Book 02 - Chapter 24: Marappan’s Heartache

Why did Marappa Bhupathi follow Valli and Ponnan that night? We need to go back to the events of the evening to answer that question.

When Marappan left the Emperor’s court, he was disheartened. He did not expect his services to the empire to go so spectacularly fruitless. It had been seven years since Parthiban died on the battlefield. Marappan had expected to be rewarded with the throne of the Chozha empire just for abstaining from that battle. When the expectation did not materialize, he had not shown his disappointment or displeasure. His loyalty to the Pallava empire was outwardly the same.

Finally, he had also tipped Achutha Varman on Vikraman’s conspiracy. His tip had been the reason the revolt was quelled. He had been convinced that his loyalty would be rewarded. All that he desired was a position of a vassal under the Pallava Emperor. At the very least, he was hoping to be reinstated as a commander in the army.

What really happened was that the Emperor developed misgivings as to his loyalty. He, who was once the heir to the Chozha throne, had been insulted in the presence of a lowly boatman and his wife. Upon this thought, he was vexed with his life. He was letting his horse take him places without conscious thought. The horse seemed to sense its master’s frame of mind and went slowly on its own way. It wandered around on the streets of Uraiyur and reached the banks of Kaveri. It walked east along the river. It was the fourth night of waxing moon. The moon appeared; and then the stars emerged all over the sky, resembling scattered diamonds. Marappan went a fair distance without sensing the beauty in all this. When he eventually regained awareness, he checked where he was, and turned the horse around towards Uraiyur. As he entered the Uraiyur fort, he saw a group of people coming along the street, carrying torches and playing musical instruments. He also noticed that they were carrying the lion flag. He thought it might be the Emperor and his family going to Sri Ranganatha temple, got off his horse and respectfully moved to the side of the street.

When the group got closer, he did not see the Emperor, but saw General Achutha Varman and an ascetic with shaved head. The ascetic was well-built and had an aura about him. Marappan was struck by a thought – ‘could this be the impostor who acts as the Shaivite sage?’

Achutha Varman’s sight fell on Marappan at that time. He beckoned him to come closer. And pointed him to Siruthondar, the ascetic. “Your holiness, do you recognize him? He is Marappa Bhupathi, the brother of King Parthiban.”

“Oh, is he? I have seen him years ago, in Emperor Mahendrar’s time. I can’t recognize him now.”

Acthuta Varman said, “He is the one who alerted us on Vikraman’s rebellion. But for whatever reason, he has not found favor with our Emperor.”

Siruthondar gave Marappan another look but moved on without further comment.  After they left the spot, Marappan saw that a palanquin followed them, surrounded by royal maids. He guessed that it may be the princess and started moving away. To his surprise, the palanquin stopped. He heard a sweet voice calling ‘Bhupathi!’.

He saw that Princess Kundavi and a devout looking older woman were in the palanquin. He was pleasantly surprised that it was Kundavi who called him. He was also bashful. He wanted to look at Kundavi, but stood looking at the ground, feeling shy.

“Bhupathi, my father was unduly stern with you today. Please don’t let that upset you. I believe you. If you can help me find that Shaivite sage, I will be on your side”, said Kundavi, with a note of sympathy in her voice.

Marappan was thrilled beyond words. He felt he went from the abyss straight to heaven. He looked up slightly and said, “My lady, your wish is my command. I won’t rest until I find that impostor!”

“Very good. Let me know when you find him”, said Kundavi, and ordered the carriers to resume their journey.

Marappan stood stunned for a while after the party left. He had to think to confirm that he was not dreaming.  He mounted the horse that walked up to him. He thought of the ascetic with the shaved head. He had heard of General Paranjothi. He had heard that Paranjothi had been close to King Parthiban. Did that not give him the motive to assume the guise of the Shaivite sage and to cause trouble? He needed a way to verify that theory. The only way was to get back into the good books of Ponnan and Valli. Upon thinking, he realized that he had not met Ponnan or Valli in the long trip down the riverbank and back. They must still be in Uraiyur. Where would they stay in Uraiyur? Could they be at Valli’s grandfather’s house?

