PRIEST CHEATS RAMAN
After becoming a youth, Raman wished to please Krishnadevarayar, the emperor of Vijayanagaram. He wanted to be an inmate of the king’s durbar. ‘How can will become rich. On the other hand, the milk of I achieve this?’ he thought for a while. wisdom makes you wise and intelligent”, Goddess narrated its qualities. Raman used a trick. “How can I During this period, Raman got married and had a son. choose one, without tasting both?” By saying this, Raman Still he wished to become an inmate of the palace. drank and emptied the two pots of milk within seconds. Neither the family ties nor its burden bothered him.
At that time, the durbar priest of Vijayanagaram named Tathachary came to the Devi temple at Mangalagiri near Tenali. “How can I appease the priest ?” Raman thought. It is easy to become a member of the durbar if the priest helped, as the king revered the priest very much.
Raman approached Tathachary with this intention. But the priest was clever and cunning. ‘If Raman becomes a jester at the durbar, my fame and reputation will end,’ swamy thought. Moreover Raman had shown his poem titled “Lingapurana” to him.
The priest had other plans in his mind. ‘I can have all the works done by Raman, as long as I stay here. My old age prevents me to do all the works by myself. Let him stay with me at Mangalagiri. He can be fooled by offering a job in the palace’, Tathachary dreamed. Raman was ready to do any work for Swamy to become an inmate of the king’s durbar. So, he stayed with the priest and helped him in his day to day affairs. During his stay there, Raman had recited the poem ‘Ljngapurna’ to the priest. The priest became jealous of Raman. What an excellent poem! It contains a great poet’s wisdom and imagination. He congratulated Raman. ‘You are too good to be an inmate of the palace. The king will definitely like you’. Tathachary praised Raman but with dubious intention. Raman continued to serve the priest with dedication.
At last the day came for the priest to return. Tathachary shed crocodile tears and said, “I am grateful to your sincere service. As soon as I reach there, I will send a man to invite you to the palace. You just accompany him. I will manage the rest”. Raman sent the priest off, with tears in his eyes. He was relieved from tension. ‘I am going to become an inmate of the palace soon’, he dreamt. But nobody came to him as promised by the priest. He felt desperate. His long wait for the job was in vain.
Raman left for Vijayanagaram along with his wife and child. His aim was to seek a job in the palace. The journey was very difficult. He reached the priest’s house and informed the servant about his arrival. ‘I am Raman from Tenali. I want to see your master.’ The priest’s usher went inside and told about Raman’s arrival. But Tathachary’s reply was not favorable. ‘I don’t know any Raman from Tenali. I don’t want to see him’. When the usher informed this to Raman, he became furious. He rushed into the priest’s house and said, ‘I am Raman from Tenali. It was I who served you at Mangalagiri. I came here to remind you of your promise’. Tathachary could not tolerate the action of Raman. The angry priest ordered his servant to beat and push Raman out of the house. Raman felt sad and dejected. ‘He is a cheat. I will teach him a lesson, ‘ Raman vowed to take revenge.