansen, he had an instant answer, he said. 'Tansen's Guru (music teacher) was one, who was better than Tansen. Tansen readily agrees and tell that his teacher or guru was on pilgrimage and will be returning after a month.

Birbal asks the king to wait for the return of the Guru and during that time, he will find a way to get the ring out of the well. The king agrees to what Birbal has said and tells him that he had one on month to complete both the challenges.

After one month, the king reminds Birbal about the two challenges. Birbal says that Guruji was back, but the king will have to visit the Guru's home to listen to his singing as the Guru sang only for God and not for anyone else.

Those who sings or are serving God in any other way do their services only for God. Deep devotion and love for God flows through them. They would not sing or do anything to please any one, not even the richest and the greatest of the kings. They sing only for the love for God and devotion for God. The claps of people does not mean much to them, what has meaning for them is the love and devotion.

King Akbar known for his greatness, does not insist on calling the Guru to his palace but agrees to ride to his Guru's home. Not only that he was too pulled towards it just by the idea of listening to better singing than that of the amazing and soul satisfying singing of Tansen.

Next morning the king, Birbal and Tansen ride deep into a green forests where the Guru lived. From a distant they even had t leave their horses to reach the hut of the Guru. The king is asked to wait outside the hut and let the Guru come outside the hut and sing for his Lord, as he would not sing for anyone else. The king respects that and agrees.

After some wait the Guru appears from his little hut and starts singing outside his hut in devotion to God. The king is totally enchanted, he had never herd anything like this before. After the magica,l soul enhancing song was over, the king visits the Guru with Tansen and Birbal. He praises the Guru's art, to which, truly a mark of greatness and real humbleness, the guru says that great is art and devotion, and not the individual.

The king tries to present him with some wealth, which is also humbly and gracefully denied. The king also put forward his desire of inviting the Guru to his palace where all his needs would be satisfied and the king could also listen to his singing when wished. This too is denied by the Guru, as he would sing only for his God and that the little hut in the forest was all that he needed for his devotion, and not the palace and it's richess.

More inspirational short stories to read online on this blog

Posted by Alpesh Patel
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Have your say!