3 - Animal Hater 2

Summary

In 'Stories from India,' host Narad Monei, a mythological character with eternal life, narrates tales from Indian mythology. This episode features Tanali Raman, a cunning court jester in the 1500s Vijaynagaram kingdom, who cruelly starves a royal puppy to win a tail-straightening contest, only to outwit the king and priests with a fine-print trick. The episode also introduces Bakasur, a gluttonous demon, and promises future stories of animal wit and warrior prowess.

Takeaways

• 🎙️ The podcast 'Stories from India' explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India's diverse cultures.
• 👤 The host, Narad Mone, is a mythological character with the gift of eternal life, knowledge, and truth-speaking abilities.
• 📚 Each episode features a story from Indian mythology and a 'Character of the Week' segment.
• ⚠️ The podcast includes a disclaimer about cruelty to animals in the story of Tanali Raman.
• 🐕 The story of Tanali Raman involves a contest to straighten the tails of royal puppies, showcasing various methods and attitudes towards the task.
• 🏆 Tanali Raman wins the contest by starving his puppy to make its tail straight, receiving 100 gold coins from the king.
• 💡 Tanali Raman invents the concept of 'fine print' to trick the priests into accepting only one copper coin instead of 100 gold coins for appeasing a supposed ghost.
• 📜 The story of Tanali Raman's trick with the horse and fine print has parallels in modern airline deals.
• 🐍 Tanali Raman's death is ironically caused by an animal, a snake, reflecting his cruel treatment of animals throughout his life.
• 📚 The character Bakasur from the Mahabharat is introduced as a demon synonymous with gluttony in India.
• 📆 The podcast promises future episodes on Akbar and Birbal, drawing parallels to the stories of Tanali Raman and the king.

Q & A

What is the podcast 'Stories from India' about?

The podcast 'Stories from India' is about discussing myths, legends, and folk tales from India, exploring the diverse cultures and their unique mythologies.

Who is the host of 'Stories from India' and what is his role in the stories?

The host is Narad Mone, a mythological character who appears in many of the stories and plays an important role in some, having been given the gift of eternal life, knowledge of the past, present, and future, and always speaking the truth.

What is the main theme of the episode about Tanali Raman?

The episode focuses on the story of Tanali Raman, a court jester in the Kingdom of Vijaynagaram, who is known for outwitting the king, his fellow courtiers, or the priesthood, often making lots of gold in the process.

Why did King Krishna Raya organize a tail-straightening contest for his royal dog's puppies?

King Krishna Raya organized the contest because he noticed that none of the puppies had a straight tail, and he was obsessed with the idea of having straight tails on his dogs.

How did Tanali Raman approach the tail-straightening contest differently from the other participants?

Tanali Raman approached the contest by starving his puppy, giving it barely enough food to survive, which resulted in a straight tail due to the puppy's weakened state.

What was the consequence of Tanali Raman's cruel treatment of the puppy in the contest?

The consequence was that Tanali Raman's puppy ended up with a straight tail but also looked the most sickly, and it eventually passed away due to starvation.

What trick did Tanali Raman play on the priests when they demanded 100 gold coins to appease the puppy's ghost?

Tanali Raman tricked the priests by selling his horse for one copper coin and a footnote stating that the buyer also had to purchase the saddle for 100 gold coins. The priests only received the copper coin as per their agreement.

What is the significance of the character Bakasur in Indian mythology?

Bakasur is a giant demon from the Mahabharat, known for his insatiable appetite and gluttony, which has made his name synonymous with overeating in much of India.

How did the villagers attempt to deal with Bakasur's terrorizing of their village?

The villagers made a deal with Bakasur to send him a cartload of food every day in exchange for him stopping the looting and killing.

What is the connection between Tanali Raman and the historical figure Akbar and his court jester Bebel?

There are many parallels between Tanali Raman and the stories of Akbar and Bebel, although Bebel joined Akbar's court about 26 years after Tanali Raman's death, and the stories and rewards are different.

What can listeners expect from the next episode of 'Stories from India'?

