Monday 11 November 2019

65 Tricky Questions That Will Stump You



1. What two things can you never eat for breakfast?

Lunch and dinner.

2. What gets wetter the more it dries?
A towel.

3. What word is spelled incorrectly in every single dictionary?
Incorrectly.

4. What never asks a question but gets answered all the time?
Your cellphone.

5. What goes up but never ever comes down?
Your age.

6. A girl fell off a 50-foot ladder but didn’t get hurt. How come?
She fell off the bottom rung.

7. What starts with “e” and ends with “e” but only has one letter in it?
An envelope.

8. How can a girl go 25 days without sleep?
She sleeps at night.

9. You spot a boat full of people but there isn’t a single person on board. How is that possible?
Everyone on board is married.

10. How do you make the number one disappear?
Add the letter G and it’s “gone”!

11. What’s greater than God and more evil than the devil. Rich people want it, poor people have it. And if you eat it, you’ll die?
Nothing.

12. A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed in town for three days and rode out on Friday. How is that possible?
Friday was the name of his horse.

13. What two keys can’t open any door?
A monkey and a donkey.

14. What will you actually find at the end of every rainbow?
The letter “w.”

15. A young boy was rushed to the hospital emergency room, but the ER doctor saw the boy and refused to operate. “This boy is my son,” the doctor said. But the doctor wasn’t the boy’s father. How could this be?
The doctor was the boy’s mom.

16. What has a face and two hands, but no arms or legs?
A clock.

17. What can be caught but never thrown?
A cold.

18. I start out tall, but the longer I stand, the shorter I grow. What am I?
A candle.

19. How many seconds are there in a year?
Twelve. January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd, etc.

20. What can run but not walk?
Raindrops.

21. How many months have 28 days?
All 12!

22. Thanks to me, you can see straight through the wall. What am I?
A window.

23. Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
Neither. They both weigh exactly one pound.

24. How can the pocket of your pants be empty, but still have something in it?
When the something is a hole.

25. What has a thumb and four fingers but isn’t actually alive?
Your gloves.

26. Imagine you’re in a room that’s filling up with water quickly. There are no windows or doors. How do you get out?
Stop imagining.

27. Everyone in the world needs it, but they usually give it without taking it. What is it?
Advice.

28. What can you hold without touching it at all?
A conversation.

29. I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?
Seven (take away the ‘s’ and it becomes ‘even’).

30. I’m light as a feather, but not even the strongest girl can hold me for more than 5 minutes. What am I?
Breath.

31. Two mothers and two daughters went out to eat, everyone ate one slice of pizza, yet only three slices were eaten. How’s that possible?
The group included a grandmother, her daughter and her daughter’s daughter.

32. What 5-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Short.

33. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday?
Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

34. What gets sharper the more you use it?
Your brain.

35. A man was outside taking a walk when it started to rain. The man didn’t have an umbrella and he wasn’t wearing a hat or a hood. His clothes got soaked, yet not a single hair on his head got wet. How could this be?
The man was bald.

36. What can you make that no one—not even you—can see?
Noise.

37. What belongs to you but gets used by everyone else more than you?
Your name.

38. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in one thousand years?
The letter M.

39. I’m so fragile that if you say my name, you’ll break me. What am I?
Silence.

40. If I drink, I die. If I eat, I’m fine. What am I?
A fire.

41. What’s full of holes but can still hold liquid?
A sponge.

42. I have teeth but can’t eat. What am I?
A comb.

43. First you throw away my outside and cook the inside. Then you eat my outside and throw away my inside. What am I?
Corn on the cob. Because you throw away the husk, cook the corn. Then you eat the kernels, and throw away the cob.

44. What runs, but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats?
A river.

45. What bird can lift the most weight?
A crane.

46. What goes up as soon as the rain comes down?
An umbrella.

47. The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Footprints.

48. I have all the knowledge you have. But I’m so small, you can hold me in your fist. What am I?
Your brain.

49. How much dirt is there in a hole that’s 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep?
None.

50. What has three feet but can’t walk?
A yardstick.

51. If two’s company and three’s a crowd, what do four and five make?
Nine.

52. What travels the world while stuck in one spot?
A stamp!

53. Name four days of the week that start with the letter “t”?
Tuesday, Thursday, today, and tomorrow.

54. What has four eyes but can’t see?
Mississippi

55. What’s as big as an elephant but weighs absolutely nothing?
Its shadow.

56. What has a neck but no head?
A bottle.

57. What moves faster: heat or cold?
Heat. Because you can always catch a cold.

58. Forwards I’m heavy but backwards I’m not. What am I?
A ton.

59. A girl leaves home and turns left three times, only to return home facing two guys wearing masks. Who are the two guys?
The catcher and the umpire.

60. Beth’s mother has three daughters. One is called Lara, the other one is Sara. What is the name of the third daughter?
Beth.

61. What gets bigger and bigger the more you take away from it?
A hole.

62. I have one head, one foot, and four legs. What am I?
Your bed.

63. We see it once in a year, twice in a week, and never in a day. What is it?
The letter “e”

64. If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?
A secret.

65. What has one eye but can’t see anything at all?
A needle.

Wednesday 14 August 2019

बच्चों के अजीब सवाल, अभिभावकों का बुरा हाल

आमतौर पर बच्चे के सवाल पूछते ही माता-पिता की परेशानी बढ़ जाती है। जवाब के कारण नहीं, बल्कि उनके सवालों की लिस्ट और ज्यादा बढ़ जाने की आशंका से। अकसर ऐसे में हम बच्चों को डांट-डपट देते हैं या फिर उनके सवालों की अनदेखी कर देते हैं। माना कि आप परेशान हो जाते हैं, पर बच्चों के भोले मन को सवालों से भरा नहीं छोड़ना चाहिए। खासकर तब, जब आपको उनकी परवाह हो कि कहीं वे गलत जानकारी हासिल न कर लें।

‘बच्चे 2 साल की उम्र से ही सवाल पूछना शुरू कर देते हैं। ऐसे में उनके सवालों के सही जवाब देना जरूरी होता है। कम उम्र में आप उनको तथ्यों में ना उलझाकर उनके स्तर को ध्यान में रखकर जवाब दे सकती हैं। बेहतर होगा कि साधारण तरीके से सही बात बताएं।’

बच्चों के सवालों पर आपकी प्रतिक्रिया

4 से 6 साल तक :  इस उम्र के बच्चे चीजों को देखकर दो अलग-अलग चीजों और रवैयों में तुलना करना शुरू कर देते हैं। वे स्कूल जाते हैं, जहां टीचर्स उनकी जानकारी में बढ़ोतरी करते हैं। ऐसे में जरूरी है कि उनका सही मानसिक और बौद्धिक विकास हो, इसीलिए उनके प्रश्नों पर चिढ़ें नहीं। 

    अकसर छोटे बच्चे अध्यापक या किसी दूसरे बड़े व्यक्ति के व्यवहार की शिकायत या प्रश्न करते हैं। ऐसे में उन्हें यह कभी न कहें कि ‘मैं तुम्हारी टीचर की खबर लूंगी या उससे बात करूंगी।’ इस उम्र में बच्चों के सवाल भावनाओं से जुड़े होते हैं। पहले टीचर के नजरिए को समझें और अपने स्तर पर बच्चे को समझा दें। उन्हें खुद भी टीचर से समझने के लिए प्रेरित कर सकती हैं। इससे वे आगे चलकर अपनी बात दूसरों के सामने बेहतर ढंग से रख पाएंगे।

7 से 9 वर्ष :  इस उम्र के बच्चों में समझने की क्षमता काफी अच्छी होती है। उनके सवालों के तर्कसंगत और तथ्यों पर आधारित जवाब होने चाहिए। इसके बाद बच्चों के सवालों का दौर लगभग खत्म हो जाता है। वे अपनी जानकारी खुद से हासिल करने लगते हैं। जहां आपको महसूस हो कि आप उत्तर नहीं दे पा रहीं हैं, वहां उनके साथ बैठकर, या अपनी निगरानी में इंटरनेट या जानकारी देने वाले टीवी चैनलों के माध्यम से बच्चों की जिज्ञासा को शांत करें। उनसे कहें, ‘अरे, इस सवाल का जवाब तो मुझे भी नहीं आता, चलो दोनों मिलकर ढूंढ़ते हैं।’ इस उम्र में बच्चों को निर्णायक बनने की ट्रेनिंग दी जा सकती है। इसके लिए आप बच्चे को उसके प्रश्न के बारे में दोबारा सोचने और सही निर्णय लेने के लिए उत्साहित कर सकती हैं। जहां जरूरत महसूस हो आप उन्हें गलत रास्ते पर जाने से रोक सकती हैं और उनकी जानकारी में और विकास कर सकती हैं। इस प्रक्रिया में बच्चा और आप दोनों सीखते हैं।

क्या करें

कैसा भी प्रश्न बच्चे ने किया हो, उनका जवाब उनकी समझ को ध्यान में रखते हुए उन्हीं के लहजे में देना जरूरी है


जिन सवालों के जवाब आप न दे पाएं, उनका हल बच्चों के साथ मिलकर इंटरनेट या टीवी चैनलों या किताब के माध्यम से खोजें


बच्चों के मार्गदर्शक बनें न कि उनके काम के लिए निर्णायक या निर्देशक।


क्या न करें

बच्चों के सवालों की अनदेखी न करें


उन्हें गलत या तथ्यों से परे जवाब न दें


उन्हें दुख पहुंचाने वाले वाक्य जैसे, ‘ये बेतुका सवाल है’, ‘तुम ये सवाल लाते कहां से हो’ या ‘इसका जवाब उसी से पूछना, जिसने तुमसे सवाल किया है’ आदि न कहें।


Wednesday 31 July 2019

Why do most startups (businesses) fail in India?








Why do most startups (businesses) fail in India?