This thought gave him fresh energy. He hurried back to his residence. He handed the horse to the servants and set off on foot. He did not think of food or drink. He was keen to meet Valli and Ponnan that night. He walked towards the Metalworkers’ Street.

It was about three hours after sunset. The pedestrian traffic had thinned down. There were a few people on the street, including those who were returning from the temple, people who were going to see folk plays, and a few beggars. The dialog from a folk play of the sage Vishwamitra summoning King Harischandra was heard at a distance. Marappan was walking in a way that he hoped would not attract attention to him. As he neared the metalworkers’ street, he saw a sight in the dim light that stopped him dead. It was the figure that was etched in his mind – the Shaivite sage. Just as he recognized the sage, the street lantern went out.

Marappan was eager to catch the impostor and present him to the princess. Marappan ran towards the spot. It was a four-way intersection. When he got to the spot, he could see no sign of the sage in any direction.

A theory formed in his mind. If it was indeed the sage, he must have been on his way to meet Ponnan and Valli. He must have gone to Veerabadra Achari’s house. Who knows what devious plans they were cooking up! It was indeed fortunate that the Emperor was visiting at the time of the conspiracy. How would it be if he can catch them at the act! Would that not correct the impression the Emperor had of him?

Marappan was thinking along these lines, and approached Veerabadra Achari’s house. Ponnan and Valli were coming out of the house. Valli was covering a lit lamp with the end of her saree. They took a narrow lane that went northwards. Marappan concluded that they were following the sage to a destination, which would be the rendezvous for the conspiracy.

All this excitement had transformed Marappan into a new man. He followed them at a safe distance, without making a noise. Ponnan and Valli reached the banks of Kaveri. Valli boarded the boat, placed a basket on the boat and covered it with her saree. As we already saw, Ponnan had dragged the boat, reached the outer wall of the palace garden, tied the boat, and entered the garden with Valli. Marappan knew that it used to be the royal garden in Parthiban’s days, and it had been unoccupied since then. He also knew that it had been locked on the Emperor’s orders.

All this made Marappan conclude that Ponnan and Valli could be up to no good, entering the garden at this time. He guessed that the sage was already in the garden. He was struck by a more ominous thought. Is it possible that Parthiban did not actually die in the battlefield? Could he have escaped from the battlefield, assumed the guise of the sage and be masterminding this conspiracy? In any case, he was going to solve the mystery that night!

He latched the garden door from outside and went to get help.

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Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..

Art by Sujatha, unless otherwise credited.

Book 02 - Chapter 23: Midnight Events

It was about four hours after dusk. Peace reigned in Uraiyur.  The lamps on the lampposts at street intersections started going out, having run out of oil. The segment of Kaveri river between Srirangam and Uraiyur was shrouded in darkness. It was the fourth night past the new moon day, and a cloudy one at that. There were a few drops of rain as well. 

On such a dark night, you could hear the noise of a boat cutting through the water. You could make out a boat travel from east to west, hugging the shore of the river. Someone was seen seated at the boat. Another person was pulling the rope attached to the boat, while walking along the shore. If you look carefully, you would recognize both the figures. Ponnan was the one pulling the boat. Valli was seated on the boat and was carrying a basket. There was a lamp inside the basket. Valli had covered the basket to protect the flame from the breeze. 

It was not an easy task to pull the boat against the currents at such a dark night. The task was made even harder by the tree roots, pavilions and steps, which were making the shore uneven. Ponnan braved all these obstacles and was making good progress. A tall figure was following the boat, lagging about hundred meters. The figure stopped when the boat stopped and resumed when the boat moved. If we look carefully, we would realize that it was Marappa Bhupathi. Quietly following Marappa Bhupathi along the same shore was another tall figure. It was a sage with braided hair and a beard. Yes, the same sage whom we had met on the Vennar battlefield and in Ponnan’s hut. 

When it was almost midnight, Ponnan stopped the boat and said in a quiet voice, “Valli, we have reached the spot. Get off the boat.”

Almost instantly, the bell of Sri Ranganatha temple tolled, announcing midnight prayers. The noise rang out in the quiet night, and seemed to spread out in waves into the night sky. Ponnan and Valli shuddered a bit. 

Ponnan said, “The bell is a good omen Valli. We are going the succeed in the quest!”

