Another day Tennalirama committed a serious blunder in jesting and the Rayar was much enraged. He sent for two soldiers, and making over the jester to them he said: "Here! take this knave out of our presence, and cut off his head by your swords." The soldiers carried him off accordingly, and as they were preparing for their cruel act, he spoke gently to them:- "Anyhow you are both to cut me off. For the good of my soul, however, in the other world you must allow me to go to yonder tank. I shall stand neck-deep in the water and in that position contemplate God for one Muhurta while you both watch me with drawn swords each on one side. When my contemplation is over each will take aim at the same instant, and cut off my neck with one full sweep of his sword." They agreed to do so: and he went and stood thus in the tank, and when the swords were being aimed at his neck from both sides, he suddenly went down into the water, and the sword of each soldier cut off the head of the other. Without losing much time Tennalirama stood in the presence of the Rayar, and to his astonished queries, only offered this brief explanation: "The clumsy fellows! they killed each other, and let me escape."