Is it due to anger, ego, attitude, resistance, pessimism, jealousy etc.? May be, or may be, Not

Let me clarify by sharing two examples:

First Scenario:

I have resigned from one MNC where I was working as a Vice President. (God knows whether I’ve been terminated or I resigned just because I have to start my own business, startup in today’s language). Running a business is a set of processes all the time. Initially setting it up, than making it work and subsequently maintaining it with persistence. It also depends on your passion for the same. I mean, my business was not running well, or I was not capable of driving my team to a different level. I’ve found an office on rent & hired around 20 employees but not able to process their salary on time. I was very tensed about my future. Suddenly, one female employee came to me, and requested to me on behalf of other employees to introduce one Saturday off policy in a month because they all must do their household work, bank, doctor or market etc. Without thinking, I terminated her. I further, warned my team that this should not happen again else they all would be terminated like her. They all agreed with me & I felt like a king. The graph of my business was going down. I then, ordered my peon to switch off the Air Conditioner in the month of May & June (47”C temperature) except my cabin. I was just trying to cut/reduce the business cost. Still, Nothing Happened in the business. Generally, winter in Delhi comes after Diwali in the month of November & everyone likes to have tea, coffee in the office. I also had one tea/coffee machine in my office. I, again, ordered office boy not to serve the tea/coffee to anyone except me. I asked my team to have tea/coffee from their own money just for the sake of cost cutting. Still, my business growth was zero. I terminated my employees one by one. Salary was not given on time. Seven to ten days salary deduction for one day leave as the provision of PF, ESI etc. was not there in my kingdom. I got married in the year 2010 but don’t have any child. This is neither positive nor negative in tone, and does not imply whether the couple remains without children by choice or by some other circumstance (e.g. one partner might be sterile.)

Finally, I had to close my business & I am looking for a 5 days working job now with cab, meal facilities etc.

Second Scenario:

I had a vision. I completed my graduation from the University of Wisconsin, USA. My family members felt that I would never come back to India because I would get a good job there after completing my B.Tech in Chemical Engineering in USA. I proved them wrong & came back to my country & got placed with handsome package in Nalco and GE where I worked there for 2 and 3 years respectively. I also had to start my own business but my vision was different. I like to see everyone happy & cheerful like me. I left my job & started my business with a capital of around 5 Lac INR & within a period of around 4 years, my business is growing at a good speed with an annual turnover of around 1 Crore INR. My wife supported me a lot in various ups and downs.

Finally, I am going to purchase a BMW & would like to hangout with my great team at quarter end. It can also be a reminder of our talents and abilities, skills and persistence. Drawing on those things can motivate us to keep working toward our goals. These moments of celebration make us pause and be mindful, and that boosts our well-being.

Although, I haven’t mentioned the products, services or circumstances in above cases but you can see the difference in their Vision, Mission, Goals & Objectives (despite being from good family background, education, environment, atmosphere, culture) from both scenarios.

I am writing an article after a long time. This time the topic is with regards to Indian startups. The reason that I am particularly writing about startups is because a very large number of students are opening their startups or are joining existing startups after graduation. The number of startups is growing at an exponential rate, and I believe that this will be a continuing trend. I want to give my take on this new socio-cultural trend. More than 90% of entrepreneurs will fail, waste their parent’s money and eventually take a normal job.

Let us first define a startup, and discuss why it is important to talk and write about it. A startup is typically construed to be a new venture in a hi-tech area. Again this might be a very restricted definition and clearly does not encompass new ventures in very traditional areas. However, let me stick to this definition in this article. Typically most startups are founded by students right after college or young professionals. The sad part of startups in India is that most founders typically sacrifice their career, earnings, personal life, and professional aspirations to create something that in an overwhelming majority of cases fails (for the statistics, read the last paragraph). My aim in this article is to highlight some of my thoughts on why I think most Indian startups fail, and look at possible solutions to this problem. Additionally, whatever I am writing is from my personal experience that I have gathered from many of my friends, friend's friends, ex-students, and newspaper reports. Nevertheless, I feel that in the broader interest of society, I should summarize what I have learnt from people who have founded startups.

The first building block of a startup is the idea. Note that in this sense a startup is different from a traditional business. If I setup a shop that sells chocolates outside a school, I am guaranteed to make some money. I might not make enough money, or I might be chased away by the civic authorities, nevertheless, I can still find a way to stay above the poverty line. However, the idea of a startup is very different. It is a new business model, or a new product that needs to be sold to an upwardly mobile middle class. They might not like the idea, might not be enthusiastic about it, or there might be many other competitors with better offerings. Since most startups are internet based, the chances of competition are very very high because the internet nullifies geographical distances.

Clearly the idea has to be new, fresh, innovative, technically sound, free of legal issues, socially acceptable, and needs to have the potential to make a lot of money. There are many adjectives in the previous sentence, and we are assuming that the group of founders will have technical geeks, legal experts, business honchos, and sociologists. This is hardly the case. Most founders of startups in India are typically young professionals. Note that these people typically have good pedigrees, are confident, articulate, and have an appetite for taking risks. However, this is not sufficient.

Many startups are giving unrealistic discounts to attract customers. This leads to more investment with low profits. Such kind of startups will more likely to run into losses, which results in shutting down. Many entrepreneurs are imitating successful startups. For example, many startups replicated Amazon and Flipkart, but couldn’t succeed. A me-too startup will less likely to succeed.Most of the failed startups lack sustainable business model. Some startups have no clear vision. They postpone profits to next year. Such kind of business model is not viable in the long run. Some sectors are overcrowded. For example, food delivery startups are way too many to survive. That is why most of the food delivery startups in India like ‘EatFresh’ went into losses. Implementing western models in Indian market may not work all the time. Indian market is different. Misinterpreting market needs is forcing some startups to shut down. Unlike startups in other countries, Indian startups are attracting a lot of investments through Venture Capital. Sometimes too much investment is also a problem just like a lack of investment. With excessive funds, productivity may decrease. Some startups are unable to attract investments and failed. Some startups are failed due to implementing their operations on a large scale, without testing it on small scale first. Venture Capital firms tend to pressurize startups to maximize profits. This is leading to unnecessary stress and leading to shutting down of startups. Most of the failed startups are started by youngsters with lack of expertise in the field they are in. Timing is another important factor. Some ideas may succeed in future but not now.Some startups are failed at marketing.
Lack of innovation.
Underestimating competitor’s potential is very risky. For example, ‘AUTOonCAB’ and some other taxi and auto aggregates underestimated their competitor ‘Uber’.
Let us wind the clock 10 years backward. Most students in India start losing touch of real life once they are 15-16 years old. The pressure of getting into a premier institution (IIT/NIT) is overwhelming. Students from small towns typically move to coaching hubs such as Kota in droves and spend the next 2-3 years preparing for different entrance exams. They have hardly any time for anything other than studies. Once they get admitted to a premier institution, the situation does not change significantly. Most of the time, the first year is typically the most strenuous in terms of studies primarily because students are new to the system, and a lot of them want to change their branch of study.

The subsequent years are no better in terms of developing a world view. Since most students stay in hostels and have limited access to television, they are mostly unaware of events of national and international importance. Since reading newspapers or anything for that matter seems to be out of fashion these days, students are bereft of the benefit of traditional channels of information that are otherwise available. Secondly, most campuses of premier universities are like ``virtual worlds'' -- fairly cut-off from the rest of the society. As a result, students do not develop a world view and do not develop an understanding of society. The situation does not grossly change in the first few years after joining a job. A typical job in a multi-national company in India involves very long hours and leaves little time for professionals to interact with the society at large. The weekends are often spent sleeping, partying or traveling. As a result most of the people that I have talked to in this bracket have a little understanding of the needs and requirements of a typical middle class family. They are mostly aware of the requirements of their friends but not of somebody who has young children and aged parents to take care of. Note that India has a very large middle class with a fair amount of spending power. Unless we understand their needs and aspirations, our products might not be what they are looking for. This dissonance in perceptions and actual requirements is a big reason for startups not getting enough customers.

Let me consider some examples by suggesting some ideas.

Use the phone as a remote control to open a car.
Use the phone as a remote control to turn ACs on, turn the geyser off, or change channels on a TV.
An online portal to connect music lovers.
An online portal to sell groceries.
A service to connect senior citizens with similar interests.
Home delivery service for diapers, tissues, and other baby products.
These are some random ideas, and I could come out with more. The only thing that I can guarantee you is that these will not work! Let us see what is the problem with the first 2 ideas. Most people do not have a problem with having an extra remote (for TV or AC) around. Secondly, most smart phones have very low battery lives, and there is no reason to not be able to run the TV when the phone is discharged. What happens if the owner of a phone with this app goes out for a walk? For idea #3, there are hardly enough music lovers in an area to justify a startup. For idea #4, most middle class families will want to touch and feel a vegetable before buying it. They will not trust an online delivery guy. Idea #5 will bomb for sure because senior citizens are not very tech. savvy, and idea #6 will not work because already pharmacy stores do home delivery for large orders.

As you see, all of these ideas might look okay, but are simply impractical because the society will not accept them for a variety of reasons. There can be many legal issues also. While making a matrimonial site, one needs to be very careful about revealing identities, and ensuring that no obscene content is exchanged. Otherwise, the legal consequence can be very severe. As you see, it is very hard to figure out so many things unless a person has the experience of actually living in a society and interacting with people across all age groups and social strata. Most founders of startups do not have this experience, nor do they try to conduct in-depth surveys to gauge customer perception; as a result the outcomes are not very favorable.

Lastly, I would also like to add that we have an enough number of startups that focus on online retailing, analytics, and social media. Why not have high technology startups that focus on the defense, aerospace, and high end manufacturing industries? Any startup that is based on technology rather than on an apparently ``good'' marketing idea has a far higher chance of success. Let us take a look at the math. If a social media startup earns 10 paisa per click (high in my opinion) it will take 10 million clicks to earn  10 lakh (1 million) rupees per year. This is a very high number, and we clearly need to operate at a very large scale. In comparison, a well made piece of technical software or service can fetch upwards of 1 crore (10 million) rupees in a single deal. However, to produce such software it is necessary to be highly trained (at least a Ph.D), have loads of R&D experience, and have very good contacts in the industry. We have a massive dearth of such people and this leads to extremely low tech. startups.

