In the Vijayanagara Kingdom, there was an arrogant woman named Vidhyulatha. She was immensely proud of her intelligence and skills,
In the Vijayanagara Kingdom, there was an arrogant woman named Vidhyulatha. She was immensely proud of her intelligence and skills, and she put up a large sign outside her house offering 1000 gold coins to anyone who could outsmart her wit and wisdom.
Many scholars and thinkers came to challenge her, but none were able to win. One day, a firewood seller arrived at Vidhyulatha’s house, shouting loudly to attract attention. When Vidhyulatha heard him, she asked him to sell her his firewood.
The seller replied that he would sell the firewood in exchange for a "handful of grain." Vidhyulatha agreed and asked him to place the firewood in her backyard. However, the seller insisted that she had not understood his terms correctly. He then said that if she could not pay him exactly what a "handful of grain" meant, she would have to take down her challenge board and give him 1000 gold coins.
Angry, Vidhyulatha accused him of speaking nonsense and insisted that she could not be defeated over such an ambiguous term. After hours of arguing, they decided to go to the provincial court.
The judge listened to Vidhyulatha’s side of the story and then asked the firewood seller for his explanation. The seller clarified that by "handful of grain," he meant a single grain that would fit in a hand. Since Vidhyulatha failed to understand this simple concept, she was considered defeated and was required to take down her challenge board and give 1000 gold coins to the seller.
The judge agreed with this ruling, and the matter was resolved. After Vidhyulatha removed her sign, she asked the seller who he really was, doubting that a simple firewood vendor could have outwitted her. At that moment, the man revealed his true identity—he was Tenali Rama in disguise! His aim was to teach the arrogant Vidhyulatha a lesson in humility.
The lesson to be learned: Humility is essential, regardless of your talents or achievements.
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