Tenali Rama: Mahabharat and Delhi Sultan’s wish

Once, Raja Krishnadeva Rayalu was invited by Adil Shah, the Sultan of Delhi to settle the ongoing conflict that was going on between the two regions.

Hoping to prevent unnecessary bloodshed and re-establish peace, Rayalu headed for Delhi with his team of poets, dancers and scholars. At Delhi, Adil Shah gave a red carpet welcome to Rayalu. During the amicable rounds of discussions, Krishnadeva Rayalu's poets recited some sequences from the epic Mahabharat. Adil Shah was immensely impressed to hear the verses from the epic and requested Rayalu to make his men rewrite the Mahabharat, portraying him and his friends as Pandavas and his rivals as Kauravas.

King Krishnadeva Rai was shocked to hear such a strange demand from the Sultan.

He was worried that if his men failed to meet the Sultan’s demand, he might declare a war on Vijaya Nagar. Seeing his king worried, Tenaliram promised him to handle the situation in the most prudent way possible. The king was certain that Tenaliram would cope with the intricate state of affairs wisely, and hence he granted him the permission to deal with the Delhi Sultan directly.

Next morning, Tenaliram sought permission to meet the Sultan in private. He presented himself before the Sultan and requested him with folded hands, “His Highness! It was our pleasure to know about your interest in our ancient texts. The best of our writers and poets are busy composing the new Mahabharat, but there is one place where we have got stuck and wish to seek your guidance.”

The Sultan said, “Speak up, poet! What do you desire of me?”

Tenaliram said, “Jahanpanah! You are being portrayed as Dharmaraja, eldest of Pandavas and your friends as Bheema, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. But, as you know all the five were married to Draupadi and were sharing her equally. Who, amongst the royal family, should be described as her?”

The Sultan most certainly did not want his royal Begum to be equated with Draupadi and hence, ordered Tenaliram to stop re-writing the Mahabharata with immediate effect.

Everyone including Rayalu appreciated the sharp intelligence and presence of mind that Tenaliram had displayed in solving a tough problem just like that.