After the Ravana-Rama war was over in Sri Lanka, Lord Hanuman submitted his T.A. Bill to the Ayodhya administration claiming payment of money for his official travel to the several places in India in connection with his mission to search and bring the Sanjeevani Mountain (for saving Lakshmana’s life during the war).
The LDC (Lower Division Clerk) of the T.A. Bill section in the Ayodhya Secretariat raised the following three objections and rejected Hanuman’s T.A. bill:
(1) Hanumanji did not take prior permission of the appropriate authority, namely, King Bharat who was the official King of Ayodhya (as crowned by Dharatha prior to Rama leaving for the forest) at the time when the travel was undertaken by Hanuman.
(2) Hanumanji being Grade-D officer was not entitled to air travel; and
(3) Hanumanji was asked to bring Sanjeevani Plant only, just a single plant, but instead, he carried a whole lot of mountain (unauthorized excess baggage).
The LDC returned the bill to Hanuman.
King Rama who was back in Ayodhya and was the King at that time, could do nothing except to mark it down for to the Clerk for re-examination.
A worried Laxmanan approached the LDC and offered him a bribe of 10% of the T.A. Bill amount. The LDC was a happy man now, and wrote the following on the T.A.Bill:
“As directed by King Rama, the bill was re-examined and it is certified that :
1. Even during the relevant time, Rama was the de-jure King of Ayodhya through his ‘Paduka’ ( that were installed on the throne by Bharatha as Rama’s representative King).
2. Further in an emergency, non-entitled officers can be authorized ex-post facto to fly.
3. Also excess baggage carried by Hanumanji is justified, since bringing a wrong plant would have entailed multiple journeys for Hanumanji that might have involved huge extra cost to the government. Hence bill may be paid”.
The T.A. Bill was paid accordingly by the Secretariat treasury… and every one was happy..!!
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