Valli got off the boat carefully. Ponnan tied the boat to the tree roots. They climbed ashore and walked along the fortifying wall along the river. They reached a locked door. Ponnan took a key from his waistband and opened the lock. As they opened the door and entered, they were greeted by the fragrance of the Champaka flowers.

Ponnan said, ‘How nice these flowers smell! You have not had a chance to the enter the palace garden before this”.

Valli said, “Keep the voice down!”

“Don’t be afraid, just follow me!”

“My only fear is that you make too much noise”.

They both walked into the Champak garden. 

Marappan got to the same door. He latched the door from outside. Then he climbed down the river bank, untied the boat from the tree root and let it float away. And he started walking quickly along the wall.

The boat floated towards the sage, who caught it and tied it to a tree root. He climbed up the riverbank, went to the door and undid the door latch. He went back to the tree the boat was tied to; and sat down behind the tree.

At that time, there was a group of people on the other shore, carrying torches. Those torches moved gradually. In a while, they were in the middle of the river, indicating that those people were crossing the river by boats. The boats reached the shore to the east of where the sage was seated. People got ashore. Among the group were Kundavi, Siruthondar and his wife. General Achutha Varman, who was ruling Uraiyur as the Emperor’s regent, was at the head of the group. The rest of the entourage, along with the servants, was at the rear of the group. They must have been returning from the midnight prayers at the Ranganatha Temple. The emperor was conspicuously absent from the group. As the group came ashore, the torches lit up the riverside. The sage withdrew further behind the tree to hide himself from view and stood motionless, breathing very quietly. 

The group went into the city. After the torches faded away, the riverside looked even darker. The sage came out from behind the tree and sat near the boat. His eyes and ears were focused on the door, waiting for it to open.

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Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..

Art by Sujatha, unless otherwise credited.

Book 02 - Chapter 22: Siruthondar

The lotus pond was located west of Uriayur, at a stone’s throw from the river Kaveri. The petals of the lotus flowers that adorned the pond were closed, as the day was drawing to a close. The sun was setting, resembling a rotating golden plate, lending its golden hue to the western sky. The Emperor and his daughter were camping at the pillared pavilion adjacent to the pond. Armed soldiers stood at a respectful distance, guarding them. The royal elephant and horses stood nearby.

The emperor was looking expectantly westwards at the riverside road. Kundavi climbed down the steps, admiring the lotus leaves and closed flowers. She enjoyed watching how the water beads on the leaves were rolling around with the breeze.

She was distracted by her own reflection on the water. The reflection seemed to make her long arms and tender feet look even prettier. She stood transfixed at her reflection. The figure in the water resembled the masterpiece of a great sculptor, adorned in fine clothing and jewelry. The figure suddenly seemed to come alive and heave a sigh. She had been complimented on her beauty by her maids, women at the palace and artists. She had not been conscious of her appearance in the past. Of late though, she had become more aware of her beauty. She had come to realize that all the compliments she had received were not just flattery.

She also started wondering about the point of such beauty. ‘Was that prince not from Uraiyur? How would it be if he had been nearby?’. This thought was strangely disturbing. She reverted to wondering about the purpose of her beauty and the point of adorning herself with fine jewelry. Just as she was contemplating removing her jewelry, she heard her father call, “Kundavi, come here, fast!”. Shaken out of her reverie, she turned around.

“Look Kundavi, my friend is in that palanquin! The General of the Pallava army, who routed the mighty Chalukya army, is coming. It is fortunate that we happened to be visiting Uraiyur at this time!”.

Kundavi had never seen her father this excited before. He resembled a toddler who displays unrestrained pleasure at meeting visiting family members.

The palanquin approached the lotus pond. The carriers saw that the emperor was standing in the pavilion and laid the palanquin down on the ground. An older man with shaved head, wearing prayer beads and holy ash emerged from the palanquin. A woman came out with him.

The man said, “My king!”, and hurried towards the pavilion. The emperor climbed down the stairs with a greeting of “General!”.  They stood with their palms together in greeting, looking at each other with moist eyes. They rushed ahead and embraced.  Tears started flowing.

