22 - Slow Cooker

Summary

In this episode of 'Stories from India,' host Narad Monei narrates a tale from the world of Akbar and Birbal. The story revolves around a bet where Birbal finds a man, Bahadur, willing to stand in a freezing pond overnight for a reward. However, the king disputes the win due to perceived cheating. The episode also touches on the lesser-known sister of Ram and Lakshman, Shanta, and her role in resolving a kingdom's drought. The podcast promises an upcoming episode featuring a tale of a magical cow and a bowl, linked to the festival of Brahma.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The podcast 'Stories from India' features myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by Narad Monei, a character with eternal life and omniscience.
• 🎭 The host, Narad Monei, is a traveling musician and storyteller who discusses historical and mythical stories through a podcast format.
• ❄️ The episode revolves around a story where Emperor Akbar bets that no one can stand in a freezing lake all night, a challenge that Bebel, his minister, accepts.
• 💡 Bebel finds a poor and desperate man named Bahadur who agrees to stand in the pond for the reward of 1,000 gold coins, a significant amount in that era.
• 🌡 Bahadur manages to stay in the water all night by focusing on a distant street lamp, which Akbar later deems as cheating, leading to a dispute.
• 🤔 Bebel uses the situation to teach Akbar a lesson about empathy and the technicalities of their agreement, highlighting the moral dilemmas in their bet.
• 🔥 In a twist, Bebel then demonstrates a point about thermodynamics by cooking breakfast incorrectly, hanging a pot too far from the flame, to illustrate a point to Akbar.
• 💬 Akbar is forced to concede and pay the 1,000 gold coins to Bahadur after Bebel's clever demonstration of principles of heat transfer.
• 📚 The podcast also mentions a character named Shanta, the sister of Ram and Lakshman, who is lesser-known and has a unique backstory.
• 🎶 The podcast is supported by music from Purple Planet, and the host encourages listeners to follow on social media and subscribe for updates.
• 🐄 Upcoming episodes will feature stories about a magical cow and a bowl that can produce food, as well as a festival related to Brahma, the Creator.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about myths, legends, and folk tales from India, hosted by a character named Narad Moneie who is a mythological character with the gift of eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

What is the profession of the host of 'Stories from India'?

The host, Narad Moneie, is a traveling musician and a storyteller by profession.

What is the main theme of the story discussed in this particular episode?

The main theme of the story in this episode is about a bet between Emperor Akar and his courtier Bebel, involving a man named Bahadur standing in a cold pond all night and the concept of 'slow cooker' in medieval India.

Who is Bebel in the story?

Bebel is a minister in Emperor Akar's court, known for his intelligence and ability to solve seemingly unsolvable problems.

What is the significance of the street lamp in the story?

The street lamp is significant because Bahadur, who was supposed to stand in the cold pond, used the warmth of the distant street lamp in his imagination to keep himself warm and endure the cold.

Why did Emperor Akar refuse to give Bahadur the reward?

Emperor Akar refused to give Bahadur the reward because he believed Bahadur cheated by using the warmth of a street lamp to keep himself warm instead of bearing the cold.

What is the term 'Bahadur' associated with in the story?

The term 'Bahadur' is associated with a daredevil or someone who takes on a daring challenge, in this case, standing in a cold pond all night.

What is the name of the sister of Ram and Lakshman mentioned in the script?

The sister of Ram and Lakshman mentioned in the script is Shanta, who is not well-known and does not appear in most versions of the Ramayana.

Why was Shanta given up for adoption?

The script does not specify the exact reason why Shanta was given up for adoption, only mentioning that she was adopted by King Lad.

What is the connection between Shanta and Rishi Shringa?

Shanta was sent to Rishi Shringa by King Lad in hopes that she would impress him and convince him to help the kingdom, which eventually led to her marrying Rishi Shringa.

What is the source of the music used in the podcast?

The music used in the podcast is from Purple Planet, as mentioned at the end of the script.