Let us now come to the next important ingredient -- money. Money is an important ingredient for almost everything including a startup. Here again, Indian startups are very different from their western counterparts. This morning I was watching a documentary on TV. They showed statistics, which showed that an overwhelming number of western startups begin with funding from friends and family, whereas Indian startups get money from angel investors. Angel investors are venture capital companies that provide funding to early stage startups. There is a reason for this trend. In the west, there is a lot of competition among entrepreneurs to get their hands on venture capital money. As a result, venture capitalists are extremely cautious in disbursing funds. Consequently, most startups start in a garage with borrowed money, which often has to be returned irrespective of the final outcome.

However, the situation in India is very different. Especially for students from premier institutes, a lot of funding is available. There are many kinds of angel investors in the market. There are some who genuinely believe in the ``India Story'', there are some who believe in the creative potential of our youngsters, and then there are some who want to use the VC route to bring in money parked in tax havens such as Mauritius and Singapore. Irrespective of the source of funds, angel investors are out there, and are willing to provide a lot of money. This is not necessarily a good trend. Taking money from friends and family puts a lot of pressure on young entrepreneurs to actually deliver, and return the money. In this case, relationships are at stake. However, taking money from a third party, which is pretty much coming with no strings attached, does not put any real pressure on entrepreneurs to deliver. Founders often leave startups midway, go abroad for higher studies, or simply get bored.

To make Indian startups actually work, it is necessary to add more constraints to the money supply. An unbridled supply of money is not exactly the best way to go forward. Founders should know that the purpose of a business is to earn profit, and provide value to customers. Hoping that one day somebody will buy the startup for millions of dollars is not all that reasonable. It is true that some startups get sold for massive sums, and even some Indian startups are on that list. However, this is not the norm, and nobody should explicitly strive to be the exception. Additionally, startups from India have low visibility, and getting sold to Silicon Valley biggies is not as easy as American startups.

I would like to make another important point here. A lot of founders of businesses do not approach formal banking channels, and do not take advantage of government schemes. In this year's budget (2015-16) a thousand crores (200 million dollars) have been allocated to funding startups. It is true that to get government funding the proposal has to be above a certain bar because most of such proposals are reviewed by a team of experts often consisting of academics. This is a good thing, not a bad thing. Writing a good, well studied, and technically consistent business plan is not just desirable, it is also essential. If a group of founders think that they have a document that clearly elucidates their business idea, value to the society and the nation, then they should approach the government, and ask for help and guidance. Most students feel that the government is out of reach, and you need connections. Trust me, in this day and age, the government is far more honest and approachable, and ordinary citizens should at least make an effort to leverage government schemes to the fullest possible extent.

We have talked about the idea, and money. What next? Well, it is talent, which is by far the most important factor once the founders have a decent idea, and have the financial resources. Who is going to do the work? Here, again Indian startups are very different. Let us look at Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Larry Ellison. These three distinguished gentlemen are the founders of Microsoft, Apple, and Oracle respectively. The commonality between all three of them is that they are all technical people, and spent a good part of their early life writing computer code, making circuits, testing and debugging their designs. The same is true for others such as Mark Zuckerberg, Sergey Brin, and Larry Page.

However, this is not the typical profile of an Indian startup boss. Most of the time, the founders of Indian startups are business school graduates who might have worked in top finance/consulting companies, or are technical people without any interest in technical work. They are the ones that carry fancy titles such as a CEO, CTO, or COO, and there are others who often do the technical work. A lot of such CEO types that I have met were often very ignorant of the technical work happening in their organizations. This particular trend leads to a disconnect between the employer and the employee. The employee is typically not from an extremely privileged background yet spends 60-70 hour weeks tirelessly writing computer code. The employer is the one who often looks at the sales/marketing aspects and often places unreasonable demands on the employee. There is no formula for kinship even in startups that have less than 10 or 20 members.

The important take home point here is as follows. In a 5 or 10 member startup we cannot afford a dedicated CEO or CTO. This places an unnecessary financial burden, and creates a disconnect between team members. Moreover, often CEOs and CTOs who are not technically inclined promise the world to the customer. They later on discover to their chagrin that their promises failed to hold water because they were extremely unrealistic.

Let us now come to the employees. In today's market finding a good computer programmer is very hard. This might sound ironical given the number of top colleges that India has; however, this is true. Most of the students in top institutes are hired by very well paying multinational firms. It is very hard for a fledgling startup to match an MNC salary. As a result startups often have to go to other non-premier colleges to scout for talent. There is a big divide in India between different classes of institutes, and startups would often find otherwise sincere students that lack sufficient practical skills. It is not wise to invest a lot of money in training employees for an early stage startup. They need employees who are all set to begin coding, and thus being productive. This is seldom the case. It is even harder to find mid-level professionals who can lead teams. Their salaries are either obnoxiously high, or they have shifted to people management in their companies. In both cases, such people are not suitable for startups in their early stage.

Also note that in the Indian educational system, the emphasis on practical skills is somewhat low. This might be not very relevant in premier institutes where students have other avenues for exploring their creativity, but for the rest of the educational institutes this is a very important issue. It is paramount that we produce students who companies can hire immediately after graduation. Spending lakhs of rupees on training students to write even the simplest of programs or create the simplest of designs is not the job of companies. Only big companies like Infosys can afford it. Small startups cannot afford this luxury, nor should they be in the business of training. The responsibility of training engineers lies fair and square with schools and colleges.

We are not just talking about technical skills here. A lot of the graduates in this country are severely deficient in liberal arts skills. Ideally speaking, we want an engineering student to write flawless English (or a vernacular language, if the need arises), be articulate, and be able to present to a technically literate audience. We will find very few graduated students with these qualities if we start looking. A lot of students pick up these traits later in life; however, a broad majority of them do not. This has resulted in a very low level of language proficiency in adults. Unless the Indian educational system starts putting a greater emphasis on humanities skills and focuses on all round personality development, we will never find people who can run modern internationally competitive businesses.

Startups are the riskiest form of business. So risky that 90% failure rate is ok. Most Angel investors and VC’s are prepared to lose money in 9 out of 10 investments.Why are they so risky? Because they attempt to do in 3 years what other businesses do in 10–15 years.

Imagine you are in a car race. Except, when you are at the starting point, your competitor is already 5 kilometres ahead of you cruising at a brisk speed. But you must win. So you take extreme steps. You replace the regular engine with a jet engine. You put rocket fuel in the car instead of regular fuel. You remove all seats, comforts and air conditioning to reduce the weight. This car has only one goal. To obliterate and destroy your established competitor. This car is unstable and there is a 90% chance that this car will explode. But there is a 10% chance that you will overtake the other car. And the reward for overtaking is so big that you are willing to take this chance.
Let us now look at a different class of people who are very competent, and want to join a startup.  Such people might want to do something really innovative, or they might want to see what it feels like working for a small company. Some of my friends joined startups because they wanted to work in a company that sells products tagged with the line, ``Made in India.'' However, such examples are very rare. Let us see why. In the US, and other western nations, a company is a company. If anybody is employed then they are employed with a contract, which is legally enforceable. There are strict rules regarding payment, conduct, rights and responsibilities. The owners can go to jail if they violate terms of the contract.

In India, on paper we have a lot of laws, which are not bad at all. Some people argue that for companies with less than 20 employees, the laws are fairly lax. Well, I am not a legal expert, and thus I am not the most competent person to comment on such issues. However, the laws that I have seen on the face of it are not all that bad. The issue lies with the implementation. There is a wide spread belief among people that if they join a small company, hardly any rules and policies are followed. I do not want to lend credence to these rumors. However, I have heard a good number of anecdotal reports from friends and ex-colleagues who are complaining about irregular payments, obnoxiously long work hours, and improper standards for hiring-and-firing. Not all of these reports are false. My basic question is how many founders of startups have actually been penalized for not following proper procedures in running their companies? How active has our society been in pointing out such offenders, and how active have the authorities (including NGOs) been in ensuring that proper employment practices are followed? The answers are not very encouraging, and this particular public perception leads many technically competent people to avoid working in startup ventures. I would appeal to the government to ensure that irrespective of the size of the organization, all employment laws and procedures should be followed to the last letter. The message should be loud and clear: Laws are for everybody, no exceptions.

Let me now summarize this article. I have talked about ideas, funding, and talent. I feel that we fall short on all of these counts, and thus our hi-tech ventures do not work. What is the evidence that I have? Please visit iSpirt's website, which is the umbrella body of Indian IT/ITES product companies. Here is what it says. Let us assume that a VC (investor) firm puts in 100 Rs. into startups. Let us see what happens after a couple of years. In Israel, the investor will get 700 Rs, in the US he will 500 Rs, and in India he will get 110 Rs. The website says that even the figure of 110 Rs is wrongly calculated because it includes service companies as well. Additionally, if we adjust the numbers for inflation, there is a net loss. From these statistics, we can clearly see my reason for writing this blog. There is a big difference in the success rate between an Israeli or American startup and an Indian startup.

Startups fail all over the works. So it's kind of a little unfair to point “failure of Indian Startups”.
Anyways, moving forward with the question “why do Indian startups fail”. Here is my analysis based on what I have observed:

Lack of creativity: Every Indian startup (especially the heavily funded ones) are just trying to ape successful ventures of USA. Be it ola, flipkart, snapdeal or Zomato. They are all the desi versions of yelp, uber, ebay, etc, etc. Now the ones i have mentioned here have survived the storm (courtesy : funding). The less fortunate ones or the bootstrapped ones have tried to ape them or some successful venture of US, only to fall flat on their face.
The Indian mindset : Get into IIT -> IIM. Join a MNC. Make millions and then retire peacefully. Where the hell does “startup” fit into the whole process? So the problem here is, when the startup starts failing, the whole system including the family looks at you with “I told you so” look. You are the bad apple who decided to not do what others do. Hence, no emotional or financial support. It’s like everyone is waiting for you to fail and get back to job.
Grow fast without a plan : This factor is very apt for all food startups or grocery startups that grew in a haphazard manner, only to shut shop or scale down sooner than expected. The VCs loaded them with money and they wasted it without a practical plan.

