The Greatest Man

Krishnadeva Raya was a good King. He often travelled through his kingdom to check on the conditions in which his subjects lived. He enjoyed being flattered sometimes, but he was not so foolish that he got carried away by flattery. He wanted to know the truth.
During one of his tours of the kingdom, he asked Tenali Raman, “Who is the greatest man, Raman?”
“You, of course, Sir,” replied Tenali Raman immediately. “You rule the great Kannada kingdom and are known to be the greatest king of the Deccan too.”


“And what is greater than I, then?” asked the King.
“Your kingdom, Sir. It stretches from Goa to Cuttack and from the Raichur Doab to the ocean in the south. Only Vijayanagara could be greater than you.”
Pleased with this, the King asked, “And what could be greater than Vijayanagara and its King, Tenali Raman?”
“I will show you, Sir, as we go along,” said Tenali Raman. So, the King rode further. Shortly, they came upon a peasant digging a well. He did not see the King and his entourage, so he carried on with his work.


“Sir, this man is greater than you and Vijayanagara,” said Tenali Raman pointing to the peasant.
“Why do you say that?” enquired the King.
“Sir, he is extremely poor, but there he is digging a well, not only for himself, but for all the people of his village. He has something to give to others and he is concerned about their welfare. Only a man who lives and works not only for himself but also for others can be truly great, Sir,” said the wise Tenali Raman.


The King was moved deeply and he looked at his friend with love and gratitude. This was a lesson he was never going to forget. As a King, his first and last task would be to work for the welfare of his subjects. His own pride and possessions were not so important. When they rode away from there, the King was already planning new things to do that would help his people.

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