Very thought provoking observations of Pujyashri Kanchi Acharya (Mahaaperiyavaa) on “viraL” , Fingers! Thanks to a friend of mine Sri Chittanandam for sharing it with me🙏 !
The Kanchi Acharya’s rumination on “viraL” reminds me of another old story (apocryphal) about Akbar and Birbal (courtesy the well-known Sanskrit scholar of Chennai, Mullaivaasal Sri Krishnamurthy Sastrigal, an ardent disciple of the Kanchi Acharya) .
One day , some ministers jealous of Akbar’s fondness for Birbal went and complained to the Emperor that he was showing too much partiality in granting him favours while they were being given short shrift.
Akbar told them that if they proved to be as wise and quick-witted as Birbal, they too would receive the same treatment as he . To prove they were indeed as good as Birbal all they had to do was to come up with a pertinent answer to the question : What is the precise difference between Truth and Falsity?
The ministers were all flummoxed by the emperors’s poser and challenge . They stretched their heads , wrung their brains inside out for a whole day and yet could not think of a suitable answer that they thought would be convincing to Akbar.
The next morning they trooped sheepishly into Akbar’s presence , hung their heads in shame and confessed they had no good answer to the question .
Akbar smiled and summoned Birbal and put the question to him : Birbal, tell me what is the precise difference between Truth and Falsity?
Pat came at once the answer from Birbal : “Your Majesty! The precise difference is the length of the 4 fingers on your hand.”
The ministers who heard Birbal’s answer were both puzzled and angry and remarked to Akbar ,”What nonsense ! Birbal is just joking about all of us, your majesty!”
Akbar smiled at them , turned to Birbal and said , “Explain yourself , Birbal”.
Birbal explained :
“Your majesty, in this world the truth of any matter can be more conclusively established more through means of sight rather than through hearsay, is it not ? An eye-witness account is valid evidence admitted in a court of law whereas hearsay is not . Seeing is believing. Hearing? None can be sure . What one only hears about can be uncertain and may turn out to be utterly false.
“So we may conclude that the eye represents truth . And the ear often indicates falsity.
“Now please take the palm of your hand and place it in the space on the side of your forehead between the edge of your eye and the edge of your ear . You’ll find that that small space is actually equal to the length of your 4 fingers when stretched between eye and ear!
“Thus, we may say that the precise difference between Truth and Falsity can be measured with 4 fingers”!
Akbar turned to his ministers and with a beaming smile told them “Now do you realise why while I always do listen to you all for your valued advice and counsel, I still have a fond eye only for Birbal ?!”
Sudarshan Madabushi