And then there are common points like lack of funding, unplanned ventures, inexperience, issues in between owners, etc, etc which are consistent all across the world.

Thank you so much Guys.

Stay Fit, Take Care & Keep Smiling :-)

Kranti Gaurav
XLRI Jamshedpur

Tuesday 16 July 2019

How to motivate and inspire your team to achieve better results?



When you’re running a business, your team is your most important asset and biggest resource. Without them the business could not function so it’s essential that your employees feel encouraged and inspired on a daily basis.In order to achieve great results, you should be constantly thinking about ways you can motivate and inspire your team. Here are some ways you can steer your employees in the right direction and achieve your goals together. Try these 15 powerful ways to keep the members of your team motivated and giving their very best on the job.

1. Share your vision and set clear goals

You can only motivate and inspire your team if they know what they are working towards. Make sure your employees are aware of your vision and what your ultimate goals for the business are. This encourages everyone to work together to achieve better results. As well as this, regularly set clear and measurable goals that are framed by this vision so that you and your teams can track progress and they are able to see their success in a tangible way. This cultivates productivity and helps employees to feel valued and motivated.

2. Communicate with your staff

Part of clear goal-setting relies on effective communication with your team. Communication is a two-way street and you should make sure that there is a constant flow of communication between you and your employees. This way you can not only keep them up-to-date with what needs to be done but you can also listen to their ideas, opinions and feedback. This will ultimately have a positive impact on your business as they may approach dilemmas in a different way to you. Check in regularly with your team and give them the opportunity to come and talk to you. Make sure you are available to contact and be open and approachable in your attitude to communication. This will make your staff feel involved in the business and its operations which will further motivate them to achieve better results.

3. Encourage teamwork

The best kind of companies are those where everyone works together cohesively. Encouraging and promoting teamwork boosts productivity because it makes employees feel less isolated and helps them to feel more engaged with their tasks. You can do this by regularly holding team-building exercises and opportunities for your team members to bond and get to know one another. Think about this when hiring new staff by considering how they will fit into the team and the workplace culture. Even if someone is experienced in a role, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will work well with the rest of your employees.

4. A healthy office environment

Our environment has a significant impact on our productivity, contentment and creativity. Healthy and happy employees are more likely to feel motivated and engaged. Create a space that is enjoyable to work in and an office where your employees want to spend their time. Be conscious of privacy, noise, air quality, natural light, areas to relax and the ambience. Encourage healthy attitudes by offering healthy snacks and access to exercise, whether this is in the form of a gym membership or participating in team exercise classes. By promoting healthy habits you can help your staff to maintain their energy levels and reduce their stress. Office perks such as these will also make your team feel appreciated and further encourage them to do their best work.

5. Give positive feedback and reward your team

The power of positive praise is sometimes overlooked but recognizing and applauding achievement inspires team members as they can see themselves progressing towards the goals of the company. When employees achieve results, put in extra effort or do outstanding work make sure to tell them that you’re grateful and be specific in your praise. For example, don’t just say ‘good job’, explain why it was a good job and how it helped to benefit the business. This will not only motivate your employee but help them succeed with future work. Reward your team for hard work, whether this in the form of monetary rewards, gifts, perks or more responsibility and independence.

6. Provide opportunities for development

Team members feel more valuable when they are learning and enhancing their skills. To motivate and inspire your team to achieve great results you should provide your employees with opportunities for growth and development. These opportunities should be tailored specifically to suit the individual employee and can be in the form of further training, setting challenging targets, inviting an employee to shadow you or spending your own time teaching and mentoring somebody. Focus on teaching your team transferable skills they could use in different positions and encourage them to set themselves learning goals.

7. Pay your people what they are worth

When you set your employees' salaries, be sure that their pay is consistent with what other companies in your industry and geographic area are paying. Remember: 26 percent of engaged employees say that they would leave their current job for just a 5 percent increase in pay. Don't lose great people because you're underpaying them.

8. Provide them with a pleasant place to work

Everyone wants to work in an office environment that is clean and stimulating, and that makes them feel good instead of bad. You don't have to spend a lot of money to make an office a more pleasant place to be.

9. Offer opportunities for self-development

The members of your team will be more valuable to your organization, and to themselves, when they have opportunities to learn new skills. Provide your team with the training they need to advance in their careers and to become knowledgeable about the latest technologies and industry news.

10. Foster collaboration within the team

According to a study, 39 percent of employees don't feel that their input is appreciated. Encourage the members of your team to fully participate by inviting their input and suggestions on how to do things better. Ask questions, listen to their answers, and, whenever possible, implement their solutions.

11. Encourage happiness

Happy employees are enthusiastic and positive members of the team, and their attitude is infectious. Keep an eye on whether or not your people are happy with their work, their employer, and you. If they're not, you can count on this unhappiness to spread.

12. Don't punish failure

We all make mistakes. It's part of being human. The key is to learn valuable lessons from those mistakes so we don't make them again. When members of your team make honest mistakes, don't punish them--instead, encourage them to try again.

13. Set clear goals

In one study, 63 percent of employees reported that they wasted time at work because they weren't aware of what work was a priority, and what wasn't. As a leader, it's your job to work with the members of your team to set clear goals. And once you do that, make sure everyone knows exactly what those goals are, what their relative priority is, and what the team's role is in reaching them.

14. Don't micromanage

No one likes a boss who is constantly looking over her shoulder and second-guessing her every decision. In fact, 38 percent of employees in one survey reported that they would rather take on unpleasant activities than sit next to a micromanaging boss. Provide your people with clear goals (see number 7, above), and then let them figure out the best way to achieve them.

15. Avoid useless meetings

Meetings can be an incredible waste of time--the average professional wastes 3.8 hours in unproductive meetings each and every week. Create an agenda for your meetings and distribute it in advance. Invite only the people who really need to attend, start the meeting on time, and then end it as quickly as you possibly can. Motivation is an essential part of any workplace and you should be constantly striving to make your employees feel motivated and inspired. If you do this, you’re sure to achieve the results that you need.

Motivation is an essential part of any workplace and you should be constantly striving to make your employees feel motivated and inspired. If you do this, you’re sure to achieve the results that you need my dear Friends.

Stay Fit, Take Care & Keep Smiling Guys :-)

God Bless !!

Kranti Gaurav
XLRI, Jamshedpur

Thursday 13 June 2019

19 ऊंटों के बंटवारे की कहानी 🐪



19 ऊंटों के  बंटवारे की कहानी 🐪

एक गाँव में एक व्यक्ति के पास 19 ऊंट थे।

एक दिन उस व्यक्ति की मृत्यु हो गयी।

मृत्यु के पश्चात वसीयत पढ़ी गयी। जिसमें लिखा था कि:

मेरे 19 ऊंटों में से आधे मेरे बेटे को,19 ऊंटों में से एक चौथाई मेरी बेटी को, और 19 ऊंटों में से पांचवाँ हिस्सा मेरे नौकर को दे दिए जाएँ।

सब लोग चक्कर में पड़ गए कि ये बँटवारा कैसे हो ?

19 ऊंटों का आधा अर्थात एक ऊँट काटना पड़ेगा, फिर तो ऊँट ही मर जायेगा। चलो एक को काट दिया तो बचे 18 उनका एक चौथाई साढ़े चार- साढ़े चार फिर?

सब बड़ी उलझन में थे। फिर पड़ोस के गांव से एक बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति को बुलाया गया।

वह बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति अपने ऊँट पर चढ़ कर आया, समस्या सुनी, थोडा दिमाग लगाया, फिर बोला इन 19 ऊंटों में मेरा भी ऊँट मिलाकर बाँट दो।

सबने सोचा कि एक तो मरने वाला पागल था, जो ऐसी वसीयत कर के चला गया, और अब ये दूसरा पागल आ गया जो बोलता है कि उनमें मेरा भी ऊँट मिलाकर बाँट दो। फिर भी सब ने सोचा बात मान लेने में क्या हर्ज है।

19+1=20 हुए।

20 का आधा 10 बेटे को दे दिए।

20 का चौथाई 5 बेटी को दे दिए।

20 का पांचवाँ हिस्सा 4 नौकर को दे दिए।

10+5+4=19

बच गया एक ऊँट, जो बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति का था...

वो उसे लेकर अपने गॉंव लौट गया।

इस तरह 1 उंट मिलाने से, बाकी 19 उंटो का बंटवारा सुख, शांति, संतोष व आनंद से हो गया।

सो हम सब के जीवन में भी 19 ऊंट होते हैं।

5 ज्ञानेंद्रियाँ
(आँख, नाक, जीभ, कान, त्वचा)

5 कर्मेन्द्रियाँ
(हाथ, पैर, जीभ, मूत्र द्वार, मलद्वार)

5 प्राण
(प्राण, अपान, समान, व्यान, उदान)

और

4 अंतःकरण
(मन, बुद्धि, चित्त, अहंकार)

कुल 19 ऊँट होते हैं।

सारा जीवन मनुष्य इन्हीं 19 ऊँटो के बँटवारे में उलझा रहता है।
ओर ये 20 वां ऊंट है "आत्मा"

और जब तक इनमें आत्मा रूपी ऊँट नहीं मिलाया जाता, यानी के आध्यात्मिक जीवन नहीं जिया जाता, तब तक सुख, शांति, संतोष व आनंद की प्राप्ति नहीं हो सकती।🙏🙏🙏

19 ऊंटों के बंटवारे की कहानी 🐪

19 ऊंटों के बंटवारे की कहानी 🐪

*19 ऊंटों के  बंटवारे की कहानी*🐪

एक गाँव में एक व्यक्ति के पास 19 ऊंट थे।

एक दिन उस व्यक्ति की मृत्यु हो गयी।

मृत्यु के पश्चात वसीयत पढ़ी गयी। जिसमें लिखा था कि:

मेरे 19 ऊंटों में से आधे मेरे बेटे को,19 ऊंटों में से एक चौथाई मेरी बेटी को, और 19 ऊंटों में से पांचवाँ हिस्सा मेरे नौकर को दे दिए जाएँ।

सब लोग चक्कर में पड़ गए कि ये बँटवारा कैसे हो ?

