Tenali Raman and the Golden Mangoes

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uring the glorious reign of King Krishnadevaraya in Vijayanagara, the royal court was filled with learned scholars, brave warriors, and wise ministers. But among them all, one man stood out Tenali Raman, known for his quick wit and intelligence. He was loved by the king and feared by the dishonest, for his cleverness could expose any lie.

One summer afternoon, as the court sat discussing matters of the kingdom, a wealthy priest named Somayaji entered the royal hall. He was famous for conducting grand religious ceremonies and was known to flatter rich people to earn gifts and gold. With a loud and

confident voice, he greeted the king, “Long live King Krishnadevaraya! May your kingdom shine forever!”

The king smiled. “Welcome, Somayaji. What brings you here today?”

The priest bowed deeply. “Your Majesty, I have come to propose a most auspicious idea. Tomorrow is a sacred day —perfect for a special puja that will bring great fortune to you and your empire. But the ceremony requires pure golden mangoes as offerings to the gods.”

“Golden mangoes?” The king raised an eyebrow. “What kind of mangoes are those?”

The priest replied with a sly smile, “Oh, not real mangoes, my lord — but golden mangoes made of pure gold. Each one must weigh at least one hundred grams, and there should be four in total. Only such an offering can please the gods.”

The king was a deeply religious man. He believed in good omens and blessings for his people. Without thinking too much, he agreed. “Very well, Somayaji. You shall have your golden mangoes tomorrow morning.”

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enali Raman, who was sitting nearby, listened quietly. He knew the priest was trying to trick the king. The idea of golden mangoes was absurd it was just a way to collect gold under the name of religion.

But Tenali also knew that if he openly opposed the priest, it might look disrespectful to the king’s faith. So, he decided to teach Somayaji a lesson in his own clever way.

That evening, Tenali visited the royal goldsmith and requested him to make four golden mangoes, each carefully shaped and polished. He paid the goldsmith from his own pocket.

The next morning, when the ceremony began, the priest appeared dressed in fine silk robes and wearing heavy jewels. He chanted mantras loudly, making a great show of devotion. The king sat respectfully, watching the ritual.

When the time came to offer the mangoes, the priest extended his hands eagerly. “Now, Your Majesty, please give the golden mangoes as the sacred offering.”

The king nodded to his guards, who brought a small tray covered with red silk. But when the cloth was lifted, everyone gasped  the tray was empty!

The king looked confused. “Where are the golden mangoes?”

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efore anyone could answer, Tenali Raman stepped forward holding a small box. “Your Majesty, I took the liberty of preparing the offering myself. Here are the golden mangoes you promised.”He opened the box inside were four beautifully crafted golden mangoes, shining brightly under the sunlight. The entire court admired their craftsmanship. The priest’s eyes widened with greed. “Excellent! Excellent! These will surely please the gods,” he said, rubbing his hands in delight.

But Tenali wasn’t finished yet. He smiled and said, “Somayaji, you are a holy man. You know that such a powerful offering must be completed properly. According to our ancient texts, after offering golden fruits, one must also perform daan (charity) to the poor and feed the hungry.”

The priest hesitated but quickly replied, “Yes, yes, of course. The king will surely do that.”

Tenali nodded. “But I have read that the person conducting the ritual  that is, you, Somayaji  must lead by example. You must first give charity before accepting any gift.”

The priest’s face turned pale. “Me? But I am only a humble priest, not as rich as the king!”

Tenali smiled. “Then surely the gods will be even more pleased with your sacrifice. After all, what is true devotion without selflessness?”

The court burst into laughter, and even the king struggled to hide his smile. The priest stammered, “Uh… I… I will perform my charity later.”

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enali quickly said, “No, no, Somayaji. Let us not delay such a holy act. In fact, I have already arranged for it. The poor and the needy are gathered outside the palace gates, waiting for your generous donation.”

The priest looked trapped. The king turned to him and said gently, “Yes, Somayaji. Go ahead. Show us the true spirit of devotion.”

Realizing there was no escape, the priest reluctantly took out a few gold coins from his pouch and gave them away. But Tenali wasn’t done yet. “Such a small offering for the gods’ messenger?” he said teasingly. “Surely, a man as learned as you can give more.”

The priest glared at him but dared not speak against the king’s favorite. Gritting his teeth, he gave away more coins until he was left with almost nothing.

Finally, Tenali said, “Now, Somayaji, your devotion has been proven pure. You may take these golden mangoes as your reward.”

The priest, still panting from anger and embarrassment, muttered, “Thank you, Your Majesty,” and quickly left the court.When he was gone, the king laughed heartily. “Raman, I understood your plan from the beginning! You wanted to expose his greed without insulting him openly.”

Tenali bowed. “Your Majesty, devotion is sacred. But greed hides behind many disguises  sometimes even behind holy robes. It is our duty to protect faith from the greedy.”

The king nodded. “Indeed, Raman. You have once again saved the dignity of our court — and perhaps the gold of our treasury too!”

The whole court applauded Tenali Raman’s cleverness. From that day on, no greedy priest dared to trick the king again. Word spread far and wide about how the witty Raman turned the tables on a cunning man.

Moral of the Story

True devotion and faith cannot be bought with gold or gifts. Greed disguised as religion is the worst form of hypocrisy.