THE festival of Dussehra has since long been celebrated with pomp and splendour in the erstwhile Mysore state, now known as Karnataka. On one particular Dussehra day, King Krishnadveva Raya decided to hold a debate to celebrate the occasion. Sage Vallabhacharya, one of the most learned men in the country, was also invited to attend the meet. The Rajguru of Vijayanagar Empire very proudly got ready for the event as he was convinced that he alone would be declared the winner. As the day drew near, the Rajguru began to feel nervous as all kinds of doubts began to assail his mind.
Deeply troubled as the day drew nearer, the Rajguru decided to go and consult his friend Rangachari and inform him about his fears. Rangachari told him, “Friend, do not worry. You just get ready to participate in the debate and I well take care of the rest.”
When Dussehra day arrived, King Krishnadeva Raya found the Rajguru missing, though Vallabhacharya and the other learned persons had arrived. So he asked everyone in the court, “Where is the Rajguru? Why is he not here? Where has he gone? Go and fetch him and ask him to be here for the debate.”
When it was reported that the Rajguru was no not to be found anywhere, the king sent for his friend Rangachari to enquire about the whereabouts of the Rajguru. Rangachari came to the court and replied, “Your Majesty, the Rajguru’s brain has been itching since yesterday night and so he has been unable to come.”
The king was surprised to hear this and asked, “What is this disease called itching of the brain?”
Rangachari relied, “This disease occurs when a person thinks a bit too much.”
The king however was not convinced and reprimanded him for fooling on such a serious issue. At this Tenali Raman decided to intervene and said, “Your Majesty, this is a disease which can occur due to too much reading and thinking.”
The king became all the more angry and asked, “How do you know this? Tenali, I have never seen you do any reading, so how do you know about this disease?”
The court burst into peals of laughter. But Tenali Raman remained unperturbed and continued, “But Your Majesty, has Your Majesty ever seen the Rajguru do any reading or thinking?”
At this the court again burst into laugher, but the king reprimanded them, “This is no laughing matter. It is a serious issue.”
Tenali Raman piped in, “Your Majesty, this disease occurs when one thinks beyond one’s capacity.”
Rangachari spoke up, “Please do not make fun of the Rajguru, who is a learned man.”
Tenali Raman replied, “That is what he thinks about himself.”
Rajguru shot back, “The Rajguru is so capable that he can detect anyone’s negative traits in no time.”
Tenali Raman asked, “Then what about his own negative points?”
Rangachari replied, “I hold him in high regard.”
Tenali Raman replied, “After all, birds of the same feathers tend to flock together.”
Rangachari lost his temper at Tenali Raman and told him to stop arguing. He shouted, “No matter where he goes, the Rajguru is held in high regard and the others are shown respect only after him.”
At this Tenali Raman replied, “The hands are washed before the face. Does that make the hands more important than the face?”
Rangachari became red in the face and left the court in a huff.
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