Tenali Rama's Wit

Tenali Rama was the cleverest minister in the court of King Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. Once, the king asked his courtiers what the greatest thing in the world was. Some said mountains, others said the ocean, and some said the sky. Tenali Rama remained silent. The next day, Tenali Rama came to court carrying a small lamp. The king asked why he had brought it. Tenali said that the king had asked what the greatest thing was. The answer is darkness. Darkness is so vast it can cover the entire world. Yet a tiny lamp can defeat that darkness. The king then asked which was more powerful — darkness or light. Tenali replied that neither darkness nor light is the greatest. The greatest thing is knowledge. The lamp of knowledge dispels the darkness of the mind. The darkness of ignorance is the most terrible, and the light of knowledge is the most powerful. King Krishnadevaraya was delighted by Tenali's wisdom and rewarded him generously.