19 ऊंटों का आधा अर्थात एक ऊँट काटना पड़ेगा, फिर तो ऊँट ही मर जायेगा। चलो एक को काट दिया तो बचे 18 उनका एक चौथाई साढ़े चार- साढ़े चार फिर?

सब बड़ी उलझन में थे। फिर पड़ोस के गांव से एक बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति को बुलाया गया।

वह बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति अपने ऊँट पर चढ़ कर आया, समस्या सुनी, थोडा दिमाग लगाया, फिर बोला इन 19 ऊंटों में मेरा भी ऊँट मिलाकर बाँट दो।

सबने सोचा कि एक तो मरने वाला पागल था, जो ऐसी वसीयत कर के चला गया, और अब ये दूसरा पागल आ गया जो बोलता है कि उनमें मेरा भी ऊँट मिलाकर बाँट दो। फिर भी सब ने सोचा बात मान लेने में क्या हर्ज है।

19+1=20 हुए।

20 का आधा 10 बेटे को दे दिए।

20 का चौथाई 5 बेटी को दे दिए।

20 का पांचवाँ हिस्सा 4 नौकर को दे दिए।

10+5+4=19

बच गया एक ऊँट, जो बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति का था...

वो उसे लेकर अपने गॉंव लौट गया।

इस तरह 1 उंट मिलाने से, बाकी 19 उंटो का बंटवारा सुख, शांति, संतोष व आनंद से हो गया।

सो हम सब के जीवन में भी 19 ऊंट होते हैं।

5 ज्ञानेंद्रियाँ
(आँख, नाक, जीभ, कान, त्वचा)

5 कर्मेन्द्रियाँ
(हाथ, पैर, जीभ, मूत्र द्वार, मलद्वार)

5 प्राण
(प्राण, अपान, समान, व्यान, उदान)

और

4 अंतःकरण
(मन, बुद्धि, चित्त, अहंकार)

कुल 19 ऊँट होते हैं।

सारा जीवन मनुष्य इन्हीं 19 ऊँटो के बँटवारे में उलझा रहता है।
ओर ये 20 वां ऊंट है "आत्मा"

और जब तक इनमें आत्मा रूपी ऊँट नहीं मिलाया जाता,,, यानी के आध्यात्मिक जीवन नहीं जिया जाता, तब तक सुख, शांति, संतोष व आनंद की प्राप्ति नहीं हो सकती।🙏🙏🙏

Saturday 27 April 2019

Playing Golf Can Be as Good for the Body as for the Soul




It doesn’t matter where you are, you are nowhere compared to where you can go.

Golf always make me Happy :-)

If you have done it before, you can do it again. And if you have never done it, there is a chance waiting for you to take to do it. Don't wait till tomorrow for what you can do today. Your heart was made to be content and full of will. Take that advantage and you will find out everything is possible. Take your chance to find out what you can do because in life, there is a lot needed to be done.

I believe there's never just one thing that leads to success for anyone. I feel it always a combination of passion, dedication, hard work & being in the right place at the right time. I never could have done what I've done without the habits of punctuality, order & diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time. Every shot counts. The three-foot putt is as important as the 300-yard drive.

There are more than 25 million people who play golf every year—and it isn’t difficult to see why. Golf is a great way to get some fresh air and spend time with close friends, especially as the weather warms up or if you are enjoying a resort vacation.

THERE ARE ALSO A WHOLE HOST OF HEALTH BENEFITS THAT COME ALONG WITH GOLFING. 

GOLF CAN BE GOOD FOR THE HEART.

Any time you’re able to get your blood pumping, it will be good for your heart, and golf will definitely get your blood going in a variety of ways. While you might not necessarily associate golf with doing a lot of physical activity, it will require you to walk a lot, pick up your bag, swing your clubs, and make other movements that will ultimately benefit your heart by reducing your blood pressure and lowering your cholesterol levels.

IT CAN ALSO STIMULATE YOUR MIND.

In addition to helping your heart, golf can also keep your brain sharp. Studies have shown that walking regularly can strengthen the circuits in your mind and help your memory, and when you golf, you will definitely do a lot of walking. You will also keep blood flowing to your brain as you play a round.

IT CAN REDUCE YOUR STRESS LEVELS.

When you play golf, you’ll notice your stress levels going way down. While a number of things can have this effect, it’s the combination of fresh air, socialization with friends, and your body’s release of endorphins that will make stress disappear when you’re out golfing.

IT CAN EVEN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT.

In order to lose weight, you need to walk about 10,000 steps per day. That might seem like a lot, but you’ll actually hit that goal on most days when you golf, especially if you choose to walk rather than taking a cart. Best of all, you won’t necessarily feel like you’re exercising when you’re walking on the golf course since you’ll be having so much fun playing.

I believe one of the most fascinating things about Golf is how it reflects the cycle of life. No matter what u shoot - the next day you've 2 go back 2 the first tee and begin all over again & make yourself into something.

Some people think golf is just a pointless pastime for people who dress funny, chase little white balls and swear a lot. As a golf lover, I'm here to say, well, for the most part you're right.

Except about the "pointless" part. After all, a recent study shows that playing a round of the ancient game is a surprisingly good form of exercise.

Finnish scientists gathered 110 men, ages 45 to 65. Half were golfers, while the others didn't play golf or participate in any form of regular exercise. The non-golfers were told to go about their usual lifestyle, while the golfers were asked to make a grave sacrifice in the name of science: play two or three rounds per week for five months. The study stipulated that the golfers had to walk the course instead of puttering around in motorized carts.

At study's end, the non-golfers' vital statistics--weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure--were pretty much the same as at the start. The golfers, however, showed some striking health improvements. They had lost an average of about three pounds and trimmed their waistlines by nearly an inch. All the golfers increased their levels of cholesterol, the "good" kind. The golfing men who had hypertension experienced modest decreases in blood pressure.

Naturally, if you already exercise regularly, no one is suggesting that you throw out your running shoes and buy a set of irons. Some evidence does suggest that more-intense exercise leads to better health. But if you're now on the sidelines, getting moving with a moderate activity such as brisk walking or golf is a great start.

The latter is not for everyone, of course. Playing golf can be expensive, for one thing. Frustrating, too, as Mark Twain noted in his famous observation that the game is little more than "a good walk spoiled." That may be, but the science shows that even a spoiled walk is better for your health than no walk at all.

Golf is like a love affair. If you don't take it seriously, it's no fun; if you do take it seriously, it breaks your heart. - Arthur Daley

Happy Golfing!

Friday 19 April 2019

Donkey in the well



One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. NOW -------- Enough of that crap... The donkey later came back and bit the shit out of the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected, and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock. MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON: When you do something wrong and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.

Wednesday 17 April 2019

अकबर बीरबल की 21 मजेदार कहानियां

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #1

चार मूर्ख


एक दिन बादशाह के मन में एक बात आई कि संसार में मूर्खों की संख्या तो बहुत है, परंतु मैं चार सबसे बड़े मूर्खों को देखना चाहता हूं| बादशाह ने बीरबल से कहा:- ‘जाओ, ऐसे चार मूर्खों की तलाश करो जिनके जैसा कोई और दूसरा ना मिले’| जो आज्ञा हुजूर, बीरबल ने कहा|
कुछ दूर जाने के बाद बीरबल को एक आदमी दिखाई पड़ा जो थाली में पान का एक बीड़ा और मिठाई लिए हुए बड़े उत्साह से नगर की तरफ जल्दी-जल्दी भागा जा रहा था|
बीरबल (Birbal) ने उस आदमी से पूछा:- ‘क्यों साहब, कहां भागे जा रहे हो’? आपके पैर खुशी के मारे जमीन पर ही नहीं पड़ रहे हैं|
वह व्यक्ति बोला:- ‘हुजूर, मुझे विलंब हो रहा है| परंतु आपके इतने आग्रह करने पर मैं बता देना चाहता हूं कि मेरी औरत ने एक दूसरा मर्द कर लिया है| उसके बुलावे पर मैं न्योते में जा रहा हूं’|
बीरबल ने उस आदमी को रोक लिया और कहा:- ‘ पहले तुम्हें बादशाह के पास चलना होगा, तभी तुम आगे जा सकोगे’|वह बादशाह का नाम सुनकर डर गया तथा लाचार होकर बीरबल के साथ चल दिया|
बीरबल इसको लेकर आगे बढ़ा ही था कि रास्ते में एक घुड़सवार मिला जो एक घोड़ी पर सवार था| पर उसके सिर पर एक बड़ा गट्ठर रखा हुआ था| बीरबल ने उस आदमी से पूछा:- ‘क्यों भाई, यह क्या मामला है| आप सिर का बोझ घोड़ी पर क्यों नहीं लाद देते’?
उस आदमी ने उत्तर दिया:- ‘हुजूर, मेरी यह घोड़ी गर्भ(पेट) से है| ऐसी दशा में उस पर इतना बोझ नहीं लादा जा सकता’| यह मुझे ले जा रही है| क्या यह कम है?
बीरबल ने डरा-धमकाकर इस घोड़ी सवार को भी अपने साथ ले लिया| जब बीरबल दोनों व्यक्तियों के साथ बादशाह के सामने पहुंचे, तो बीरबल ने कहा:- ‘यह चारों मूर्ख आपके सामने है हजूर’|
बादशाह ने कहा:- तीसरा और चौथा कहां है?
बीरबल ने कहा:- तीसरे मूर्ख आप हैं हुजूर, जो आपको ऐसे मूर्खों को देखने की इच्छा होती है और चौथा मूर्ख मैं हूं, जो ऐसे मूर्खों को ढूंढ कर आपके पास लाया हूं|
बादशाह को बीरबल के इस उत्तर से हैरानी तो हुई लेकिन जब उन्हें उन दोनों की मूर्खता का परिचय मिला तो वह खिल खिलाकर हंस पड़े|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #2

