Long before he became the famous jester of Vijayanagara, Tenali Rama was simply Ramalinga, a poor young man from the village of Tenali. People said he was lazy, but the truth was that his quick mind had never found its chance.
One day a wandering sage saw the spark in the boy's eyes. “Go to the temple of Goddess Kali outside the village,” he told him. “Recite the mantra I teach you three million times in a single night, and the Mother herself will appear.” Most people would have trembled at the thought of the fierce goddess. Ramalinga went that very night, sat before the idol, and recited the mantra with full devotion till the darkest hour.
Suddenly the temple blazed with light, and Goddess Kali appeared in all her power — with countless faces and flashing eyes. And what did Ramalinga do? He looked at her... and burst out laughing!
“You laugh at ME?” thundered the goddess. Ramalinga folded his hands. “Forgive me, Mother. I only thought — when my one nose catches a cold, my two hands struggle to manage it. When YOUR thousand faces catch a cold together, how do only two hands cope? The thought was too funny to hold in.”
For a moment there was silence. Then the great goddess laughed too, till the temple bells rang by themselves. “You will live by laughter, child,” she said. “You shall be a vikata kavi — a jester-poet — and kings will treasure you.” Then she held out two golden bowls. “In my right hand is the milk of wisdom. In my left, the curds of wealth. Choose one and drink.”
Ramalinga thought fast. “Mother, how can I choose without tasting?” he pleaded — and before she could answer, he snatched both bowls and drank them down, first the milk, then the curds!
“Such cheek!” cried Kali, hiding a smile. Ramalinga bowed low. “Mother, wisdom without wealth goes hungry, and wealth without wisdom goes astray. Only together are they a blessing — so how could I leave either behind?”
Pleased with his fearless wit, the goddess blessed him with both. And that is how a poor boy of Tenali set out for the court of King Krishnadevaraya, armed with nothing but wisdom, wit, and Kali's laughing blessing.