In the next episode, listeners can expect stories involving animals where basic physics knowledge can help secure a good meal or even save a life, featuring the character Cordice, a warrior who travels on a tiger and can defeat demons with her hands tied behind her back.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Introduction to Stories from India Podcast

The podcast 'Stories from India' is introduced by the host, Narad Mone, who is a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge. The show delves into Indian mythology, covering myths, legends, and folk tales from the diverse cultures of India. Each episode includes a story from Indian mythology and a 'Character of the Week' segment. The host warns of cruelty to dogs in the episode, which is the second part of the Tanali Raman series. The story is set in the 1500s in the Kingdom of Vijayanagaram, ruled by Krishna Devaraya, and involves Tanali Raman, a court jester known for outwitting others and making gold. The episode also introduces the character Bakasur, a demon known for his insatiable appetite.

05:01

🐕 Cruelty and Cunning in the Kingdom's Tail-Straightening Contest

In the Kingdom of Vijayanagaram, King Krishna Devaraya holds a contest to straighten the tails of his royal dog's puppies, offering 100 gold coins as a reward. Various people attempt to win using different methods, but Tanali Raman, known for his poor treatment of animals and greed for gold, starves his puppy to make its tail straight. Despite the puppy's sickly appearance, the King rewards Raman for his 'success'. However, the puppy dies, and the priests, with an ulterior motive, claim the puppy's ghost haunts the land and demand 100 gold coins to appease it. Raman cleverly avoids paying by selling his horse for one copper coin, using a trick involving fine print that has since become a model for airline deals.

10:02

📜 The Art of Fine Print and Raman's Deceit

Tanali Raman's trick with the horse involves a sale advertised for one copper coin, but with a footnote that the buyer must also purchase the saddle for 100 gold coins. The priests, expecting a large sum, are tricked into accepting only one copper coin after Raman claims that all fees and charges must be deducted from the sale price. Raman's cunning allows him to avoid the priests' demand for gold coins, leaving them with nothing but a copper coin. The story highlights Raman's ability to manipulate situations to his advantage, even at the expense of others.

15:02

🐍 The Irony of Tanali Raman's Demise and Additional Notes

Tanali Raman, known for his cruelty to animals and cunning ways, meets an ironic end when he is bitten by a snake. He requests the king for help, but his message is ignored, assuming it to be another trick. Raman's death is seen as a fitting end for someone who made a living from mistreating animals. The podcast also notes similarities between Raman and the historical figure Birbal, who served Emperor Akbar and was known for his wit rather than cruelty. Raman is remembered as a great poet and polyglot, able to speak eight languages, despite his negative traits. The podcast concludes with a teaser for the next episode, which will feature animal stories and the character Cordice, a warrior who travels on a tiger.

🎵 Sign Off and Acknowledgements

The podcast concludes with music and acknowledgments to the host's family and friends for their support. The host invites listeners to visit the podcast's website, SFIpodcast.com, for more information and to follow them on Twitter at @SFIpodcast. The music is credited to Purple Planet, and the host expresses gratitude for the support received, promising to see the audience in the next episode.

Keywords

💡Narad Muni

Narad Muni is a mythological character in Hindu mythology, known for his eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future. In the video, he serves as the host of the podcast, guiding listeners through stories from Indian mythology. His role is crucial as he sets the context and introduces the characters and stories, making him a central figure in the podcast's narrative.

💡Tanali Raman

Tanali Raman is a court jester in the Kingdom of Vijaynagaram, known for his wit and cunning. He is the main character in the story discussed in the podcast. His actions, such as outwitting the king and other courtiers, are central to the episode's theme of trickery and cleverness. The story also highlights his cruel treatment of animals, which is a significant aspect of his character in this context.

💡Krishna Devaraya

Krishna Devaraya, also referred to as the King in the podcast, is the ruler of the Kingdom of Vijaynagaram. He plays a significant role in the story as he initiates the tail-straightening contest, which sets the stage for Tanali Raman's actions. His decisions and reactions to events in the story contribute to the overall narrative and highlight the themes of power and authority.

💡Tail-Straightening Contest

The tail-straightening contest is a central event in the story. It is initiated by Krishna Devaraya, who is obsessed with having dogs with straight tails. This contest drives the actions of the characters, particularly Tanali Raman, who uses cruel methods to win the contest. The contest serves as a metaphor for the lengths people will go to achieve their goals, even if it involves harming others.

