Raman of Tenali

The triumph of the little man over the mighty is a recurring theme in literature. Sometimes he does it with a sling and stone, but more often, like Tenali Raman, with nimble wit. He was a Telugu poet and the court jester of Krishnadeva Raya, (1509-1529), the emperor of Vijayanagara. Tenali Raman was the Birbal of the South and many stories which have passed into folk, lore, are attributed to him. Some of these have been obviously invented to show his ready wit, like the one about his encounter with the Goddess Kali.