Tenal Ramakrishna - Sense of Humour

The Scholar from Kashi Humbled

Once a great scholar of Kashi came to Vijayanagar along with his disciples. He had toured North India and had defeated famous scholars in debates related to the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Shasthras. In Vijayanagar the king welcomed him as his guest.

The scholar entered the court with an air of importance. He said to the king, "Your Highness, I have heard that there are eminent scholars in your court. Let them argue with me. If I am defeated, I will surrender my titles to them. If they are defeated, they must accept me as their master and must admit it in writing."

The challenger's air of supreme confidence, the documents of victory he flaunted and his ringing tones filled the court scholars with dismay. Krishnadevaraya said to the scholar from Kashi, "Learned sir, let us have the contest tomorrow," and sent the scholar to the guesthouse. Then he sent for his scholars. He said, "Which of you is ready for this debate?"

The scholars were frightened by the man's airs and his titles and testimonials they bent down their heads in silence.

The king was furious. "So this is the worth of the scholars in my court!" he exclaimed and walked away. Then Ramakrishna said, "Why should we be alive if we cannot save the prestige of the king? I am ready for this task." At this, the other seven scholars gladly offered their titles to him and agreed to be the disciples of Ramakrishna.

Krishnadevaraya was surprised at the decision of Ramakrishna; but he made all the arrangements for the contest.

Next day, Ramakrishna entered the court in great splendor. He was wearing a Kashmir silk dhothi and a laced shawl. He displayed medals studded with precious stones. His forehead shone with vermilion and vibhuthi (sacred ash). Before him walked the seven great scholars proclaiming his greatness; behind them came Ramakrishna stepping on bricks of gold which the servants placed on the floor.

The scholar from Kashi was dumb -founded at the sight.

Ramakrishna was carrying a big book covered with laced silk. He put it on a desk, looked around and asked in an arrogant voice ': "Who is he, the scholar who wants to face me in a debate?" Ramakrishna's show had already astounded the scholar from Kashi; he stood up and said, I am the man."

The king indicated that the debate might begin. Forthwith Ramakrishna pointed his finger at the book on the desk and said, "Let us argue about this book known as 'Tilakashtamahishabandhana."

The opponent perspired in fear.

The books he had read were countless. But he had never heard of this book! He wanted to ward off the immediate blow. He said to Krishnadevaraya, "I remember to have read this book long ago. I shall study this book tonight and discuss it tomorrow." With this submission he withdrew to the camp with his disciples.

The scholar from Kashi spent the entire night thinking about the book. 'Tilakashtamahishabandhana' remained a riddle! He had never heard of that book! He was afraid he would be disgraced if he stayed, and left with bag and baggage that very night.

The news both surprised and delighted the king. He called in Ramakrishna and said to him: "if the very name of the book made the scholar from Kashi run away, it must be a mighty work. Well, let me see it." Ramakrishna removed the silk cover and replied, "Your Highness, this is no classic. Please look here is a small stick of the plant sesame this is 'Tilakashta’. Here is the rope to tie the buffalo with. That is the 'Mahisha bandhana'. I have just tied the sesame stick with the rope that is all! "On hearing this explanation Krishnadevaraya went into peals of laughter. In appreciation of Ramakrishna's Clever-ness he gave him a big prize. (In Sanskrit, 'tila' means sesame, 'kashta' means a stick, a buffalo is a 'mahisha', and 'bandhana' is that which binds.)

A Lesson to the Greedy

Ramakrishna earned the affection and the esteem of the king and the people. He was a comic poet and looked, like an ignorant man; but he was pious and on the side of justice. It injustice was done in the court or outside, he used his weapon of humor to set things right.

Krishnadevaraya's mother was a very orthodox woman. She had visited many holy places and had performed religious rites; she had given much in charity. She thought that if, in her old ages, she gave away fruits as gifts her charity would be perfect. She told her son of her desire.

Krishnadevaraya who had great respect for his mother immediately got delicious mangoes from Ratnagiri. But alas! On the auspicious day when she was to present those fruits to Brahmins, the king's mother died.

The religious rites connected with her death went on for several days. Meanwhile, the king called a few Brahmins and said, "My mother's last wish was to offer mangoes to Brahmins. But she died before the wish could be fulfilled.

What should I do now that she might earn the merit for giving away the fruits?"

The greedy Brahmins replied: "Your Highness, only if you offer mangoes made of gold to Brahmins will your mother's soul rest in peace."

Ramakrishna came to know of this. The next day he went to the houses of those Brahmins, and said, "My mother's ceremony is on the same day as that of the king's mother. Please come to my house straight from the palace."

The Brahmins came to Ramakrishna's house after receiving the mangoes of gold from the king. Ramakrishna's servants closed all the doors of the house. They brought red-hot iron bars and stood before the Brahmins!

