Stories

Babar's heart of forgiveness

The Mogul Emperor Babar was very kind, very generous and very powerful. Once, while he was away from his kingdom, his step-grandmother instigated one of his cousins to stand against Babar. This particular cousin made friends with the chief of the army and a few important figures in the capital.

When Babar tried to return to his kingdom, his whole army fought against him. They wouldn’t allow Babar to come back. But Babar had quite a few followers outside his kingdom, and they helped him to fight against his own people. Babar was so great, so powerful, that eventually he won the battle.

And then what happened? Babar went and knelt down before his step-grandmother. He said to her very kindly, very politely, “I don’t hold anything against you. If a mother likes one of her sons more than another son, what can the other son do? He should not feel miserable. It is up to the mother to love equally, which the mother should do. But if the mother does not love all her children equally, the ones that are not in favour must not feel sorry. They should still have the same love for their mother as the ones who stand high in her favour. So I don’t hold anything against you’ You have done the right thing according to your light. Now let me have peace of mind.” So he placed his head on her lap, and fell asleep.

A few hours later Babar woke up and he saw in front of him the main culprit, his cousin. He had been arrested and was brought to Babar by Babar’s loyal followers. But Babar again very kindly and politely showed his heart’s magnanimity.

He said to his cousin, “You are at perfect liberty either to stay with me the rest of your life or to leave my kingdom. If you leave my kingdom, if you want to live elsewhere, I will meet with your expenses. If you want to stay here as before, you can freely stay. I feel no ill will towards you at all.”