From: "vrnparker" Mailing-List: list vediculture@yahoogroups.com Date: Sat, 01 Jan 2005 02:43:13 -0000 Subject: [world-vedic] Astrologer outsmarted by Tenalirama Astrologer outsmarted by Tenalirama Tenalirama was the wise court-poet in King Krishnadevaraya's court. One day an astrologer came to King Krishnadevaraya's court. He said to the king, "Excellency, I come from the kingdom which is next to your Excellency's. I am a renowned astrologer. I can predict the future for anyone. If I am proved wrong by any of your men, then Your Excellency can punish me. Otherwise, if proved correct in my predictions, then Your Excellency will have to reward me suitably." King Krishnadevaraya agreed. But the king's courtiers were not willing to believe that the astrologer could predict the future because "an astrologer does not know his own future, then how can he predict anyone else's," they argued. Thus, one by one, the king's ministers came forward to ask some question or the other and the astrologer predicted correctly. They all had to accept defeat. Tenalirama was watching these proceedings with great interest. He decided to find out how correct the predictions of the astrologer could be. Taking a small stick in his hand, Tenalirama approached the astrologer to ask, "I carry this stick in my hand. Sir, can you predict correctly, if tomorrow, I will beat you with this stick or not?" The astrologer was deeply perturbed at this query. He thought to himself, `If I predict that he will not beat me, then he will definitely hit me tomorrow with his stick. If I say that he will do so, then also he will hit me with it. What shall I do now?' Turning towards King Krishnadevaraya, the astrologer begged, "Excellency, please forgive me. I accept defeat, because no matter what I predict, Your Excellency's court-poet is bound to beat me up. You have a very smart poet in Tenalirama." So saying, the astrologer made good his escape from the kingdom.