Tenali Raman and the Greedy Priest

In the kingdom of Vijayanagara, there was a temple priest who was notorious for his immense greed. Whenever townspeople invited him to their homes for a blessing, he would demand the finest delicacies, expensive silks, and heavy bags of gold. The poorer folks were growing tired of his selfish demands, but they were afraid to speak up.

When Tenali Raman heard about this greedy priest, he decided it was time to teach him a lesson he would never forget.

Tenali Raman approached the priest with a low bow. “Oh, Great Priest! Tomorrow is a very special day. I wish to invite you to my home for the grandest feast of the year. I have prepared thirty separate bowls of sweet pudding, spicy curries, and rich rice.”

The priest’s eyes lit up with extreme greed. The next afternoon, he arrived at Tenali’s house earlier than expected, his stomach rumbling in anticipation.

Tenali respectfully guided the priest to a beautiful dining mat. Then, Tenali brought out a massive silver tray, covered by a large dome, and placed it before the hungry priest.

Excitedly, the priest lifted the dome—but the tray was completely empty!

“What is the meaning of this insult?!” the priest yelled, his face turning red with anger. “Where is my grand feast?”

Tenali gently smiled and folded his hands. “Oh great, spiritual priest! As a man of the heavens, you are above mortal needs. The smell of the food I cooked right outside your window is so divine that a pure soul like you should feel completely stuffed just by breathing it in! The physical food is only meant for ordinary, low-minded fools like myself.”

The priest sat in stunned silence. He immediately realized Tenali was making fun of his endless greed. Deeply embarrassed to have been outsmarted, the priest left quietly and never demanded extravagant gifts from the townspeople ever again.

Moral of the Story: Greed often defeats itself. When people want too much, they sometimes end up with nothing at all.