दो गधों का बोझ


एक बार बादशाह अकबर अपने पुत्र और बीरबल के साथ कहीं घूमने जा रहे थे| पिता-पुत्र दोनों ने अपनी पुस्तक तथा पानदान बीरबल को थमा दिया|
बादशाह ने बीरबल का मजाक बनाया| अब तो तुम पर एक गधे का बोझ हो गया है, बीरबल| लेकिन बीरबल भी कहां चुप रहने वाला था| उसने तुरंत ही उत्तर दिया:- “एक गधे का कहां हुजूर, दो गधों का बोझ हो गया है”|
यह सुनकर बादशाह झेंप गए| वह बीरबल का अर्थ समझ गए कि बीरबल ने किस सफाई से पिता और पुत्र दोनों को गधा कह दिया|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #3

बैंगन का नहीं आपका नौकर हूं


एक बार बादशाह अकबर(Akbar) बैंगन की प्रशंसा कर रहे थे| बीरबल भी बादशाह की हां में हां मिला रहे थे| यही नहीं बल्कि अपनी तरफ से दो चार शब्द भी बैंगन की प्रशंसा में कह दिए|
एक दिन बादशाह ने बीरबल के सामने बैंगन की निंदा की| उस दिन भी बीरबल ने बादशाह की बात का समर्थन किया तथा बैंगन में दुर्गुण बताने शुरू कर दिए|
बादशाह को यह सुनकर ताज्जुब हुआ और बोले:- ‘बीरबल, तुम्हारी बात का यकीन नहीं है| कभी तुम प्रशंसा करते हो कभी निंदा करते हो| जब मैंने एक दिन बैंगन की तारीफ की थी और तुमने भी सराहना की थी और आज तुम जिंदा कर रहे हो, ऐसा क्यों है?
बीरबल ने उत्तर दिया कि जहांपनाह, मैं बैंगन का नहीं बल्कि आपका नौकर हूं| बादशाह इस बात को सुनकर बड़े मुस्कुराए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #4

बुला कर लाओ


एक दिन सुबह-सुबह बादशाह ने अपने एक सेवक को हुक्म दिया| ‘जाओ बुला कर लाओ’|
आगे कुछ नहीं बताया| सेवक ने भी नहीं पूछा और उसका साहस भी नहीं हुआ| लेकिन उसकी समझ में कुछ नहीं आ रहा था कि वह किसे बुला कर लाए? उसने अपने सभी मित्रों से मदद मांगी, लेकिन कोई बात नहीं बनी| अंत में वह बीरबल के पास पहुंचा| वह जाते ही बीरबल के पैरों में गया और गिड़गिड़ाकर कहने लगा:- ‘हुजूर, मेरी मदद करो| मैं बड़े संकट में फंस गया हूं’| बीरबल ने कहा:- ‘क्या बात है बताओ’| बात यह है हुजूर, बादशाह ने आज हुक्म दिया है कि जाओ बुला कर लाओ| अब आप ही बताइए कि मैं किसे बुलाकर लाऊं, समझ में नहीं आ रहा है|
बीरबल ने पूछा:- ‘जिस समय हुक्म दिया था, वह क्या कर रहे थे’?
नहाने की तैयारी में थे| बीरबल ने कहा, तो जाओ जल्दी से नाई को बुला कर ले आओ| बादशाह, हजामत बनवाना चाहते हैं| सेवक नाई को बुलाकर ले आया| बादशाह बहुत खुश हुए| उन्होंने पूछा:- ‘यह सलाह तुम्हें किसने दी, तुम तो इतने चतुर नहीं हो’|
सेवक ने डरते हुए कहा:- ‘बादशाह सलामत, यह सलाह मुझे बीरबल ने दी है’| बादशाह इस बात को सुनकर बड़े खुश हुए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #5

बादशाह की अंगूठी


एक बार बादशाह अकबर(Akbar) की अंगूठी कहीं खो गई| जब बीरबल दरबार में पहुंचे तो अकबर ने उनसे कहा बीरबल मेरी अंगूठी कहीं खो गई है| यह अंगूठी मुझे बहुत प्यारी थी, क्योंकि यह मेरे पिताजी ने मुझे उपहार के रूप में दी थी| क्या तुम इसे ढूंढने में मेरी मदद करोगे?
बीरबल ने कहा:- “आप चिंता ना करें जहांपनाह! आपकी अंगूठी तुरंत ही मिल जाएगी|” बीरबल ने कहा:-” हुजूर, आप की अंगूठी इसी दरबार में ही है| जिस व्यक्ति की दाढ़ी में तिनका है उसी के पास अंगूठी है|
जिस व्यक्ति के पास बादशाह की अंगूठी थी उसने घबरा कर अपने हाथ दाढ़ी पर रख लिए| बीरबल उसकी इस प्रतिक्रिया को समझ गया और उसने सैनिकों को उस व्यक्ति की तलाशी लेने के लिए कहा और उस व्यक्ति की तलाशी लेने पर वह अंगूठी उसकी जेब से पाई गई| बादशाह के आदेश पर उस व्यक्ति को कारावास में डाल दिया गया|
बीरबल (Birbal) की  बुद्धिमता से बादशाह अकबर बहुत खुश हुए और उन्होंने बीरबल से पूछा बीरबल मुझे बताओ कि तुम ने अपराधी को कैसे ढूंढ लिया| बीरबल ने बादशाह को बताया:- “जहांपनाह! मैंने तो तीर अंधेरे में मारा क्योंकि मुझे पता है कि अपराध करने वाला हमेशा डरता है| असली अपराधी ने अपनी दाढ़ी पर अपना हाथ बढ़ाकर यह साबित कर दिया कि वह ही अपराधी है|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #6

कौन सी ऋतु सबसे अच्छी


एक बार बादशाह ने भरी सभा में पूछा:- गर्मी, बरसात, सर्दी, हेमंत, शिशिर और बसंत इन छ: ऋतुओ में से सबसे अच्छी ऋतु कौन सी है?
सभी दरबारियों ने अपनी-अपनी अभिरुचि के अनुसार किसी ने कुछ और किसी ने कुछ बतलाया|
लेकिन दरबारियों की बात सुनकर बादशाह को मजा नहीं आया| फिर उन्होंने बीरबल से पूछा| बीरबल ने तुरंत ही जवाब दिया| ‘पेट भरे की ऋतु अच्छी होती है, हुजूर’|
बादशाह ने कहा:- क्या मतलब? भूखों के लिए कुछ भी ठीक नहीं| सभी ऋतुए उनके लिए कष्टदाई होती है| लेकिन जिनका पेट भरा हुआ होता है, उनके लिए सभी ऋतुए अच्छी होती हैं| बादशाह बीरबल की इस बात को सुनकर बड़े खुश हुए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #7

चार आलसी


एक दिन बादशाह को खबर मिली कि दो आलसी बेकार रहने के कारण होकर मर गए| दूसरे ही दिन बादशाह ने घोषणा कर दी कि राज्य में जितने भी आलसी लोग हैं उन सबको राज्यकोष से भोजन और वस्त्र मिलेंगे|
अब क्या था| धीरे-धीरे आलसियों की तादाद बढ़ने लगी और थोड़े ही दिनों में लाखों आलसी पैदा हो गए| बादशाह की चिंता बढ़ने लगी| तब उन्होंने बीरबल से अपनी चिंता प्रकट की| बीरबल ने सारे राज्य में घोषणा कर दी की फला दिन आलसियों को राज्य भंडार से कश्मीरी दुशाले बांटे जाएंगे|
इस खुशखबरी को सुनकर लाखों की भीड़ जमा हो गई| बीरबल ने पहले ही एक बड़ा विशाल बाड़ा बनवा रखा था बीरबल ने उन सभी बनावटी आलसियों को उस बाड़े में भर दिया| 5 मिनट में सारा बड़ा खाली हो गया| केवल चार व्यक्ति ऊंघ रहे थे|
बीरबल ने कहा जहांपनाह यही 4 सबसे बड़े आलसी है| बादशाह ने उन चारों को राज्य की ओर से खाने का सामान और कपड़े देकर विदा किया|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #8

किस नदी का जल उत्तम है


एक दिन सभा में बैठे हुए बादशाह ने अपने सभी दरबारियों से एक प्रश्न पूछा कि किस नदी का जल सबसे उत्तम है?
सभी दरबारियों ने एक स्वर में गंगा के जल की प्रधानता बताई| बीरबल तब तक चुप बैठे थे|
बीरबल को चुप देखकर बादशाह बोले:- ‘बीरबल तुम्हारी क्या राय है’?
बीरबल ने उत्तर दिया कि जहांपनाह, नदियों में यमुना नदी का जल सबसे उत्तम है| बादशाह यह सुनकर बोले, तुम्हारा दिमाग तो खराब नहीं है| तुम्हारे ग्रंथों में तो गंगा जल की विशेष महिमा है और तुम यमुना के जल को उत्तम बता रहे हो|
बीरबल ने कहा:- ‘जहांपनाह, मैंने जो कुछ भी कहा है वह सोच समझकर ही कहा है’|
गंगाजल अमृत है, जिसकी तुलना जल से नहीं हो सकती है| इसीलिए मैंने यमुना नदी के जल को सर्वश्रेष्ठ बताया है| बीरबल के उत्तर से बादशाह व अन्य दरबारी बड़े खुश हुए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #9

12 में से 4 गए तो बाकी क्या बचा


एक बार बादशाह ने बीरबल से उसकी हिसाब संबंधी योग्यता की तारीफ सुनकर एक प्रश्न किया कि 12 में से यदि 4 गए तो बाकी क्या बचेगा|
बीरबल ने तुरंत ही उत्तर दिया कि जहांपनाह यदि 12 में से 4 चले गए तो खाक बचेगा|
यह सुनकर बादशाह ने बीरबल से उन्हें समझाने को कहा कि कैसे?
बीरबल बोले:- ‘साल में 12 महीने होते हैं हुजूर, यदि उन 12 महीने में से 4 महीने वर्षा ऋतु के निकाल दिए जाएं तो खाक ही तो बचता है’|
बादशाह बीरबल के उत्तर से हंस पड़े|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #10

