| Great Poets |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
TENALI RAMAKRISHNA |
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| 'Mother,
It Occurred To Me....' All of a sudden Ramakrishna began to laugh! Surprised at his queer behavior, Kali asked him, "Rama krishna, what are you doing?Even the mighty giants shudder when they see me. How dare you laugh at me?" Ramakrishna replied: "Mother, when I saw you with a thousand faces but only two hands, I remembered something and burst into laughter. Pray forgive me, Mother." Kalika Devi's curiosity was roused. She ordered him to explain what he had remembered to make him laugh. "Divine Mother! When we catch cold, we feel that two hands are insufficient to wipe our only nose. If, you catch cold will your two hands be enough to wipe your thousand noses? The thought made me laugh forgive me, I have been impudent." So saying, Ramakrishna again fell at her feet and stood up. The smile and the sense of humor of the boy pleased Kalika Devi. The boy had performed tapas but had now completely forgotten the very object of his tapas, and had spoken in such a light vein. The Goddess valid her fierce form and smiled. "Ramakrishna, you have made even me laugh! So you will master all learning. You will speak so as to suit the situation, attain fame as a great jester and make people laugh. You will be famous as the great humorist, the comic poet Ramakrishna" So spoke Kali and blessed him. This did not satisfy Ramakrishna. Doubts began to trouble him. 'Can the people of Tenali be made to enjoy humor? If I try, would that not be like casting pearls before swine? How can I, living in their midst, catch the king's eye?' These thoughts troubled him. Kali understood his doubts. She said with a smile: "My child, do not be worried. Go to the famous Vijayanagar Empire in the South. You will please the king and you will be appointed as the court poet. You have my blessings."So saying she disappeared. This is a popular story about Ramakrishna. This story is an answer to the question - how could a boy without formal schooling become a scholar? Who knows what truth there is in it? Later, in the king's court two gifts of Ramakrishna, namely his sense of humor and his courage, were amply exhibited. He could see the comic side of any situation. So he was able to see every situation from a new angle. The second quality was his courage. Even in grave danger he never lost heart and never gave way to despair. These two traits of Ramakrishna are in evidence in the story narrated above. |
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