The Brahmins were taken aback. Then Ramakrishna told them: "Venerable ones, my mother suffered from rheumatism. One day, unable to bear the pain, she called me and asked me to burn her skin with a red-hot iron bar; she said that would relieve her rheumatic pain. I could not disobey my mother's command. But before I could fulfill her last wish, she died. I want to burn your skin with these red hot iron bars so that her soul may have peace." He and his servants approached the Brahmins. The Brahmins began to cry and run about. They thundered at Ramakrishna: "How unjust! Ramakrishna, are we not your guests? Do you want to insult us?"

Ramakrishna replied: "There is nothing unjust in this. Have you not accepted golden mangoes from the king, to fulfill the last wish of his mother? In the same way is it not your duty to fulfill my mother's last wish?" Then wisdom dawned on the Brahmins. They felt ashamed of their greed and begged Ramakrishna to forgive them. They left golden mangoes in his house and went away.

Later, Krishnadevaraya asked Ramakrishna: "Why did you insult those Brahmins?" Pat came his reply: "Your Highness, the palace treasury should not be exploited by these selfish people; it is not there to feed lazy follows. It is there to serve the people."

How Does the Water Appear?

Ramakrishna was not afraid of the king, inspire of his patronage. He spoke the truth without fear and sometimes he taught the king himself a lesson.

Once Krishnadevaraya, accompanied by his eight scholars, went to inspect a newly built reservoir. Looking at the vast expanse of water, he put a question: "How does the water in this reservoir appear?"

One scholar replied: "This water appears like a pure-minded nymph!" Another said: "It is dazzling like a crystal!" the third one told the king: "The water appears like a serene man whose mind is spotlessly pure." When the king turned towards Ramakrishna, his answer was simple, "Your Highness, the water appears to be contained in the reservoir you built." He did not indulge in flattery and gave a simple, direct answer. The king praised him for his outspokenness.

Hide Your Head

One day, Ramakrishna was looking at colored pictures newly painted on the walls of the royal ladies' apartments. He saw the picture of a nymph. He thought she was scantily dressed. So, taking hold of the brush and colors, he made some changes.

The Chief Minister happened to go there just then. He exclaimed: "Ramakrishna, what a foolish thing you have done! You have daubed the picture specially painted under the king's own supervision! The king will be angry and will surely punish you severely. You had better hide your head somewhere."

The next morning, Krishnadevaraya was taken aback to see a person, whose face was covered with a mud pot, waiting at the door of the apartments.

The king asked: "Who are you? Why are you standing here with the face covered?"

"Ramakrishna replied: "Your Highness, I am Tenali Ramakrishna. I committed a small offence; the Chief Minister said you would have my head cut off and that I should hide my head. Therefore ..."

The Chief Minister narrated the incident to the king; he appreciated Ramakrishna's plan and forgave him.

Ramakrishna and his Family

Ramakrishna had a good wife. She knew her husband was generous, and adjusted herself to his ways.

The king got a big house built for Ramakrishna. In spite of this, usually Ramakrishna was short of funds. But he was a man of self-respect and he would never beg the king for money.

Occasionally Krishnadevaraya used to go about in the city in disguise at night. One night, he went to Ramakrishna's house and peeped through the window. He saw Ramakrishna sitting before a grinding stone, engrossed in powdering the grains! Touched by the poverty of Ramakrishna, he granted a raise in his monthly salary.

Ramakrishna's wife was a clever woman. Once a gang of thieves wanted to steal the little money and gold he had. They entered Ramakrishna's house and were hiding in the back yard. Ramakrishna sensed their presence and secretly informed his wife. Then they said to each other: "Thieves are active in the town. So let us hide our valuables in the well at the back of the house." The thieves heard their words clearly. Ramakrishna and his wife filled a trunk with stones and dropped it into the well with a splash, which the thieves could hear.

The thieves were convinced that the trunk contained the jewels. They wanted to get the trunk. The entire night they drew water from the well and poured it into the garden. All plants in the garden got plenty of water! Early next morning, Ramakrishna cried aloud, "Our plants have had enough water; you can stop now!" On hearing these words the thieves fled. Ramakrishna and his wife enjoyed their practical joke!

Ramakrishna had a son by name Bhaskara Sharma. He was as intelligent as his father.

It is said that he helped his father on several occasions to knock sense into the heads of vain people.

Ramakrishna's life fills us with wonder. He was yet a boy when he lost his father. Because of the narrow-mindedness of the teachers of the day he was denied education. By his own efforts he acquired education and attained fame as a scholar and poet in the court of Krishnadevaraya. He used humor to teach arrogant people a lesson. He corrected any one - a rich man or a learned man or a minister - who did wrong; he corrected even the king.

Life demands serious thought, it is true. But laughter, too, is necessary. Humor lightens the mind. But our object in laughing at others should not be to wound others; our object should be to correct them. Laughter should be gentle and friendly. Such was the humor of Tenali Ramakrishna.