Hunger for Success: Tenali Raman and His Horse

A shipload of horses from Persia was brought in by an Arab. Numerous members of King Krishnadevaraya’s court purchased the Arab’s horses.

Raman maintained that the Arabian horses were inferior to Vijayanagara’s. The ministers who bought the Arabian horses challenged Raman to demonstrate this point in a horse race.

The horses were trained with a lot of effort by the courtiers. The horses were fed well to ensure their strength and durability.

All the courtiers took their well-fed horses to a field on the day of the race. The horses had been ridden by well-trained jockeys.

Raman brought his slender and thin horse. He appeared to be starving as if he had not eaten in days. Raman declared that he would ride his horse himself.

The jockeys were positioned, and the horses were lined up. Raman sat on the horse that looked hungry. He was holding a long pole. He had attached a bundle of grass to one end of the stick.

Raman dangled the grass in front of the horse while holding the stick from the opposite end. The horse desired to acquire the food. He, therefore, ran quickly. The grass, however, was still out of his reach, regardless of how quickly he ran.

The horse continued to run faster until it reached the finish line and won the race. Raman gave his horse a warm embrace and fed it green grass. The king asked Raman how he had succeeded when he went to get the prize. “Only then will one succeed,” Raman stated, “one must have a hunger for success.”

Moral of Hunger for Success: Tenali Raman and His Horse Story

One must have a strong desire and hunger for success to achieve it. Hard work and dedication can help one achieve their goals, even if they do not have the same resources as others.