Birbal immediately answered, "The men without sight by far outnumber those with sight. There are many more blind people on earth than people with vision."
"You have to prove it," said the Emperor.
Birbal replied, "I shall prove it tomorrow."
Every morning the Minister used to enter the palace at nine o'clock, but the following day, instead of going in as usual, he sat at the palace gate sewing a piece of cloth. He had a needle and thread and a piece of cloth, and he was sewing like a girl. One by one, as his fellow ministers and other officials passed him on their way in, they all asked, "What are you doing here?"
As soon as each person asked, "What are you doing?" Birbal wrote his name on a list.
After a while, Akbar himself passed by, coming in from his morning walk. "What are you doing out here?" he asked the Minister. The Minister just smiled and put Akbar's name at the very top of the list.
Now the Prime Minister was a shrewd man, and he always used to find fault with the other ministers. When he came by, he said, "Why are you sitting out here sewing? You lazy fellow, it is high time for you to enter the palace. There is much work for you to do. Is this your job, this silly sewing? You are neglecting your real work." The Prime Minister was the only one who actually mentioned what Birbal was doing, while scolding him for neglecting his real duty. His was the only name that did not go on the list.
After an hour or so, Birbal went to the Emperor and said, "Now, your Majesty, I can prove to you that the blind people are more in number than the men with vision."
"Tell me how you can prove it," said Akbar.
Birbal replied, "Here is the proof!" and he handed his list to the Emperor.
Akbar saw his own name at the top of the list and exclaimed, "I am blind?"
"Yes," said Birbal. "You are the Emperor, the father of this Empire. You are the eye of this vast Empire, but you are blind. When you saw me sewing in front of the palace this morning, you asked me what I was doing. I had a needle, I had thread, I had cloth, and I was obviously sewing. But you and all the other people on this list asked me what I was doing. The only man who did not ask me what I was doing was the Prime Minister. He just scolded me and insulted me because I was neglecting my duties here. He is the only one with sight."From:Sri Chinmoy,The Moghul Emperors, Agni Press, 2001
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