Kundavi approached the older woman, and tried to touch her feet. The woman stopped her and embraced her. She blessed Kundavi, saying, “My child, may the Lord of the crescent moon bless you with good fortune! May you live a long life with a man of your choice!”. Kundavi felt a few flutters at these words.

The emperor and his old general broke the embrace and stepped back to look at each other. The emperor said, “The timing of my Uraiyur visit was pure luck. I would not have had the chance to meet you otherwise. You don’t visit Kanchi these days. You seem to have forgotten me altogether”.

“My emperor, how can I ever forget you? In my pilgrimage, I thought of you at every holy shrine. I have missed you at every leg of the pilgrimage. I thought of you while I was praying the Lord at Pazhani. It appears that He granted my wish. I got to meet you here.”

“My general..”, the emperor began speaking.

“Please don’t address me with that title!”

“Paranjothi!”

“That is the name from my earlier life. I don’t like hearing it either”.

“Shaivite guru!”

“There are many people who are worthy of being addressed that way. I render minor services in support of their spiritual work – Siruthondan!”

The Emperor said, “Dear Siruthondar! I still have a few outstanding responsibilities. After I fulfill these, I am ready to renounce my earthly attachments and join you in your pilgrimage. However, I won’t shave my head like you have. I will sport long matted hair and a beard, and make people wonder if I am sage Vishwamitra or Agastya reborn”.

He chuckled. Siruthondar Laughed. Their laughter blended with the calls of the birds who were returning to their nests.

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Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..

Art by Sujatha, unless otherwise credited.

Book 02 - Chapter 21: Valli’s Curse

Art credit: Sundari Thirumoorthy

Marappan was stung by Ponnan’s accusation. If looks could kill, the look that he gave Ponnan would  have burnt the latter. Then he diverted his gaze and stood quietly, with bowed head.

“What do you have to say against this charge?”, asked the Emperor, in a booming voice.

Marappan was unnerved. He was on the verge of tears, having experienced a mixture of emotions, including anger and vengefulness. He finally said, “My Lord, it is a lie, lie, lie! I did not instigate the rebellion. When they conspired, I played along a little to get to know their plans. I had kept your General, Achutha Varma Pallavan informed all along”.

Someone muttered, “Traitor! Sinner” at that time.

The emperor asked, “Who spoke?” and looked around. The sound came from Valli’s direction. When he looked in her direction, she was standing quiet, looking innocent.

Marappan seemed to have gained some confidence. He resumed, “Your Majesty, I had nothing to do with encouraging Vikraman to revolt. If I have your permission, I can tell you who actually did!”.

“Who was it?”

“There is a sage, sporting matted hair and beard. In reality, he is not a spiritual man. He is an impostor. He used to visit the queen and Vikraman often. He sent Vikraman down this dangerous path”.

Kundavi, who was watching the developments quietly, intervened at this point. She asked, “How do you know? Have you seen the sage?”.

“Yes, my lady! I have seen him with my own eyes. This boatman, who claims to be innocent, used to host him during his visits. The conspiracy took place in his hut. I tried to catch the phony sage by his beard and discover his identity. Ponnan and Valli foiled my plans”.

“Bring my name up again, and I will cut your tongue!”, muttered Valli.

The Emperor smiled at Valli and said, “Young woman, your lips move often, but I can’t hear anything. If you have something to say, speak without fear.”

Valli brought her palms together as a sign of respect for the Emperor, and responded, “My Lord, this man is lying. It is not true that the sage incited the Chozha prince to rebel. The Sage is a noble soul. The only reason our Queen managed to stay alive is that he visited often to counsel her. The sage tried to stop our prince but failed. Those who lay false charges on the sage will go straight to hell!”.

The emperor said, “Stop – you have made your case. No need to curse anyone” and turned to Kundavi. “Did you observe all this my child?”

Kundavi said, “Yes father, I heard everything. These two have been enchanted by the sage’s magic spells. It does not appear that anyone here has been entirely truthful. They all seem to have their respective motives” 

The emperor looked at Marappa Bhupathi and said, “You are not entirely in the clear. I will let you go for now. It is futile for you to aspire for the position of Army commander. You still have to prove that you are worthy of that role. Meanwhile, make sure your record is clean. You may leave now.”

