drama enacted by Ramakrishna and said, "Tell me the true reason for your
behavior. I have excused you, as you have made me laugh." Then Ramakrishna
narrated the entire story of his life.
On hearing his story, Krishnadevaraya said "Ramakrishna, there are
seven mighty scholars in my court. But there is yet a place for one who can
provide mirth and laughter. Accept the place, be our Comic Poet and one of the
eight famous Poets." So saying, the king honored Ramakrishna with the special
robes of his court.
Tenali Ramakrishna has attained fame as a great jester. He was equally a
great scholar and a poet. He was the author of one of the five great Telugu
classics 'Panduranga Mahathme' (The Greatness of Panduranga). A man who
composed poetry in the king's court and won such fame must indeed have been
a great scholar. He was also the author of 'Ghatikachala Mahathme'. It is said he
wrote 'Linga Purana', too. Ramakrishna was one of the advisers to
Krishnadevaraya. The king used to discuss problems with him. Thus
Ramakrishna had learning and sound common sense, and could also consider a
problem seriously.
But by nature Ramakrishna was a jester. He knew that laughter is a
powerful weapon and could be used to expose foolish pride and stupidity. That is
why many stories which highlight his love of humor have gained currency. Some
of them are of cheap and crude humor. It is difficult to believe either that a king
like Krishnadevaraya would encourage a buffoon of crude and vulgar tricks or
that the people would admire such a man. People who thought some stories
were humorous have connected Tenali Ramakrishna with them.
But there are several stories, which illustrate his resourcefulness, his
daring and his methods of teaching proud people a lesson. Some of them are
narrated below.
The Scholar from Kashi Humbled
