Birbal was honest and devoted to God. As a result, his mind was very clean and strong. Birbal would often say to the king Akbar, “Whatever God does, He does it only for good.” However, the king took that message with a grain of salt.
One day, the king’s thumb got cut and he shared the news painfully with Birbal. Birbal, maintaining his own devotion to God, responded confidently, “Whatever God does, He does it only for good.” The king angrily threatened Birbal to punish him if he did not change his stance. However, Birbal maintained his position and as a result the king became furious. The king got so annoyed that he threw Birbal into the prison.
The next morning the king went into a dense forest for hunting. While he was chasing a deer, he got separated from his retinue. Suddenly a group of tribals attacked the king and then forcibly carried him blind-folded to a temple for offering him as a human sacrifice. The chief of the tribals took a gigantic sword ready to behead the king. All of a sudden, he stopped and noticed the bruised thumb of the king. The chief announced that the king was not fit for the offering and therefore ordered his men to release him.
The king ran for his life and came straight to the prison where Birbal was kept incarcerated. King Akbar begged for forgiveness and released Birbal. The king narrated the whole story to Birbal concluding himself that whatever God does, He does it only for good. However, the king still had one doubt that he placed before Birbal. He said, “I understand that my bruised finger saved my life today. But, how could God be good in having you thrown inside the prison?” Birbal immediately responded, “If I was not put in the prison, I would have accompanied you on the hunting excursion. Seeing you unfit for sacrifice, they would have me instead for the human sacrifice. So, by God’s grace, I was put in the prison and my life got spared.” Akbar exulted at Birbal’s remark and they both repeated the conclusion in unison, “Whatever God does, He does only for good.”