💡Gold Coins

Gold coins are a recurring motif in the story, symbolizing wealth and reward. They are used as the prize in the tail-straightening contest and later as a means of manipulation by Tanali Raman. The pursuit of gold coins drives the actions of several characters, including Tanali Raman, and is a key element in the plot.

💡Bakasur

Bakasur is a demon from the Mahabharat, known for his insatiable appetite and gluttony. He is introduced in the podcast as the character of the week. Bakasur's story serves to contrast with Tanali Raman's, highlighting the theme of greed and its consequences. His character is used to explore the idea of excess and its impact on society.

💡Fine Print

The concept of fine print is introduced in the story when Tanali Raman sells his horse. He uses a deceptive tactic by selling the horse for a low price but requiring the buyer to purchase the saddle for a high price, which is mentioned in the fine print. This tactic is used to illustrate the theme of deception and the importance of paying attention to details.

💡Animal Cruelty

Animal cruelty is a significant theme in the story, particularly in the context of Tanali Raman's actions. His treatment of the puppy and the horse, as well as the broader societal attitudes towards animals, are highlighted. This theme serves to critique the inhumane treatment of animals and its moral implications.

💡Punishment

Punishment is a recurring theme in the story, particularly in relation to Tanali Raman's actions. Despite his cruel treatment of animals, he is not punished by the king, which raises questions about justice and morality. The theme of punishment is used to explore the consequences of actions and the role of authority in enforcing justice.

💡SBCA and PETA

The mention of SBCA and PETA in the podcast serves to draw a parallel between the fictional world of the story and the real-world organizations that advocate for animal rights. These organizations are used to highlight the importance of animal welfare and the need for societal change in the treatment of animals.

Highlights

Introduction to the podcast 'Stories from India' which explores myths, legends, and folk tales from India.

Host Narad Monei is a mythological character with eternal life and knowledge of the past, present, and future.

The podcast discusses the story of Tanali Raman, a court jester in the Kingdom of Vijay Nagaram during the 1500s.

Tanali Raman is known for outwitting the king, courtiers, and priesthood, often making lots of gold in the process.

The episode features a story where Tanali Raman is cruel to a dog, leading to the invention of the concept of fine print.

King Krishna Deara, ruler of Vijayam, has a royal dog that has just had puppies, none of which have straight tails.

A tail straightening contest is announced, with the winner to receive 100 gold coins.

Tanali Raman volunteers for the contest, treating animals poorly in his quest for gold coins.

Various methods are attempted to straighten the puppies' tails, from humane to cruel.

Tanali Raman's puppy ends up with a straight tail, but at the cost of its health.

The king rewards Tanali Raman with 100 gold coins despite the puppy's poor condition.

The priests claim the puppy's ghost will haunt the land until appeased, demanding 100 gold coins from Tanali Raman.

Tanali Raman tricks the priests by selling his horse for one copper coin, avoiding the payment.

The character Bakasur is introduced, a demon known for his insatiable appetite.

Bakasur's story involves a deal with villagers to provide him food in exchange for peace.

Tanali Raman's death is mentioned, involving an encounter with an animal, fitting for his cruel nature.

The podcast notes the historical parallels between Tanali Raman and Akbar and Bebel.

Tanali Raman is remembered for his wit, stories, poetry, and multilingual abilities.

The podcast invites listeners to visit SFI podcast.com for more information and artwork.

The music for the podcast is sourced from Purple Planet, and the host thanks family and friends for their support.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

