What is your answer?
Is it 8 or are you thinking about what could be the hidden representation of 12 and 4 in this question?
If the question is posed to a primary school student, the right answer would be 8. However, if it is posed to scholars such as those in the assembly of the great king Sri Krishnadevaraya, they must think about what the numbers could mean. Tenali Ramakrishna did exactly the same and correctly answered the King’s question.
[for the answer, scroll to the end of the article, but another important similar question and its answer before that…]
What is Ramayana?
Depending on who you are, the expected answer to the question varies. If you are a…
A child: It is the story of Rama and Sitha.
A young adult: It is the story of how a wrong-doer must be punished and how to practice righteousness.
A seeker of spiritual knowledge: It is the story of an a:thma, soul (ourselves). Sri Rama represents parama:thma, God. Mother Sitha represents a:thma, soul. When we commit a mistake (swayamkrutha aparaadham) or bad karma, we end up going away from God. Our natural state is to always be in union with God.
Ravana represents our manas, mind with 10 heads called the senses (external and internal senses). He troubles us [pushing us away from eternal happiness and attaching us to temporary pleasures]. He has one brother, Kumbhakarna who is ‘sleepy’. Another brother Vibheeshana gives good guidance but Ravana does not listen to him. Then, how can Sitha become free from him?
Rama Himself sends an acha:rya, a spiritual teacher represented by Hanuman. He crosses the ocean of samsa:ra, the ego and reaches to the seekers. He gives mother Sitha (ourselves, the seekers) chu:damani, a symbol that identifies God. Mother Sitha accepts it and firmly waits with belief that Rama will Himself come and that she will be reunited. If one focuses one’s manas, heart, only on Rama, He will get rid of Ravana, awarding you with His grace and His abode.
On this day of Dhana Thrayodasi, add this wealth of knowledge to your life and become prosperous in every way…
– From the discourse of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 23rdOct 2022,Dhana Thrayo:dasi
– Mancheriyal, Telangana
When an acharya initiates a seeker with pancha samskaras, the acharya is giving the seeker the identification of God. It then becomes our responsibility to keep faith in God and be fully focused and devoted to God alone. Note that devotion is a state of mind and how you lead your current life is a reflection of that devotion. What you do and do not, how you think and talk, what you say no to and choices you make are all a reflection of the knowledge given to you by your acharya about God.
The answer to the title question…
12 minus 4 = 0. Twelve here represents 12 months of a year. Four represent the rainy season of 4 months. When there are no rains, there is nothing else that we can hope for. There is no life in any other planet because there is no water. Hence, the answer expected by the king Krishnadevaraya is 0. As usual Tenali Ramakrishna wins the heart of the king.
Brilliant answer