Tenali Raman and the Brinjal Curry is a classic court story that reveals how intelligence can defeat flattery in the royal palace of King Krishnadevaraya.
One afternoon in the royal palace of Vijayanagara, the king was enjoying a grand feast. Among all the dishes served that day, one item stood out — a rich, aromatic brinjal curry prepared with royal spices.
King Krishnadevaraya tasted it and smiled with delight.
“This,” he declared, “is the finest dish I have eaten in months!”
The ministers quickly agreed.
“Yes, Majesty!”
“Absolutely wonderful!”
“Nothing can match this brinjal curry!”
Tenali Raman also praised the dish warmly.
“Your Majesty,” he said, “brinjal truly is the king of vegetables.”
The king laughed happily.
The Sudden Change
A few days later, the royal cook made the same brinjal curry again.
But this time, something went wrong. Perhaps the spices were uneven, or the vegetables were not fresh. The taste was disappointing.
The king frowned after the first bite.
“This is terrible! Who said brinjal is a good vegetable? It is the worst of all!”
Immediately, the ministers changed their tone.
“Yes, Your Majesty, brinjal is indeed useless.”
“It should never be served again.”
“It is an overrated vegetable.”
Tenali Raman quietly observed the scene.
Just days ago, these same ministers had praised brinjal as the greatest vegetable. Now they were insulting it without hesitation.
Tenali Raman Speaks
The king suddenly looked at Tenali Raman.
“What do you say, Tenali? Is brinjal good or bad?”
Without missing a beat, Tenali Raman bowed and replied:
“Your Majesty, brinjal is both wonderful and terrible.”
The court gasped.
“How can that be?” the king demanded.
Tenali smiled calmly.
“Brinjal is wonderful when Your Majesty likes it.
And brinjal is terrible when Your Majesty dislikes it.”
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the king burst into laughter.
The ministers lowered their heads in embarrassment.
The Lesson Behind the Humor
The king understood what Tenali Raman had cleverly pointed out.
The ministers were not loyal to truth — they were loyal to approval.
Tenali Raman had not insulted anyone directly.
He had simply reflected reality in a way that no one could deny.
From that day, the king became more careful about the flattery in his court.
🌟 Moral of the Story : Tenali Raman and the Brinjal Curry
True wisdom lies in honesty, not blind agreement.
Flattery may please leaders, but truth earns respect.
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