Vikraman was crowned as the independent ruler of the Chozha kingdom on an auspicious day. He wed Kundavi on another auspicious day.
When he sought Emperor Narasimha Varman’s blessings, the emperor
said, “My child, you should always act as a worthy son of King Parthiban. Let
the Almighty bless you with the required strength”. He struck the same
note when Kundavi touched his feet – “Stay blessed! Always act as the daughter
of Emperor Narasimhan and the worthy daughter-in-law of King Parthiban!”.
While Vikraman and Kundavi sat on the throne, the Chozha country
excelled in all respects. The country was blessed with regular rains and
enjoyed the conditions to grow three crops a year. Every village had Shiva and
Vishnu temples constructed. Art and sculpture flourished. Goddess Lakshmi
and Goddess Saraswati roamed the banks of Kaveri together.
Despite all this, King Parthiban’s dream did not truly materialize
during that time. Vikraman’s fame paled against the glory of Emperor Narasimha
Varman, just as planets fade in sunlight. Tales of Parthiban’s death, and
Vikraman’s brave deeds spread far and wide, but they only added to the
Emperor’s glory.
The Pallava rule did not fade away after Narasimha Varman’s time.
While the Pallavas remained dominant, the Chozha kingdom remained constrained
to a small region. However, Vikraman and his successors did not forget
Parthiban’s dreams. They showed the paintings in the Uraiyur art gallery to
their children and kept reminding them of their significance.
The Chozha country gained prominence about three hundred years later, under the rule of Rajaraja Chozha
and later, his son Rajendra Chozha. In that era, it eclipsed
the Pallava kingdom. The Chozhas traversed north to the banks of the Ganges,
south to Sri Lanka and East to Kadeh and Malaysia, and unfurled the tiger flag.
Their ships sailed bearing the tiger flag, and captured such distant lands such
as Malaya and Java. Temples and towers stood tall, symbolizing the rising fame
of the Chozha kings. They still stand as glorious reminders of that era.
Thus, Parthiban’s dreams came true three centuries after his
death.
THE END
Click here for the audiobook version
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.
Thank you so much for this Translation
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ReplyDeleteBeautiful, excellently retold.
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ReplyDeleteThank u sir, such a wonderful translation, very nice translation sir!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ms. Reddy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a splendid translation! Thank you for making the story accessible to people who do not know Tamizh.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words Abhijeet! If you have specific suggestions for improvement, I'd like to hear them. I'd also appreciate you sharing the link with your friends who might be interested.
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