He jumped on the Kalamugar and knocked him down. He pinned him down and sat on his belly and tugged at his beard, which came off. Vandhiyathevan looked at the saint and realised who it was
He had visited the great cities of Thanjavur, Pazhayarai and Anuradhapuram. He had befriended the love of this land, Prince Arulmozhi, and assisted him. Above all, he had found a place in the heart of the Princess of this land. How lucky was he? Yet, for some unexplainable reason, he was sad.
“I have a thousand eyes and ears, spread across the kingdom, and even outside. I have my men even inside the Pazhuvoor palace. One of them told me about Vandhiyathevan’s actions. I also have people like Alwarkadiyan, who roam around the kingdom to get me information. So, I would think, I have enough capacity to know a lot about what is happening in the kingdom.”
“You are mistaking Chozhanaadu to be our kingdom. I consider Bharatha Nadu as my kingdom. If there is no space for me in Chozhanaadu, I will go to Kasi, or to Kashmiram, and then Kailasam. I have been wanting to go on that pilgrimage for a while.”
“We are sure that the Prince was killed by the Pazhuvettarayars. The Emperor is also kept as a prisoner in the Thanjavur palace. We are all ready to march to Thanjavur and rebel. We will kill those Pazhuvettarayar brothers, if required.” The crowd was getting noisier.
“I brought vibrant flowers from the gardens of the Devas, and you said, these are no comparison to the simple jasmine flowers that bloom in our backyards. I brought back Indra’s jewels, and you rejected them refusing to wear someone else’s jewels. I did severe penance to Lord Shiva, and got you Goddess Parvathi’s anklets. You said that it would be a sin to wear Jaganmaatha’s anklets and asked me to return them back to her.”
Pinakapani, could not get in to listen to Thirunaarayur Nambi. But he intently observed Vandhiyathevan. He saw Vandhiyathevan observing the Princess constantly. There was one other person who was observing Pinakapani watching Vandhiyathevan. He was none other than our old friend Alwarkadiyan Nambi.
Around 1200 years ago, the Chozha dynasty started as a small kingdom under the able leadership of Vijayalaya Chozhan. He conquered the city of Thanjavur
“Prince, it has been like this ever since the Pazhuvettarayars were given powers. It has been like this for a while.”
“I came hunting for the Chozha tiger, but, instead found the Vaanarkulam fox. Not a bad catch.”