सबसे बड़ा कौन


एक दिन टहलते हुए बादशाह अकबर ने बीरबल से पूछा कि दुनिया में सबसे बड़ा कौन है? बीरबल समझ गया कि राज्य विस्तार के अहंकार में आकर ही बादशाह ने ऐसा प्रश्न किया है|
बीरबल ने जवाब दिया कि सबसे बड़ा छोटा बच्चा होता है| बादशाह को इस उत्तर से संतुष्ट नहीं हुई और बीरबल को पुनः सिद्ध करने की आज्ञा दी| बीरबल ने इस काम के लिए कुछ दिन का समय मांगा| बादशाह ने स्वीकार कर लिया|
अपने उत्तर को सिद्ध करने के लिए बीरबल ने अपने किसी मित्र के 2 साल के छोटे बच्चे को बादशाह के सामने खड़ा कर दिया| वह बच्चा बहुत सुंदर भी था इसलिए बादशाह ने उसको अपनी गोद में उठा लिया| बालक ने अपनी चंचलता के कारण बादशाह की दाढ़ी के बालों को खींचना शुरु कर दिया| बादशाह ने बीरबल से कहा कि इस बालक को क्यों लाए हो|
बीरबल ने बालक को बड़ा साबित करने का यही उपयुक्त समय समझा और बोले:- ‘दुनिया के और लोगों से आप चाहें कितने ही बड़े क्यों ना हो, लेकिन इस समय तो यह छोटा बच्चा भी आप से बड़ा है| ऐसा नहीं होता तो यह आपकी दाढ़ी खींचने का साहस कैसे करता| ऐसा करने की हिम्मत किसी और में नहीं है, जहांपनाह| इस बात को सुनकर बादशाह बहुत खुश हुए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #11

घुंघुचियो का महत्व


एक दिन बादशाह ने बीरबल से पूछा कि बीरबल तुम्हारे श्री कृष्ण भगवान घुंघुचियो की माला पहनते थे| क्या उनके पास हीरे-जवाहरात नहीं थे? भगवान का अर्थ ऐश्वर्य कार होता है| पर मालूम होता है कि वह केवल नाम के ऐश्वर्या थे, जो ऐसी चीज गले में पहनते थे|
बीरबल ने कहा:- जहांपनाह, हमारे धर्म ग्रंथों में लिखा है कि जो चीज एक बार भी सोने से तोल दी जाती है, वह महान और पवित्र हो जाती है|
फिर घुंघुचिय, सैकड़ों बार सोने से तुलती है| अतः उन की पवित्रता का कहना ही क्या| इसी महान पवित्रता के कारण ही तो उन्हें भगवान की माला में स्थान मिला है| बादशाह बीरबल के इस उत्तर को सुनकर लज्जित हो गए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #12

अंधकार


बादशाह के साथ बीरबल यमुना किनारे घूम रहे थे| रास्ते में उन्हें एक जरूरी बात ध्यान में आई और बोले:- बीरबल!- इस संसार में ऐसी कौन सी चीज है, जिसे हम सब देख सकते हैं लेकिन चंद्रमा की नजर उस पर नहीं पड़ती|
तब बीरबल बोले:- ‘जहांपनाह, वह चीज अंधकार है|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #13

सच और झूठ में अंतर


एक दिन बादशाह अकबर ने बीरबल से पूछा कि सच और झूठ में क्या अंतर होता है| बीरबल ने उत्तर दिया जहांपनाह, इन दोनों के बीच इतना ही अंतर है कि जितना आंख और कान में होता है|
बादशाह की समझ में यह जवाब नहीं आया तो उन्होंने बीरबल से पूछा ऐसा क्यों होता है?
बीरबल ने कहा:- ‘जहांपनाह, जो कुछ आंखों से देखा जाता है वह सच्चा होता है और जो कानों से सुना होता है वह कई बार झूठ होता है| बीरबल की यह जवाब सुनकर बादशाह संतुष्ट हो गए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #14

किसका अच्छा


एक दिन बादशाह अकबर के ध्यान में पांच प्रश्न आए, जिनको उन्होंने सभी दरबारियों से पूछा| बीरबल उस समय दरबार में मौजूद नहीं थे| वे पांच प्रश्न इस प्रकार थे-
1. फल कौन सा अच्छा?
2. दूध किसका अच्छा?
3. मिठाई कौन सी अच्छी?
4. पत्ता कौन सा अच्छा?
5. राजा कौन अच्छा?
बादशाह के प्रश्नों को सुनकर दरबारियों में मतभेद पैदा हो गया| किसी ने गुलाब का फूल अच्छा बताया तो किसी ने कमल का फूल| इसी तरह दूध के लिए भी मतभेद हुआ| किसी ने गाय का दूध, किसी ने भैंस का व किसी ने बकरी का दूध श्रेष्ट बताया| मिठाई में किसी ने गन्ने को व किसी ने अन्य मिठाइयों को श्रेष्ट बताया|
पत्ते में किसी ने केले का पत्ता, किसी ने नीम आदि के पत्ते को गुणकारी बताकर अपनी योग्यता का परिचय दिया|
राजा कौन अच्छा मैं किसी चापलूस दरबारी ने कहा कि बादशाह अच्छे|
बस फिर क्या था, इस जवाब का सभी ने एक स्वर में समर्थन किया कि हमारे बादशाह सबसे अच्छे|
बादशाह को इन लोगों की स्वामी भक्ति पर प्रसन्नता तो जरूर हुई किंतु अपने प्रश्नों का सही उत्तर नहीं मिला| इसलिए उन्हें संतोष नहीं हुआ| बादशाह, बीरबल का इंतजार कर रहे थे क्योंकि वे जानते थे कि उनके इन प्रश्नों का सही उत्तर बीरबल ही दे सकते हैं|
बादशाह यह सोच ही रहे थे कि अचानक बीरबल दरबार में आ पहुंचे| बादशाह ने बीरबल से वह पांचों प्रश्न दोहराएं और उनका जवाब मांगा|
बीरबल ने कहां:
1. फूल कपास का अच्छा होता है जिससे सारी दुनिया का पर्दा बनता ,है क्योंकि उसी फूल से कपड़े बनते हैं|
2. दूध अपनी माता का सबसे अच्छा होता है क्योंकि इसी से शरीर बनता है|
3. मिठास, जिव्हा की वाणी में होती है|
4. पत्ता पान का अच्छा होता है, जो धार्मिक अनुष्ठानों में भी पूजनीय है|
5. राजाओं में इंद्र सर्वश्रेष्ठ है क्योंकि इन्हीं की आज्ञा से पानी बरसता है जिसके कारण संसार में कृषि का कार्य होता है और हमारा व प्रजा का पालन पोषण होता है|
बादशाह और सभी दरबारी बीरबल के इन उत्तरों को सुनकर बहुत ही प्रसन्न हुए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #15

संगति का असर


बादशाह और बीरबल की आपस में बातें हो रही थी कि अचानक बीरबल के मुंह से कोई अपशब्द निकल गया| बादशाह को बड़ा बुरा महसूस हुआ और वह बोले:- ‘बीरबल क्या तुम्हें बोलने की तमीज नहीं रही| इन दिनों तुम बहुत बदतमीज होते जा रहे हो’|
बीरबल बोले:- ‘हां जहांपनाह, पहले तो ऐसा बिल्कुल भी नहीं होता था, लेकिन क्या करूं यह सब संगति का असर है| बादशाह यह बात सुनकर निरुत्तर हो गए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #16

थोड़ी बहुत बातें


एक दिन बीरबल के साथ उनकी लड़की जिसकी आयु 5 वर्ष की थी बादशाह का दरबार देखने आई|
बादशाह लड़की को देखकर बहुत खुश हुए और हंसकर उन्होंने लड़की से पूछा:- क्या तुम बातें करना जानती हो?
लड़की ने उत्तर दिया कि थोड़ी बहुत बातें कर लेती हूं| बादशाह लड़की कि इस बात से खुश तो हुए लेकिन उन्होंने लड़की से पूछा बेटा थोड़ी-बहुत का क्या मतलब है|
लड़की ने बादशाह की ओर एक दफा देखकर गर्दन नीची कर ली, लेकिन अपने पास ही बैठे छोटे बच्चे को गोद में लेकर प्यार करने लगी| बादशाह ने बीरबल से कहा कि क्या यह वही लड़की है जिसके तुम इतनी प्रशंसा किया करते थे|
बीरबल समझ गए कि लड़की का संकेत बादशाह की समझ में नहीं आया| तब उन्होंने समझाते हुए कहा कि जहांपनाह, उस बच्ची ने तो आपके प्रश्न का उत्तर दे भी दिया, लेकिन आपको समझ नहीं आया|
बादशाह बोले :- उस लड़की ने उत्तर कहां दिया|
बीरबल ने कहा कि लड़की ने पहले आप की ओर देखा फिर गर्दन नीची कर ली| इसका मतलब है कि आप मुझसे बहुत बड़े हैं तो आपसे मैं थोड़ी ही बातें करूंगी|
लड़की ने जो छोटे बच्चे को गोद में लेकर प्यार किया| उसका मतलब यह था कि जो मुझसे छोटे हैं, मैं उनसे बहुत सी बातें करूंगी| यही थोड़ी-बहुत का मतलब है|
बादशाह लड़की के इस उत्तर से बहुत खुश हुए तथा साथ ही लड़की की बुद्धिमत्ता की प्रशंसा भी की|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #17

सबसे उज्जवल क्या?


