Tenali Raman and the Great Pundit

The court of Vijayanagara was famous for its wisdom. One day, a very proud Pundit (scholar) arrived from a faraway land. He walked with his nose in the air and carried hefty books under his arms.

He challenged King Krishnadevaraya: “I have debated scholars all over the world. I have mastered every scripture, every language, and every philosophy. I challenge your court! is there anyone here who can defeat me in a debate?”

The King looked at his royal priests and scholars. They whispered among themselves. They were terrified. They had heard of this Pundit’s fame—he was indeed unbeatable in arguments. No one stood up. The King was worried. If no one accepted the challenge, the kingdom’s reputation would be ruined.

Then, Tenali Raman stood up. “I accept the challenge,” he said casually.

The Pundit laughed. “You? A court jester?”

“Yes,” said Tenali. “But I will not debate on ordinary topics. We shall debate on the great scripture known as… ‘Tilakashta Mahisha Bandhana’.”

The Pundit froze. He racked his brain. He had read thousands of books. He knew the Vedas, the Puranas, the Upanishads. But he had never heard of ‘Tilakashta Mahisha Bandhana’. What profound philosophy could it be?

If he admitted he didn’t know it, he would be defeated instantly. “I… uh…” the Pundit stammered. “I need one night to reflect on this complex topic. We shall debate tomorrow.”

“Agreed,” smiled Tenali.

That night, the Pundit could not sleep. He searched through all his scrolls. No mention of the book. Terrified that he would be humiliated the next day, the “great” scholar packed his bags and ran away from the kingdom in the middle of the night.

The next morning, the court assembled. The Pundit was missing! The King was relieved but also curious. “Tenali,” the King asked, “What is this ‘Tilakashta Mahisha Bandhana’? I have never heard of it either. Is it a rare ancient text?”

Tenali called his servant. “Bring the bundle,” he ordered. The servant placed a small bundle wrapped in cloth on the floor. Tenali untied the knots.

Inside, there was a small pile of dried sesame sticks and a thick rope.

The whole court stared. “What is this?” asked the King.

“This, Your Majesty,” Tenali explained, holding up a stick, “is ‘human sesame’ which is called Tila in Sanskrit. The bundle of sticks is Kashta. So, ‘Tilakashta’.” He then held up the rope. “And this is a rope used to tie a buffalo. Buffalo is Mahisha, and tying is Bandhana. So, ‘Mahisha Bandhana’.”

“Put them together,” Tenali grinned, “and you have Tilakashta Mahisha Bandhana—a bundle of sesame sticks and a buffalo rope!”

The King burst into laughter till tears rolled down his cheeks. The fearsome scripture was nothing but a bundle of dry sticks and a rope! The proud Pundit had been scared away by his own fear of the unknown.

Tenali was rewarded with a necklace of pearls for saving the kingdom’s honor with his quick wit.

Moral of the Story: Confidence and presence of mind can defeat even the most learned pride.

Moral of the Story: Common sense and confidence are often greater than bookish knowledge.