Chapter 7 In the dawn,’ the lama went on more gravely, ready rosary clicking between the slow sentences, ‘came enlightenment. It is here … I am an old man … hill-bred, hill-fed, never to sit down among my Hills. Three years I travelled through Hind, but—can earth be stronger than Mother Earth? My stupid body […]
Everyone in Vijayanagara knew that Tenali Raman was the King’s favourite. The King gave him many gifts and rewards. So, they knew he must be quite rich. This was good news for all the thieves of the kingdom, because they thought his house would be full of money, jewels and costly gifts.Once a thief decided
It was a custom to have intellectual debates in courts. A ruler would organize such debates to see which scholars were most learned. The ashtadiggajas of Vijayanagara’s court were famous for this.One day, their fame reached the ears of Ramachandra Naidu of Talikota, who himself was a great scholar. He had defeated many well-known intellectuals
King Krishnadeva Raya was holding court. Suddenly, an old man came in leading five little boys. Everyone looked around at them. They were all strangers. And all the five boys seemed like brothers. They were of the same height and dressed alike.“Who are you, my good old man?” asked the King, “And who are these
Chapter 6 At moonrise the cautious coolies got under way. The lama, refreshed by his sleep and the spirit, needed no more than Kim’s shoulder to bear him along—a silent, swift-striding man. They held the shale-sprinkled grass for an hour, swept round the shoulder of an immortal cliff, and climbed into a new country entirely
Krishnadeva Raya was a good King. He often travelled through his kingdom to check on the conditions in which his subjects lived. He enjoyed being flattered sometimes, but he was not so foolish that he got carried away by flattery. He wanted to know the truth.During one of his tours of the kingdom, he asked
Vijayanagara was a very prosperous kingdom. Naturally, that created a lot of enemies around it. The Muslim Bahamani Kings attacked the kingdom for religious reasons. The Gajapatis of Odisha were jealous neighbours and wanted to extend their own kingdom. Vijayanagara was, therefore, always fighting off its enemies.The King often discussed the problems of the kingdom
Tatthacharya was the Rajaguru at the court. He was respected and liked. But not all his views were very sensible. Sometimes he said things which were quite foolish.One day he said, “The rich are more honest than the poor who need money. So, they steal and commit crimes more often.” None argued with him. But
Chapter 5 Kim coughed a little as he put down the empty glass, and considered. This seemed a time for caution and fancy. Small boys who prowl about camps are generally turned out after a whipping. But he had received no stripes; the amulet was evidently working in his favour, and it looked as though
The ministers, the ashtadiggajas and the Rajaguru were arguing one day about people finding fault with others, but not improving their own faults. The Rajaguru felt this was not true. Tenali Raman was silent.Meanwhile, an artist came in with a painting and showed it to the King and the courtiers. It was an exquisite painting
Krishnadeva Raya toured his kingdom to find out how things were going. Often Tenali Raman accompanied him. Once, travelling to Bijapur, he saw a lavish wedding in a rich landlord’s house. He stopped to watch for a while. Then he asked Tenali Raman, “How much do you think this fellow has spent on this wedding?”Tenali
Vijayanagara was a great centre for trade and commerce. Merchants came from many countries to carry on their businesses and also settle down in the prosperous kingdom of King Krishnadeva Raya. Often, they brought rare and costly gifts also for the King. Once the King received a very rare plant from a Persian merchant.He was
King Krishnadeva Raya was very fond of birds and animals. He loved to have pets around the palace. Most of his subjects knew of his interest in collecting exotic birds and animals.One day, a guard informed the court that a bird-catcher had come to present a strange bird to the King. The bird-catcher was called
The King always rewarded Tenali Raman for his amazing wisdom and also for the witty manner in which he could deal with the most difficult problems. One day, the King had rewarded him richly with varahas. The courtiers watched in jealous silence as Tenali Raman gratefully accepted a large plate loaded with gold coins. Now,
Several stray dogs sat outside the sweet shop hoping that some kind person would give them something to eat. They wagged their tails and looked friendly whenever anyone walked by.One day, Tenali Raman came to buy sweets at the shop. He saw the dogs outside and, being a kind person, he patted one of them