एक दिन बादशाह ने सभी दरबारियों से एक प्रश्न पूछा कि सबसे उज्जवल क्या होता है?
सभी दरबारियों ने किसी ने कपास तो किसी ने दूध बताया| बीरबल को चुप देखकर बादशाह बोले:- ‘बीरबल, आपकी क्या राय है’?
बीरबल ने उत्तर दिया:- ‘जहांपनाह, मेरी समझ से तो सबसे उज्जवल दिन होता है’| बादशाह बोले:- ‘तुम्हें इस बात को साबित करना पड़ेगा’| बीरबल ने यह स्वीकार कर लिया| अगले दिन दोपहर में जब बादशाह विश्राम कर रहे थे|
तब बीरबल ने एक कटोरा दूध तथा 2-4 कपास के फूल ले जाकर दरवाजे के पास रख कर दरवाजे चारों तरफ से बंद कर दिए|
प्रकाश बिल्कुल नहीं आ रहा था| बादशाह जब उठे तो सीधे दरवाजे की तरफ बढ़ने लगे|
अंधेरा होने की वजह से सारा दूध गिर गया| दरवाजा खुलने से प्रकाश हुआ तो बादशाह ने दूध का कटोरा तथा कपास को बिखरा हुआ पाया| बाहर निकलते ही बादशाह ने बीरबल को बैठे हुए देखा और मन ही मन सोचा कि यह जरूर बीरबल की ही कारस्तानी है|
बादशाह ने बीरबल को दरबार में बुलाया और इस गुस्ताखी की वजह पूछी| बादशाह के पूछने पर बीरबल ने उत्तर दिया कि जहांपनाह, कल के दरबार में सबसे उज्ज्वल पर लोगों ने अपनी अपनी राय दी थी| सभी ने दूध और कपास को मुख्य रुप से बताया था| मैंने दिन को सबसे उज्जवल बताया था|
मैंने दूध और कपास इसलिए रास्ते में रख दिए थे, क्योंकि यह चीजें उज्ज्वल है तो जरूर दिखाई देंगी| किंतु ऐसा हो ना सका| इसलिए अब तो आपको मानना पड़ेगा कि दिन भी सबसे उज्जवल होता है, क्योंकि दरवाजा खोलते ही प्रकाश हुआ| जिससे आप सब चीजों को देख पाए| बादशाह, बीरबल की बुद्धिमानी पर दंग रह गए|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #18

 बादशाह की मूंछ


अकबर को अपने दरबारियों और खुद को खुश करने के लिए कई तरह के रोचक प्रश्न पूछने का एक अजीब शौक था।
एक दिन, अकबर, शाही दरबार में अपनी शाही कुर्सी पर आराम से बैठे थे| अचानक उनके मन में एक विचित्र सवाल आया और उन्होंने अपने दरबारियों से पूछा, ” मेरी मूंछो को खींचने वाले व्यक्ति को क्या दंड दिया जाना चाहिए?” मंत्री ने कहा, जहांपनाह” ऐसे दुष्ट व्यक्ति का सर कलम कर देना चाहिए!”
खजांची ने कहा, “उसे कारागार में डाल देना चाहिए!”
सेना के प्रमुख ने कहा, “उसे फांसी दी जानी चाहिए!”
दरबार में उपस्थित सभी लोगों ने अपराधी के लिए एक से बढ़कर एक कठोर दंड के सुझाव दिए।
बादशाह ने यही सवाल बीरबल से पूछा, “आप क्या सोचते हैं, बीरबल?”
बीरबल एक पल के लिए चुप रहे, और फिर कहा, “हुजूर, उसे मिठाई दी जानी चाहिए!”
“क्या बकते हो, बीरबल? क्या तुम जानते हो कि तुम क्या कह रहे हो? ”
बीरबल ने विनम्रता से जवाब दिया, हुजूर, “मैं पागल नहीं हूँ, ! और मुझे पता है कि मैं क्या कह रहा हूँ! ”
अकबर ने क्रोध में पूछा, ” फिर तुम ऐसा सुझाव कैसे दे सकते हो कि जो व्यक्ति मेरी मूछों को खींचता है मुझे उसे दंडित करने की बजाय उसको इनाम देना चाहिए” बीरबल ने फिर से विनम्रता से जवाब दिया, “क्योंकि, हुजूर, ऐसी गुस्ताखी आप के पोते के अलावा कोई नहीं कर सकता है।”अकबर, बीरबल के इस जवाब से बहुत खुश हुए और अपनी अंगूठी उतारकर बीरबल को इनाम के रूप में दे दी।

Akbar Birbal ki Kahaniya #19

बकरे का दूध


एक बार बादशाह ने बीरबल से कहा कि बीरबल हमारी बेगम को कुछ दिन से सिर में दर्द रहता है| किसी ओझा ने इसकी दवा बनाने के लिए बकरे का दूध मांगा है| इसलिए कहीं से भी जाकर बकरे का दूध लेकर आओ|
बीरबल समझ गया कि ओझा ने बादशाह को मूर्ख बनाया है| घर जाकर बीरबल ने अपनी लड़की को समझाया और वह तुरंत ही रात्रि के समय बादशाह के महल के पास नदी में कपड़े धोने लगी| बादशाह ने उस लड़की को देखकर कहा:- अरे! तुम तो बीरबल की लड़की हो|
तुम इतनी रात को यहां क्या कर रही हो?
लड़की ने कहा:- जी हजूर, मैं बीरबल की लड़की हूं| अभी शाम को ही बीरबल के पेट से बच्चा पैदा हुआ है और मैं उन्हीं के कपड़े धो रही हूं|
बादशाह ने कहा:- लड़की क्या तू पागल हो गई है? कहीं मर्द के पेट से भी बच्चा होता है|
लड़की ने कहा:- तो हजूर कहीं बकरा भी दूध देता है|
लड़की की यह बात सुनते ही बादशाह समझ गए और उसे इनाम देकर विदा किया|

Akbar Birbal Kahani #20

चालाक औरत


एक बार एक औरत किसी आदमी से झगड़ती हुई और रोती हुई बादशाह के सामने आकर कहने लगी कि इस आदमी ने मेरा सारा जेवर छीन लिया है| बादशाह ने इस केस की जांच बीरबल को सौंप दी| बीरबल ने दोनों को अपने पास बुलाया और पहले उस औरत से पूछा:- क्या शिकायत है तुम्हारी? हुजूर इस आदमी ने मुझे पकड़ा, पीटा और मेरा सारा जेवर छीन लिया| बीरबल ने उस आदमी की तरफ देखा| फिर उस आदमी से पूछा, क्या तुमने इस औरत के जेवर छीने हैं?
नहीं सरकार, यह औरत एकदम झूठी है| मैंने इसके जेवर नहीं छीने हैं| बीरबल ने गुस्से में कहा:- तुम झूठ बोल रहे हो| तुमने ही इस महिला के जेवर छीने है| ‘जी नहीं हुजूर’ मैं सच बोल रहा हूं| बीरबल ने फिर पूछा:- ‘सच सच बता दो’|
मैं सच कहता हूं, हुजूर, मैंने इसके जेवर नहीं छीने है| बीरबल ने औरत से पूछा:- ‘कितने मूल्य का जेवर था तुम्हारा’|
हुजूर कम से कम 500 रुपए का है| बीरबल ने कहा:- चलो कोई बात नहीं यह आदमी तुम्हें 500 रुपए दे देगा| बीरबल ने उस आदमी को धमकाते हुए कहा:- इस महिला को 500 रुपए दे दो| उस आदमी ने घबराकर उस औरत को 500 रुपए दे दिए|
वह औरत 500 रुपए लेकर चल पड़ी| वह बहुत खुश थी| जब वह चली गई तो बीरबल ने उस आदमी से कहा:- ‘उस औरत के पीछे पीछे जाओ और 500 रुपए छीन कर ले आओ’|
वह आदमी बीरबल का मुंह देखने लगा| बीरबल ने कहा:- ‘देखते क्या हो, जाओ छीन लाओ’| यह सुनकर वह आदमी चला गया| थोड़ी देर बाद ही वह औरत उस आदमी को खींचते हुए लेकर आई और रोते हुए बताना शुरू किया|
यह फिर से मेरे पैसे छीन रहा था|छीन तो नहीं लिए? बीरबल ने पूछा| नहीं हुजूर, यह छीन नहीं सका, लेकिन इसने छीनने की बहुत कोशिश की| मैं इसे पकड़कर आपके सामने लाई हूं| इसे सजा दीजिए| सजा तो जरूर देंगे लेकिन इसे नहीं, सजा तुम्हें मिलेगी| वह औरत घबरा गई|
बीरबल ने कहा:- इस व्यक्ति ने तुम्हारे जेवर नहीं छीने हैं| तुम झूठ बोल रही हो| जो आदमी तुमसे 500 रुपए नहीं छीन सकता है, भला वह तुम्हारे शरीर से तुम्हारे जेवर कैसे उतरवा सकता है| तुम्हें इस झूठ की सजा जरूर मिलेगी| पहले इस आदमी को उसके 500 रुपए वापस दे दो
और 500 रुपए जुर्माने के भी देने पड़ेंगे| वह औरत रोने लगी और बीरबल के पैरों में गिर गई| ‘मुझे माफ कर दीजिए हजूर’| बीरबल को दया आ गई और उसने उस औरत से 500 रुपए लेकर उस व्यक्ति को दे दिए और उस औरत को शर्मिंदा करके छोड़ दिया|

Akbar Birbal Stories in Hindi #21

हर वक्त कौन चलता है


एक दिन बादशाह ने दरबारियों से पूछा कि हर समय कौन चलता है?
उत्तर में किसी ने सूर्य, किसी ने पृथ्वी तथा किसी ने चंद्रमा आदि को बताया| बादशाह ने यही प्रश्न बीरबल से पूछा, तो बीरबल ने उत्तर दिया:- ‘जहांपनाह! महाजन का ब्याज हर समय चलता है| इसे कभी भी थकावट महसूस नहीं होती| यह दिन दुगना और रात चौगुना वेग से चलता रहता है’| बादशाह को बीरबल का यह उत्तर पसंद आया|