REVIEW:

Solving your problems the Birbal way

Title: Obey Gatalu Obama Visanda Ganna adaptation of Solve Your Problems - the Birbal Way
Author Deepal Warnakulasuriya Published by Sandakada Publishers
Price Rs. 300.00

by Aditha Dissanayake

One day a sage came to the palace and asked the king if the king's ministers would be able to determine what his mother tongue is. The minsters questioned him in many languages to all of which the sage replied as fluently as though the language he was speaking was his mother tongue.

When the minsters failed in their attempt, the sage granted the king seven days in which his ministers could find out what language his mother tongue is. Minister Mahesh Das volunteered to discover the secret.

Das went to the sage when he was fast asleep and put something into his ear. The sage tried to brush him off. Mahesh Das did this a second time. The sage lost his temper and shouted "Who is this..." in Marathi. Seven days later Mahesh Das told the king that the sage's mother tongue is Marathi.

When the king asked him to describe how he found this out Mahesh Das said "Anyone who is going through unbearable agony or anyone who is suddenly woken up from his sleep will always wail or exclaim in his or her mother tongue."

What is the morale of this story? Is there anything here that could be used to help you solve problems at your office or in your personal life? According to Deepal Warnakulasuriya, Yes. The story reveals that, if you wish to find out a secret someone is concealing from you, you should approach him when he is least expecting you to do so. The truth will definitely be revealed.

Moreover, it is useless to try keeping secrets because someday the secret is bound to be discovered. Found on Chapter 40 titled "Mothertounge" in the adaptation of the book by Luis S. R. Vas and Anitha S. R. Vas called "Solve Your Problems; the Birbal Way" this is just one story through which Deepal unveils the managerial wisdom and problem solving principles embodied in the Birbal stories.

Birbal the Courtier

Birbal? For the uninitiated, Raja Birbal (1528 - 1586) was a courtier in the administration of the Mughal emperor Akbar and one of the members of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the 'navaratana', a Sanskrit word meaning 'nine jewels.' Birbal was referred to as a court wit as a result of the fact that he frequently had witty and humorous exchanges with Akbar.

Born as Mahesh Das, in a village called Ghoghara of the Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh, Birbal grew up in an impoverished Brahmin household. He was a poet and author whose wit and wisdom led the Emperor Akbar to invite him to be a part of the royal court and to bestow upon him a new name - Birbal.

Deepal uses the exchanges between the king and Mahesh Das to identify various management and leadership styles. He divides each chapter into two parts. The first part consists of the story, the second part, the management moral of the narrative.

In many of these accounts, the king asks Mahesh Das a question - philosophical, witty, bizarre, or even unusual - to which Mahesh Das provides a funny, clever, or brilliant answer.

One day, for example, the king and Mahesh Das were taking a walk in the palace gardens. It was a nice summer morning and there were plenty of crows happily playing around the pond. While watching the crows, a question came into the king's mind. He wondered how many crows were there in his kingdom.

Since Mahesh Das was accompanying him, he asked Mahesh Das this question.

After a moment's thought, Mahesh Das replied, "There are ninety-five thousand four hundred and sixty-three crows in the Kingdom".

Amazed by his quick response, the tried to test him again, "What if there are more crows than you ranswer?" Without hesitating Mahesh Das replied, "If there are more crows than my answer, then some crows are visiting from other neighbouring kingdoms". "And what if there are less crows", the king asked. "Then some crows from our kingdom have gone on holiday to other places". Said Mahesh Das.

The story titled "The Three Questions" reveals Mahesh Das' sagacity and problem solving acumen.

Three Questions

"King Akbar was very fond of Mahesh Das. This made a certain courtier very jealous. Now this courtier always wanted to be chief minister, but this was not possible as Mahesh Das filled this position. One day Akbar praised Mahesh Das in front of the courtier.

This made the courtier very angry and he said that the king praised Mahesh Das unjustly and if Mahesh Das could answer three of his questions, he would accept the fact that Mahesh Das was intelligent.

Akbar, who was always willing to test Mahesh Das' wit readily agreed.The three questions were 1. How many stars are there in the sky 2. Where is the centre of the Earth and 3. How many men and how many women are there in the world.Immediately Akbar asked him the three questions and informed him that if he could not answer them, he would have to resign as chief minister.

To answer the first question, Mahesh Das brought a hairy sheep and said "There are as many stars in the sky as there is hair on the sheep's body. My friend the courtier is welcome to count them if he likes."

To answer the second question, he drew a couple of lines on the floor and bore an iron rod in it and said "this is the centre of the Earth, the courtier may measure it himself if he has any doubts." In answer to the third question, he said "Counting the exact number of men and women in the world would be a problem as there are some specimens like our courtier friend here who cannot easily be classified as either.

Therefore if all people like him are killed, then and only then can one count the exact number." After the narration of each story, Deepal points out the moral which could be used to guide you in every situation in life, from personal or official relationships to economical crisis.

A good way of enjoying the book would be to pause and figure out the moral for yourself before reading what Deepal has written. It is only after you have figured out the points on your own should you read Deepal's suggestions. There can be no better way of insulating yourself against the upheavals of life. A book not just for tomorrow but for every tomorrow.