Art Gallery

The Younger Lord Pazluvoor dragged Vandiya Devan to
the audience chamber along with him. The explanation
given by the youth about his conversation with the
Emperor had not completely satisfied him. Perhaps it was
a mistake to have permitted him to meet the Emperor in
privacy. It is routine to suspect him since he is a messenger
from Aditya Karikala. But there is no room for suspicion
since my brother has sent him with the signet ring. Ah! No
one has to advice the Elder about caution in such matters.
Howsoever, the sight of the youth hesitating with a fearfilled
expression, as he entered the bed chamber came
before the Commander's eyes. He remembered very clearly
that the youth had spoken the words "Danger! Danger!" --
Is it possible that the words "Stranger! Stranger!" could
have sounded like "Danger! Danger!" in his ears?
Considering all possibilities it is better that I do not send
him back immediately. After the Elder returns, I must find
out details about him and do the appropriate thing. I must
try and recruit such capable young men in my secret police
corps. He would be useful in times of need. Perhaps I can
procure part of his ancient lands for him. Such young men
will remain beholden and loyal to me if I help them once.
Ah! But if it proven that he is an enemy, I must make
appropriate arrangements. Anyway, for all things, let the
Elder return. Let us see.
Upon reaching the large audience chamber, Vandiya
Devan began looking about here and there anxiously. He
peered again and again at the spot where he had taken out
the letter to give it to the Commander.
Perhaps by accident the other letter, the important letter
has fallen there. If I cannot retrieve that letter there is no
greater fool than me! I shall never be able to meet the
world renowned Princess Kundavai. I shall not be able to
complete half the task assigned to me by Prince Aditya
Karikala.
The Younger Lord Pazluvoor looked at one of his servants
and said, "Lead this young man to our palace. Take him to
our guest house and make all arrangements for his comfort
-- look after him. Wait there till I come."
Vandiya Devan and the servant left. Another servant
approached him and respectfully extended his hand with a
palm leaf roll in it. "This was lying in the corridor on the
way to the Emperor's bed-chamber. It might have fallen
from the waist-belt of the youth who left just now."
The Commander accepted it eagerly and examined it. His
eyebrows shot half way up his forehead in a frown! A
dreadful expression came upon his face.
"Ah ha! A letter written to the Younger Pirati by Aditya
Karikala. In the Prince's own handwriting: -- `... .. you had
asked for a retainer -- a capable, courageous youth for use
in confidential matters; I am sending him to you for that
purpose. You can trust him completely regarding all affairs
and entrust any task to him. He will personally give you
my message and details of the situation here...' -- Ah!
There is some mystery in this! I wonder if the Elder Lord
knows about this letter. I must be more careful in handling
this youngster!" The Commander of Tanjore muttered
these words to himself as he read some parts of the letter.
He beckoned to the servant who had picked up the letter
and whispered some words in his ear. That man
immediately left the audience chamber.
All courtesies and comforts were shown to Vandiya Devan
in the palace of the Younger Lord Pazluvoor. They led him
to a luxurious bath and helped him wear new clothes.
Vandiya Devan who was fond of wearing new fashionable
clothes, dressed himself in the fresh garments with
enthusiasm. He almost forgot his worry about the lost
letter. After he had dressed in the new raiment, they served
him courteously and elegantly with a tasty meal of many
courses. Being hungry, Vandiya Devan did justice to the
meal. Later they led him to the art gallery in that palace.
"Till the Commander returns you can enjoy the beautiful
pictures and art-works in this gallery," said the servant.
After saying this, three men -- guards -- sat down outside
that chamber, near the doorway and began a game of dice.
In those days, Tanjore, the new capital of the Chozla's, was
famous for its art and painting. Just as music and dance were nurtured in Thiru-vai-aru, painting and sculpture
were encouraged in Tanjore.
The art gallery attached to the palace of the Younger Lord
Pazluvoor was famous. Vandiya Devan entered that art
gallery now. He looked again and again at the several large
pictures painted on the walls of that chamber and was
enthralled. He forgot himself in that happiness; he forgot
the task for which he had come.
The portrait gallery on one side, depicting the pictures of
ancient rulers of the Chozla clan and important events in
their history attracted his attention. A large part of that
gallery was given to depict the history over the last
hundred years of the Chozla nation. Those were the
pictures that aroused the greatest interest in Vandiya
Devan.
At this point, the author wishes to briefly remind our
readers of the history and genealogy of the Chozlas who
ruled for hundred years before the times of this story, from
Pazlayarai and Tanjore. It would be very useful to know
these details to understand further incidents in this tale.
