Krishnadevaraya, the king of Vijayanagara, was one of the greatest warriors. Once he had to lead his army in a battle and accordingly all the preparations for the war were completed. The king had faith in astrology and hence called his court astrologer to foretell about the outcome of the war. The astrologer after a careful study of his horoscope predicted his victory. He also advised the king to lead his army on a particular day and time. Tenalirama, was also present at that time. He was just listening the conversation between the astrologer and the King .The King turned towards Tenalirama and asked for his opinion.

Raman said ," I am a mere jester and I have only a very little knowledge about the war . I have not even witnessed any war. Hence, it will not be correct on my part to pass out any comment abruptly ".Then, the king asked Tenalirama to accompany him to the battlefield. At the battlefield, the king told Tenalirama to have a glimpse of the entire battlefield. After some time he asked Tenalirama about the probability of his victory. Tenaliraman observed the battlefield and assessed the strength of both the sides. He told the king that our enemies have got more elephants than us whereas we have more horses. They are agile and well trained. Hence, our victory is certain.

Tenaliraman approached the issue in a realistic way whereas the astrologer merely believed the stars only. The king fought bravely and won the war. He appreciated Tenaliraman's ability to observe, assess and recommend a suitable solution for a complex problem, and rewarded him suitably.