Bhupathi left, looking crestfallen.

A messenger entered the court, saluted the emperor and gave him a message on a palm scroll. The emperor read the message and turned to Ponnan. “Boatman, I will deal with you two later. Tell your wife to be careful with that sage. She seems to have been fully enchanted by his powers”.

Strangely, Valli looked shy. The expression soon turned into a smile. She followed Ponnan out of the court, looking at the Emperor through the corner of her eyes. The Emperor, watching them disappear, said, “I have dealt with several women, but this Valli is something else…”.

Kundavi interrupted, “Father, you received a message. What was that about?”

“We were talking about the phony sage all this time. I got word that we will be meeting a real ascetic. We are going out of town to receive him.”

“Who is that real ascetic? Is it the sage Appar, by any chance? I am ashamed that I had irreverent thoughts of him. I have to beg his forgiveness.”

“You are still a child. If you thought ill of him, it does not matter in his scheme of things. He is in a state of bliss, indulging in devotion to Lord Shiva. You don’t need to worry about your past thoughts. However, the sage that we are meeting is not Appar. His name is Paranjothi.”

“Isn’t he your old General, the man who accompanied you to Vatapi and helped you defeat Pulikesi?”

“He did not help me defeat Pulikesi. He was the one who defeated Pulikesi. He was the one who destroyed the swarms of Chalukyas who charged us. That brave warrior is now dressed in a single Dhoti, prayer beads and the holy ash. He has been on an extended pilgrimage. He now calls himself Siruthondar, meaning “one who renders petty services”.

“Why did he leave the position of General? Did he get old?”

“No not at all. I will tell you the reason some other time. Now, we are getting late to receive him. His wife is accompanying him. I am going to meet them on the way and receive them. Do you want to come along?”

“Of course, Father. I have been eager to meet them too”, said Kundavi.

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Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..

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Book 02 - Chapter 20: The Emperor’s Court

After Marappan left, Ponnan headed back to the hut with a spring in his step. He was glad to have found a way to redirect Valli’s anger. He told Valli of the conversation with Marappan, with some  embellishments along the way. 

The effect on Valli was as he had expected. She was furious at Marappan. “The nerve of the man! He dreams of marrying the princess and expects you to be his messenger. Why did you let him speak to you in this vein? If I were in your place, I would have thrown burning charcoal at him!”, she said.

“Do you think I was not upset? I was so angry that I tried to behead him with his own sword. The tree came in the way!”, said Ponnan.

“You are all talk. Your arms are not built to wield the sword.”

“I will show you!”, said Ponnan, dragged her to the tree and showed her the mark of the sword on the tree.

Valli’s face lit up. “Why did you have to take your anger out on the poor tree? You should have aimed right at Marappan”.

“All in good time”, said Ponnan.

The two debated how they should deal with Marappan. They agreed that they should warn the emperor of Marappan’s morals but could not think of a way to approach the emperor to bring up the topic.

Valli said, “You touched the Emperor’s feet and saluted him. Can’t you now visit him to Uraiyur to bring up the topic?”

“The Pallava soldiers at Uraiyur know that I was one of the conspirators. They won’t let me into Uraiyur. If I request to meet the emperor, they will get especially suspicious and throw me in prison”.

“So, should I go instead?”

“How will they let you meet the emperor, Valli?”

While they were talking in this vein, they heard hoof-beats outside. They heard a few people arrive in front of the hut. They went out wondering who it might be and were startled to see a few Pallava soldiers.

The man who looked like their leader addressed Ponnan, “Oarsman, we have orders from the Emperor to bring you back with us. If you accompany us with due respect, it will be easier. Or we might have to handcuff you”.

Valli responded, “Due respect? There is no shortage of respect here in the Chozha country. From the way you speak, respect seems to be a rare commodity where you are from!”.

“Oh, you must be Valli, the loudmouth. The Emperor asked us to bring you along as well.”

“Of course. I want to see your emperor too. I want to tell him to pack some respect from here to take back with him to Kanchi”, said Valli.

On the way, Ponnan and Valli saw that the streets of Uraiyur were decorated well for the Emperor’s visit. The last time they had seen such decorations was when King Parthiban went to war. They were talking along the following lines, ‘How could the Chozha people forget the past and welcome the man who killed our King? This is a disgrace! What would Queen Arulmozhi think if she comes to know of such festivities?’

