Tenali Rama and the Rare Brinjal
तेनाली राम की बुद्धि
The witty Tenali Rama uses clever tricks to feed his son a forbidden royal brinjal and escape punishment entirely.
In the great kingdom of Vijayanagara, the clever court jester and poet Tenali Rama was famous for finding his way out of impossible situations with nothing but his quick mind and quicker tongue.
One day, King Krishnadevaraya received a very special gift from a distant kingdom — a single extraordinarily rare brinjal plant. Its fruits were said to be the most delicious vegetable in the entire world, sweeter than a mango and richer than any spice. The king was delighted and had the plant placed in the royal garden with strict orders: no one — not a minister, not a guard, and certainly not a common citizen — was to touch those brinjals. The punishment would be severe.
Now, Tenali Rama happened to walk past the royal garden that day, and he spotted the extraordinary brinjal, deep purple and gleaming in the sunlight. He thought about his little son, who had been unwell and had hardly eaten for days. The child needed something that would tempt his appetite.
Tenali Rama looked left. He looked right. And then, with great care, he plucked one brinjal and took it home. His wife cooked it into a rich, fragrant curry, and his son ate a full bowl with great relish — the first proper meal in days. Colour returned to the boy's cheeks.
But the next morning, the head gardener noticed the missing brinjal and reported it to the king. Enquiries were made, and suspicion fell on Tenali Rama, who lived closest to the royal garden gate.
Tenali Rama was summoned to court.
The king looked at him sternly. "Tenali Rama. Did you steal a brinjal from my royal garden?"
The court fell silent. This was a serious matter.
Tenali Rama thought fast. He folded his hands respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I did not steal your brinjal. I merely borrowed it temporarily, and I fully intend to return it."
The king blinked. "Return a brinjal that has already been eaten? How?"
"Very simply, Majesty," said Tenali Rama without missing a beat. "I shall return it the moment the monsoon clouds return last summer's rain to the earth, and the rivers return the water they carried to the sea, and the bird returns the song it borrowed from the morning wind."
A confused silence filled the court — and then the king burst into laughter. The ministers laughed too, not entirely sure what he had said but understanding perfectly that they had just been completely outsmarted.
King Krishnadevaraya wagged his finger at Tenali Rama. "You terrible man. Very well — consider the brinjal a royal gift to your son's health. Now get out of my sight before you steal the throne itself."
And Tenali Rama walked out, bowing deeply, with the widest grin in the whole kingdom.
Moral of the story
Wit and quick thinking can turn any tricky situation around.
बुद्धिमान व्यक्ति कठिन से कठिन परिस्थिति से भी रास्ता निकाल लेता है।
