Tenali Raman’s Clever Trick for a Family Pension

After Tenali Raman’s daring escape from execution, he made his way home and hatched another clever plan to turn his predicament into an advantage. Knowing that the king believed him to be dead, Raman instructed his mother Lakshmamma and wife Mangamma to plead for support before King Krishnadevaraya.

The two women appeared at the royal court, their faces grief-stricken, and began lamenting loudly.

“Oh great king!” cried Lakshmamma, “You have taken away my son, the only breadwinner of our family. How am I, a helpless widow, supposed to survive now?”

Mangamma followed, sobbing, “Your majesty, you’ve made me a widow! Who will now provide for my young son and me? How can we live without Raman?”

Their heart-wrenching cries stirred compassion in the king’s heart. Filled with regret and pity, he consoled the two women and issued an immediate order.

“Give them 100 gold sovereigns each to help them survive this loss,” declared the king. “And from now on, provide them with a monthly pension of 20 gold sovereigns.”

Lakshmamma and Mangamma returned home with the gold coins and recounted their story to Raman. Upon hearing the king’s generosity, Raman burst into laughter.

“The bribe I paid to escape execution has now returned in full!” he exclaimed joyfully.

The three of them shared hearty laughter, marveling at how wit and strategy had turned a tragedy into a fortune.

Moral of the Story:
Resourcefulness and clever thinking can turn even dire situations into opportunities for success.