They reached the new palace built for the Emperor. The grandeur and the artwork stunned them. They also angered them.  ‘An outsider is creating such a fuss where a rightful Chozha heir should be ruling from!’, they thought.

They were marched to a room in the palace. They could hear a few voices from the adjacent hall. They could hear a commanding voice of a man and a sweet female voice. There was also a weak male voice. Ponnan was surprised that the third voice sounded like Marappan’s. Ponnan and Valli guessed that they had been summoned for questioning, and that they would be accused of conspiracy against the throne. On the way, they had agreed that they needed to redeem themselves, after Ponnan’s disgraceful act of touching the Emperor’s feet. They had decided that they should speak courageously when the charges were brought up. Upon hearing Marappan’s weak voice, they felt that their theory as to why they were summoned was proven right. Valli whispered something in Ponnan’s ear.

While she was talking, a voice commanded, “Get that Oarsman to the court!”.

Ponnan and Valli entered the adjacent hall and saw that the Pallava Emperor was seated at a magnificent throne, adorned with gems.  Princess Kundavi was standing beside him. Marappan was standing in front of them, looking deflated.

They were not able to meet the eyes of the emperor. The emperor’s aura commanded instant respect and awe. The emperor said in a booming voice, “So, this is the man! He is the same one who acted all obedient at the Pier the other day! This is what it has come to – even boatmen dare to conspire against the Pallava Empire!”

Ponnan and Valli lost their nerve. Their heartbeats quickened. It was hard to believe the contrast between the kindness the Emperor showed at the Pier and the fiery greeting here!

The emperor resumed, “We will get to your behavior later. Oarsman, don’t stand there with bowed head. Who instigated Vikraman to revolt against the Empire? Look at me and answer the question.”

Ponnan quickly looked up to meet the Emperor’s eyes and said, “Your majesty, it was this man standing in front of you, Marappa Bhupathi!”

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Book 02 - Chapter 19: Marappan’s Dreams

Marappan opened the door and entered the hut.

Valli said, “Why do you need to hold on to dear life after losing honor? If you betray your loyalty to your king and country and still live on, what is the difference between you and that turncoat, Marappan?”

Marappan's face reddened in anger. He stood motionless at the doorstep for a while. His face lightened after a while. He said, “Valli, did I hear you bandy my name? What has Ponnan done to be mentioned in the same breath?”

Valli had been busy with her cooking, and had spoken under the impression that it was Ponnan returning. She was taken aback on hearing a stranger’s voice. She recovered her poise and said, “Sir, who am I to speak about you?” and then muttered, “How I wish I had someone brave enough to put you in your place!”.

Marappan did not hear the latter part. “Excuse me Valli?”

Ponnan entered the hut before Valli could respond. Marappan saw him and said, “Ponna, there is something I need to discuss with you. Come along!”

The two walked out and sat under a tree. Marappan said, “Ponna, you have done me a big favor. I'm grateful.”

Ponnan said, “Sir, I don’t recall having done you any favors.”

“You did the favor without realizing it.”

“Sir, please don’t tell Valli this. She won’t forgive me!”

“That is it! Long ago, I had been infatuated with her. I wanted to marry her. I shudder to think of the fate I would have suffered at her hands, had my wish been granted.”

“Yes sir, your pacific attitude and Valli’s fiery nature! Everyone knows you fall sick just before battles”.

Marappan rose, pulling out his sword, “What did you say?!”

“You have brought a sword! A real one! I want to show Valli this. She has been saying that your sword is not real”. Ponnan got to his feet.

Marappan dropped his sword and said, “Ponna, sit down. It is not a good idea to involve women in men’s work. See what happened when we involved Queen Arulmozhi in our efforts to crown Vikraman as the Chozha king”.

“What did our queen do? Was she the one who encouraged the prince to revolt and then revealed the plans to Achuta Varman? Why would she bear a grudge against her own son?”

“No Ponna, she confided in that sage. I begged her not to put her trust on that impostor. He was in fact the emperor’s spy. He compromised our plans”.

