SELF LOVE

"Self love is the highest form of love"-Sank and others!!

Well to prove my word let me narrate to you a story i heard from my grandpa when i was 6 yr old i guess.The story is of the two most famous personalities of the Indian folklore.The story of Akbar and Birbal.

It was a summer evening when Akbar was strolling in his palace garden when a thought occurred to him looking at a bird feeding its new born and not having it herself that motherly love is the greatest love of all.The next day Akbar was attended by all his ministers to discuss the affairs of state.After the meeting got over Akbar called upon Birbal to join him for a walk.Birbal readily agreed and both started walking.

Akbar and Birbal never agreed on a single point ever.And Akbar always wished to outsmart Birbal,he posed Birbal with all sorts of questions all the time to test Birbal's intelligence but Birbal succeeded and came on top each time.But this time the King was assured of his victory when he told Birbal that he thinks "Motherly love is the greatest form of love".Akbar expected Birbal to accept his statement on something that seemed universally true and direct but as usual Birbal disagreed.
It shocked Akbar and angered him as to how could Birbal not accept such a thing and he roared at Birbal asking "then what do you think is greatest form of love?".Birbal smiled and told Akbar to wait till tommorow to get the answer.

Akbar knew he was gonna win this time in this battle of wits so he agreed to wait till the next day.The next day Birbal took Akbar to the nearby well(more of a small trench) present inside the courtyard.The trench had steps to climb up and down it.Then Birbal clapped his hands and appeared few men with few drums of water.He clapped again and a person came out with a cage.In it was a newborn monkey and his mother.

Akbar asked Birbal what was this time waste and how is he gonna prove Akbar wrong this time?.Birbal again smiled and asked the monkeys to be put into the well.Now he ordered his men to fill the well with water.As they started to fill the trench the Mother monkey started to climb up the steps carrying its baby,the well was almost filled when the monkey reached the last step,but there was still a large distance from that step to the top of the well for it to escape from drowning.

Kings men continued filling water and it reached the mother monkey's feet.It now picked the baby monkey into its hands and put him on her shoulder.Seeing this Akbar laughed in triumph,he could see his point being proved by the mother monkey.And Birbal jus waited and watched.Water started to rise up further,now the mother monkey was half drowned into it,scattering to keep herself and her baby alive.Water level rose to her neck now and she found no way of escape...as water reached her nose she immediately put her baby down used it as a base to stand on and got out of the well leaving the baby behind.

Birbal then said "self love is the greatest form of love".