“Ye, Aav, Ra, Bha Va”. and Tenali Ramakrishna

Once King Krishnadevaraya addressed an assembly of poets. He threw an open challenge to the poets that the person who would be able to convey the same meaning of five different letters in five different languages would be given bounteous gifts.

Tenali Ramakrishna pleaded with the king to permit him to answer the question. He also told the king to permit him to stay in the same village since it would be difficult for him to go to his village. He stayed at the house of his brother-in-law.

he was sleeping near the cow shed. Though he was lying down, he could not sleep.It was midnight time and the cow was delivering a calf. Ramakrishna calledHis brother-in-law at midnight night that cow is delivering but His brother-in-law asked “Ye, Aav, Ra, Bha Va”.

Tenali Ramakrishna went to the king and told him that he had found answer to the question. He said that Ye in Marathi meant come, Aav in Hindi meant come, Ra in Telugu meant come, Bha in Kannada meant come and Va in Tamil meant come. All these five letters convey the same meaning

he work the bounteous gifts