hello and welcome to stories from India

a podcast where we talk about myths

Legends and folk tales from

India now as you probably know India is

a very diverse country there are dozens

of distinct cultures each with their own

brand of Mythology and in their own

language I'm your host narad monei and

I'm a mythological character

myself I personally appear in many of

these stories and I play an important

role in

some I was given the gift of eternal

life and knowledge of the past the

present and the future and I also always

speak the truth I'm a a traveling

musician and a Storyteller by profession

so the way I'm doing my job is by

podcast during each episode we'll be

talking about a story from Indian

mythology followed by a character of the

week

segment a quick disclaimer before we

begin Today's show there's cruelty to

dogs in today's

story this episode is part two of tanali

Raman stories it might be worth less

listening to the previous episode but

you don't have to the story in this one

stands

alone some quick context setting if you

haven't heard part one Tali Raman is a

courtchester in the Kingdom of Vijay

nagaram which is ruled by krishnaa rer

the story is set in the

1500s most of the stories are about how

tanali Raman outwits the king his fellow

courtiers or the priesthood or all of

them somehow making lots of gold in the

process this week we'll see tanali Raman

being cruel to a dog and we will also

see him invent the idea of fine print

Airlines across the whole world still

follow this dirty trick he

invented the character this week is

bakasur a demon who eats so much he can

even give the people behind man versus

food some

nightmares you definitely don't want to

take him to a restaurant with a buffet

as he'll probably finish all the food

and eat all the other patrons and your

ride home as

well King Krishna dear Raya whom I'm

just going to call the King was

presiding over his court in the Kingdom

of

vijayam he had a royal dog and the dog

had just had puppies 10 of

them before you go a I must caution you

instead of taking selfies with the cute

little puppies and uploading them on

social media the king had a horrible

idea when he noticed that none of the

puppies had a straight

tail I don't understand the king's

obsession with a straight tail why

should the shape of the tail

matter but he was the king so when he

announced a tail straightening contest

people jumped at the chance the contest

winner was to get 100 gold

coins and that made people Overlook how

cute the puppies

were the puppies were distributed

amongst the first 10 people to sign up

Denali Raman was one of

them he habitually treated animals

poorly and was always on the lookout for

gold coins so this was probably a dream

come true for

ramen many of the other volunteers tried

Humane methods to straighten their puppy

tail one of them created a collar for

his puppy's tail to nudge it into

becoming straight over

time another hired a very expensive

massar to massage their puppy's

tail a third person was a bit less nice

he tied a heavy Stone to the puppy's

tail to weigh it down and straighten

it the fourth person consulted a wet and

got a prescription for some miracle

drugs the next person decided to leave

it up to higher Powers he prayed to God

in a

temple someone else left their puppy

alone believing the tail would

straighten itself over

time yet another person decided that

feeding the puppy would be the right

thing to do this last puppy got the

Royal

Treatment the courtier spent a lot of

money on the puppy even at the expense

of his own

family rahen didn't do any of of that he

simply tied up the puppy and gave it

barely enough food for it to

survive now this is a fictional story

that doesn't make any sense which is why

raman's puppy ended up with a straight

tail starving a puppy is a terrible idea

please don't do

this at the end of the contest the king

asked for and examined all 10 puppies

and he saw how ramens was the only one

with the straight

tail Ran's puppy was also the one that

looked the most sickly but that didn't

seem to bother the

King instead of punishing rahen the king

gave him 100 gold

coins and praised him

again seriously what is wrong with this

Kingdom this is why we have

organizations like the sbca and the

Peter anyway not long after

and to no one's surprise raman's puppy

passed

away the priest called Raman out on

that finally someone seems to be showing

some sense in this

story you starved the poor little puppy

to death they said to

Ramen but it was soon clear that they

had an ulterior

motive the priest claimed that their

super spiritual enlightened state had

allowed them to see what others hadn't

seen and what exactly is that asked

Raman the do

killer simple they said the puppy ghost

will wander the land restlessly haunting

everyone until it is

appeased in a completely unrelated

coincidence we priests are the only ones

who can appease the

ghost since Denali had caused the dog's

death he has to pay us 100 gold coins

for all the hard work

involved

Tali who could sense a plot a mile away

was quick to spot one this time as well

he had an

idea I don't have any money on me right

now he said but if you really really

insist I can sell my very fine horse and

give the money to

you the priest knew tali's horse was

really a fine

one this was probably the same chicken

wing eater from the last

episode they knew the horse was worth at

least 100 gold coins and so they readily

agreed but Ramen pulled a cheap and

dirty trick on them and to this day this

trick has been a model for Airlines all