Ponnan’s mistrust of the sage returned. Marappan’s theory seemed plausible to him. He was a little ashamed of having doubted Marappan.

He picked up Marappan’s sword from the ground. “Whether it is the sage or anyone else, I am going to find who betrayed us. Wait till that day…!”. He abruptly swung the sword with gritted teeth and hit the tree. The sword pierced the hard trunk, and went in deep. Marappan was rattled. He shivered, but recovered his senses before Ponnan turned to look at him again.

“There is no sense in crying over spilt milk Ponna. We have to regroup for the next steps.”

“Next steps? All is now lost.”

“No, there is hope as long as you and I are here. We just have to change our strategy. We can’t get anywhere with aggression. We need to get diplomatic. I heard that the emperor spoke to you on his way to Uraiyur. I heard that you paid him your respects. I think what you did is right. Don’t listen to Valli on this matter. If you help me, we can get the kingdom back, and hand it over to Vikraman when he returns. If we let the kingdom go now, we will never get it back.”

Ponnan was listening to this with reluctance, but when Marappan mentioned recovering the kingdom for Vikraman’s sake, he began to wonder if he was being sincere. He asked, “What can I do?”

“You don’t have to do anything extraordinary. I heard that Princess Kundavi is visiting Queen Arulmozhi. When she does, you will be rowing her across the river. Whenever you can bring up the topic, talk to her about me. Do you recall Valli’s grandfather’s predictions? The stars seem to be aligned for those predictions to come true. Otherwise, why would Lady Kundavi come here now?”

Ponnan was aware that Queen Arulmozhi had hopes of Vikraman marrying Princess Kundavi. When he recalled it, all the hatred towards Marappan came rushing back. He concealed his disapproval and said, “Of course! When the occasion comes, I will talk to Lady Kundavi about you.”

“I won’t forget your help Ponna! The emperor has summoned me. I am going to meet him tomorrow. He is going to make me the Commander of the Army. It won’t be long before I get control of the Chozha kingdom. I will reward you well at that time.”, said Marappan, and mounted his horse.

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Book 02 - Chapter 18: Ponnan’s Disgrace

The last three days had been tumultuous at Ponnan’s hut.

“I realize I made a mistake and I have said that I regret it. Why do you have to humiliate me by rubbing it in?”, Ponnan asked Valli.

“You realized later it was a mistake. How could you not know at that time that it was a mistake?”, asked Valli.

“It is still not too late. No need for you to harass me like this. My spear is still here, and the emperor is still around”.

“You and your spear! God gave you two hands to row boats. Those hands are not fit to wield a spear”, said Valli with contempt.

The episode that caused friction among the loving couple had taken place a few days prior to this scene. The Emperor and princess Kundavi were on their way to Uraiyur with their entourage. On the way, the emperor stopped near the pier. He said something, pointing to the pier and the golden tower on the spring palace that was peeking through the greenery on the island. Ponnan and Valli were standing outside their hut. The emperor saw them. He gestured to Ponnan to come closer. Ponnan hurried forward, touched his feet and stood with bent head and folded hands. He forgot all his plans of revenge. The charm and grace on the emperor’s face seemed to have hypnotized him into submission.

The emperor had asked, “Are you the oarsman here?”

“Yes sir, your grace… majesty”, Ponnan had stammered.

“Is that the palace Queen Arulmozhi lives in”?

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Princess Kundavi, my child here, may come here to visit Queen Arulmozhi sometime soon. Will you carefully row her across the river?”

“As you command, your majesty!”

The emperor resumed his journey towards Uraiyur after this exchange. Valli heard parts of this exchange from a distance.

Valli looked irate when Ponnan returned to her. She heard the whole exchange from him and started berating him for his behavior. She pointed out that Ponnan betrayed Prince Vikraman by his supplication to the emperor. She called him a traitor. This exchange went on for a few days.

Ponnan could no longer stand the tirade that afternoon. He walked away and sat beneath a tree and started making plans to redeem himself in Valli’s eyes. It was the end of the month of Karthikai (second week of December). It had rained continually for a month. The rain had filled the river and the fields. It had also washed the dust off the foliage, making everything look clean.

