BLESSED BY GODDESS KALI
Karnataka, ruled by so many dynasties, had its golden period under the rule of King Krishna Dev Rai of Vijayanagara kingdom. He was brave and powerful, and exercised great control over his administration to keep his subjects happy and prosperous. He was also a great admirer of art, culture, and literature. And it was only under his rule that these things touched great heights of accomplishment.
King Krishna Dev Rai had eight wise ministers at his royal court, and were popularly known as eight diggajas* (eight elephants). Tenali Ramakrishna was one of these eight ministers at the royal court. He was mainly a jester and was loved and admired by King Krishna Dev Rai for his witty jests. But this was all with the blessing of goddess Kali that he became a jester and gained popularity.
The story goes thus---
There was a village 'Tenali' which had a big temple of goddess Kali on its outskirts. Ramakrishna, a Brahmin boy of Tenali village, used to come to this temple everyday to offer his worships to goddess Kali. He was a bright boy with sparkling eyes. He was soft-splken and well-behaved.
One afternoon, as he sat in meditation after having had bath in a nearby pond, a sage happened to pass by. He saw so young a boy sitting in meditation and was filled with admiration for him. He was greatly impressed. The sage came and sat quietly by his side.
He spoke to him after his meditation was over----
"O dear child! I am impressed indeed to see you meditating at this age. Is it that you come to this temple everyday?"
"Yes, Swamiji! I come here everyday," said Ramakrishna innocently.
"Do you have true reverence for goddess Kali?" asked the sage again.
"Yes, Swamiji! I do have. And I am also aware that she takes care of me," said Ramakrishna.
"If that be so, you must have seen her also," said the sage with a smile, pouring all his affection.
"No, Swamiji!" said Ramakrishna innocently. "She has never appeared before me," and then looking at the sage with curious eyes, he said, "Can I see her?"
"Of course you can, my child," said the sage still smiling. "Are you not a devotee of goddess Kali? Isn't she like a mother to you? All that you have to do, if you really wish her to appear before you, is to sit in meditation with full concentration for one whole night. Pleased with your devotion and worship she will appear before you and shower her kind blessings on you. Gods and goddesses never disappoint their true devotees. But you should not get frightened when you see her.
"But why should I get frightened to see her? She is like my mother. I offer my worships to her everyday," said Ramakrishna.
The sage was mighty pleased to hear the young Brahmin boy. "All right! I give you a mantra, continuous repetition of which, for one full night, will serve your purpose," saying this the sage left.
Ramakrishna was so resolute a boy with unshakeable faith that without caring to assuage his hunger and quench his thirst, he sat down in meditation the same night and began uttering the mantra given by the sage.
He was so lost in his prayer and repetition of mantra that he could not realise that the night was over and the sun had risen.
Suddenly he heard a sweet voice calling him---
"Ramakrishna! Ramakrishna! Open your eyes. See I am here before you, my child."
Ramakrishna opened his eyes and saw goddess Kali before him. But he never expected her to appear with a thousand faces. What he saw was the form of goddess Kali with a thousand faces, all having red and gleaming eyes; but she had only two arms.
Seeing goddess Kali, in such a strange form, made Ramakrishna burst into laughter. He was not at all frightened.
But Kali goddess became furious."Ramakrishna," she said, "What is it that makes you laugh? Do you have no fearing tissues? Are you not afraid of me?"
"O mother! Why should I be afraid of you? Are children supposed to be afraid of their mothers? Moreover, I am your devotee; I offer my worships to you everyday without fail, and with true reverence for you. There is no reason why I should be afraid of you," said Ramakrishna very innocently.
"I am aware that you are not afraid of me, but you owe me an explanation. Tell me what made you laugh at me," said goddess Kali.
"Mother! Your thousand faces and only two arms, a combination which is totally out of proportion, made me laugh," said Ramakrishna.
"Why do you find it out of proportion?" said goddess Kali.
"Because, you see mother, we have only one face and two arms; but when we have a running nose, it sometimes becomes very difficult to manage with two hands. And in your case, God forbid, if you catch cold and have a thousand running noses, it will become impossible for you to manage," said Ramakrishna with such simplicity that goddess Kali forgot her anger and began laughing.
The childlike innocence and simplicity of Ramakrishna filled goddess Kali with great affection for him.
"Ramakrishna! I am happy indeed. Your devotion for me, your simplicity and innocence has greatly impressed me. I grant you a boon and bless you to become a jester and make everyone laugh," said goddess Kali. "Go to Vijayanagar, which is ruled by King Krishna Dev Rai; present yourself at his court. From now you will be known as 'Vikatkavi'*."
Having blessed Ramakrishna goddess Kali disappeared.
Ramakrishna remained there for hours, lost in the thoughts of goddess Kali. It took him a long time to make himself believe that goddess Kali had actually appeared in physical form before him.
After some time he left the place and headed for Vijayanagara without knowing what the future had in its womb for him. But this was the instance that made a foundation for him to be known as 'Tenali Ramakrishna' or 'Tenali Ram' in future.
Source
Hilarious Tales of Tenalirama
'Kunwar'Anil Kumar
Keywords
Tenali Rama Stories in English
Blessed by Goddess Kali
Tenali Rama Story
Tenali Raman Stories
English Moral Stories
Moral Stories in English
Tenali Rama and Goddess Kali
Bedtime Stories
Inspirational Stories
Short Stories with Moral
Kids Learning Stories
Famous Tenali Rama Stories
Tenali Rama Tales
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