over the world when they offer

deals Raman put out a forsale sign and

an ad to sell his horse but added an

asterisk and a

footnote not long after the priests who

hadn't paid much attention to the ad

saw ramen's horse being led Away by its

new

owner eagerly looking forward to getting

their gold they immediately went to

Ramen and asked him to pay

up Ramen said of course I'll be happy to

pay you whatever the buyer paid me minus

administrative fees taxes titles or

charges and pro rated

insurance when the Priest started

raising a stink about this rahen said

you know what I'm feeling being real

generous today and I like you guys so

I'm going to do you guys a huge favor

I'll wave all the fees when he saw the

priest PR the collective sigh of relief

Raman added besides I can't really

deduct any fees what I got for that

horse was just one copper coin like just

one cent you can't really expect me to

give you part of one cent can

you one copper coin what are you talking

talking about asked the

priest the horse was worth at least 100

gold

coins oh maybe you guys didn't get the

memo said Ramen I sold the horse for one

copper

coin one copper coin are you crazy the

priest

exclaimed not really said

Ramen but you see you should have paid

more attention to my ad and the fine

print the listed price was indeed a

copper coin but Ramen had added a

footnote it said that to qualify for

this incredible once in A- lifetime deal

the buyer also had to buy the horse's

saddle for the trivial sum of 100 gold

coins 100 gold coins and one copper coin

was still a pretty good deal for the

horse and its saddle so Raman was able

to find a buyer quickly

enough the priest couldn't really

complain they had agreed to only receive

from Ramen whatever money he got for the

horse so one copper coin is all they

got so the priest got tricked by Ramen

they were the losers in the story the

owner of the new horse got a fair price

for the horse and he was happy Raman was

happy too he managed to get out of a

sticky situation with the priest and he

got a fair deal on his

horse way more than he deserved

but I'm sure the horse was happiest of

all seeing as how rahen treated his cat

and his dog I'm sure the horse would

have leapt for Joy at the news that he

was being

sold that's it for that story since we

are on the topic of animals I thought

I'd include one additional little

snippet from the life or as it happens

the death of Tali

ran for someone who spent a lifetime

making money off of being being cruel to

animals it's tragic but still somehow

befitting that he died from an encounter

with an

animal Ramen was out walking one day and

was suddenly bitten by a snake he lay on

the ground as the poison made its way

through his

wiins he asked a passer by to send an

Urgent Message to the king but the king

ignored it thinking this was another of

Tali raman's

tricks in another version of the story

The King had died a few years before

Ramen so in that version there's no

mention of a message being

sent but given it's the

1500s recordkeeping wasn't very exact

then some notes on the stories there are

many parallels between Tali Raman and

the king and the stories of Akbar and

bebel bebel joined akbar's Court about

26 years after tanali raman's death in

beb's case the setup is very similar but

the stories themselves are different and

the reward often isn't a 100 gold coins

but simply praise from the

emperor and Akbar definitely does not

often praise bebel for harming any

animals we'll definitely do several akar

pbal episodes later on in the

podcast while tanali Raman is remembered

for his wit and his stories he was also

a great poet and a polyglot he was able

to speak eight different

languages it's a shame that he had to be

such a jerk to

animals there is some artwork from

Krishna dear Raya and the Vijay nagaram

Kingdom I've linked some pictures of

sculptures and paintings on my site SFI

podcast.com if you want to have a

look the character this week is

bakasur bakasur is a giant demon who

appears in the

Mahabharat his name has come come to be

synonymous with gluttony in much of

India bakasur was a demon who terrorized

a village near the cave where he lived

killing and eating

indiscriminately the villagers made a

deal they wanted to show a fixed loss on

their portfolio instead of a floating

one they would send bakasur a cartload

of food every day if he could please

just stop looting and killing them so

from that day on bakasur consisted of an

oxcart load of food followed by The Oxen

and the car driver for

dessert that is until he met Pima the

mighty Pand and possibly the strongest

man in the world but that's for another

episode next week we'll dive into some

animal stories where you'll find out how

some basic physics knowledge can help

you get a good meal or maybe even save

your

life the character next week is a

warrior cordice who travels on a tiger

and who can casually destroy any demon

even with her hands tied behind her back

all eight of

them since I'm several thousands of

years old my memory may be imperfect at

times so if you see any errors in my

podcast please Point them out to me if

you have any questions comments or

suggestions please please leave a

comment or a revieww on the site it's

SFI podcast.com the site is also linked

in the show notes and the Twitter handle

is @ SFI

podcast the music is from purple

planet.com that's

purple-planet.com

I'd like to thank my family and friends

there are far too many to call out

individually everyone has shown

incredible support for this podcast and

I'm very grateful for that

see you next

[Music]

week