The weather was cool and calm, but a storm was raging in Ponnan’s mind. He remembered the same season some ten years prior. King Parthiban, the prince and the queen would visit the palace often. The royal boat was always busy. There used to be many distinguished visitors too. Elephants, horses and ivory palanquins would wait at the mango orchard nearby.

He thought, ‘The place has lost all that activity, perhaps permanently.  No one cares about the pier anymore. The pier must have been cursed. King Parthiban has attained the heaven of warriors. The prince is somewhere far away, suffering who knows what kind of difficulties! The queen seems to be perpetually in tears. No one seems to care about the spring palace, or the pier.’

The one to blame for all these fortunes was that traitor, Marappa Bhupathi! But for his betrayal, Prince Vikraman would be King Vikraman now. Narasimha Varman would have no reason to visit Uriayur. Valli would have had no reason to berate him.

His train of thoughts was broken by hoof-beats. Ponnan looked back, and saw that Marappa Bhupathi was dismounting his horse near the hut.

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Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..

Book 02 - Chapter 17: Kundavi's vow

The emperor and Kundavi were seated on the terrace of the Kanchi palace. It was early part of a night of waning moon. Stars shone brightly. The lighthouse of the Mamallapuram harbor was shining at a distance, competing with the stars. 

There were various sounds from the Shiva and Vishnu temples of Kanchipuram – the sounds of drums, stringed instruments and chants of the devotees. The pleasant breeze carried the fragrance of Champak, Panneer and Parijatam flowers. 

The emperor asked, “My child, why do you look sullen? Are you unwell?”

“I am in fine physical shape father, but my mind is the problem – I’m not in a good mood”.

“The mind is a hard thing to master. Learned people compare it to a mad elephant. They say you should use your brain as a weapon to control it”.

“Father!”

“Yes dear!”

“How did you know I went to visit the Jain monks?”

“If I don’t know what my daughter is up to, how can I keep tabs on this large kingdom?”

“Father, I am going to convert to either Jainism or Buddhism”.

“Why do you say that? What do you have against Shaivism and Vaishnavism?”

“I’m vexed with life. I wish I was not born!”.

“Is it that bad? You went to visit Appar, the saint. Did he not tell you how magnificent life as a human is? He says it is worth being born just to witness the celestial dance of …”.

“Father, please stop. He has gone crazy with devotion. He goes on about the bliss of watching the celestial dance. I don’t want to hear about the dance of the one who created this crazy world”.

The emperor laughed. Kundavi turned her face away.

The emperor asked, “Do you know why I laughed?”

“I was wondering if you have gone crazy as well…”

“No, my child. I am well. The reason I laughed is that I said exactly the same things once upon a time. I disliked the world too. Do you know why?”

“Because I was born as your daughter?”

“No, my child. Your arrival made me love life again. A while before your birth, I hated everything. And that was because I was upset with my father.”

Kundavi smiled, despite herself.

The emperor continued, “I am guessing you are in the same boat now. Are you not upset with me now?”

Kundavi wiped her tears. Looking at the floor, she said, “I don’t have any reason to be angry at you. But I am upset at the injustice that happened under your rule.”

“Is that all Kundavi? If I can render injustice, I have the power to correct it as well. If I come to know I have made a mistake, I will make amends.”

“Really father? If it’s proven that the Chozha prince was not responsible for his actions, will you reverse the sentence?”

“Certainly, dear!”

Kundavi resolved in her mind that she would drag that phony sage by his beard into her father’s court. 

The emperor asked, “Kundavi, why are you lost in thoughts? In two days, I am leaving to Uraiyur. Do you want to come along?”.

“Yes, father. I have a mission there as well. I hope you will not stop me”.

“Mission? Is it a secret, or can you tell me?”

“Not a secret. I want to see Queen Arulmozhi”.

“Will she want to see you?”

“Why wouldn’t she want to see me?”

“Your father deported her son. Don’t you think she will be upset with you?”

“Why should she be upset at me? Was I the one who encouraged her son to commit treason?”

The emperor heard this and told himself that it was his mistake to expect rational arguments from a woman.

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Parthban Kanavu: The Tamil version of the novel is in the public domain. Copyright for the translation is reserved by the translator..

Art by Sujatha Anand