We have mentioned earlier about Vijayala Chozla who
bore ninety-six scars of battle wounds like ornaments on
his body. Chozla kings customarily bore the titles
Parakesari and Rajakesari one succeeding the other. After
Parakesari Vijayala, his son Rajakesari Aditya Chozla
came to the throne. He was a deserving son to his father. In
the beginning he fought on the side of the Pallava
monarchs to defeat their common enemy, the Pandiyas and
establish the Chozla entity. Later he engaged in battle
against his former ally the Pallava King Aparajita. Pallava
Aparajita entered the battlefield seated on a howdah atop
an elephant. Aditya jumped onto that war elephant and
fought his enemy, killing him and thus captured all of
Thondai for the Chozlas. Later the Kongu Kingdom came
under Aditya's rule. Rajakesari Aditya I, was an ardent
devotee of Shiva. He constructed several Shiva temples
along the banks of the holy Cauvery -- from the Sahasya
hills where the river rose till it entered the seas in the east.
After Rajakesari Aditya, Parakesari Paranthaka ascended
the Chozla throne. He ruled for forty-six years. Next to
Karikala of the ancient times who had established his tigerflag
over the Himalayas, this Paranthaka was the greatest
of Chozla kings. He had several honors and titles like
"Veera-narayana", "Lover of Poets", "Best among
Wrestlers", "Jewel among the Braves", etc. He was also
known as the `Chozla who took (conquered) Madurai and
Lanka'. Even during the times of this Paranthaka I, the
Chozla nation spread from the shores of Cape Comorin to
the banks of the Krishna-Tungabadra rivers in the north.
For some time the tiger-flag flew over Lanka also. He was
the same Paranthaka who became famous for having
covered the roof of the temple at Chidambaram with gold.
Towards the end of his reign several dangers seized the
Chozla Empire. In those days, the Rashtrakutas who were
very powerful in the north tried to contain the growing powers of the Chozlas. They led an army against the
Chozlas and were successful to some extent.
Paranthaka had at least three sons. The eldest among these
sons was Raja-aditya. Expecting an invasion from the
north, this Raja-aditya waited with a very large army for
several years in Thiru-munai-padi. He constructed the
large Veera Narayana Lake in the name of his father.
A terrible war was fought between the Chozla forces and
the Rashtrakuta armies at a place known as Takkolam near
present day Arakonam. In that battle, Raja-aditya fought
valiantly and showered havoc upon the enemy forces. But,
he lost his life in the battlefield and went to the heavens
meant for braves. He too fought from the howdah of an
elephant like the Pallava Aparajita. Since he died while
riding the battle elephant he was referred to as the `Lord
who reposed atop an elephant' in latter day stoneinscriptions.
If Raja-aditya had not died in the battlefield, he would
have ruled the Chozla nation after his father Paranthaka I.
His descendants would, in the normal course, have
ascended the throne after him. But since he died before
ascending the throne and without any offspring, his brother
Gandara Aditya was crowned as king with the title of
Rajakesari according to the wishes of their father.
Like his father and grand-father, Gandara Aditya was a
devotee and follower of Shiva. In addition, he was fond of
Tamil literature. In fact, he did not have much interest in
ruling his nation for he was more involved in worship at
temples and in enjoyment of poetry. Following the
tradition of the Saiva Nayanmar saints, he composed
several devotional poems on God Shiva. In an anthology
of these poems known as Thiru-isai-pa he refers to himself
towards the end:
Like his noble Sire who covered
The roof of the dancer at Chidambaram with red gold,
May Gandara Aditya, monarch of flourishing Kozli,
Lord of the people of Tanjore, expert in exquisite Tamil verse,
May he attain everlasting greatness and happiness.
Though the kings after Vijayala Chozla ruled from
Pazlayarai and Tanjore, they did not forget their rights to
their ancient capital Uraiyoor, which was also called Kozli
(rooster). Chozla monarchs styled themselves as `Rooster
Kings.'
Though Gandara Aditya sat on the Chozla throne and ruled
in name, his younger brother Arinjaya took care of the
governing of the nation. Arinjaya had been stationed in the
northern provinces helping his eldest brother Raja-aditya.
He fought bravely in the battles against the Rashtrakutas.
He was the instrument for turning the terrible defeat of the
Chozla armies at Takkolam into a victory by stopping the
invading forces at the northern banks of River Pennar.
Therefore, Rajakesari Gandara Aditya chose his younger
brother Arinjaya as the Crown Prince and designated him as his successor to the throne. There was another important
reason for this decision of Gandara Aditya. His first wife
had died several years before he came to inherit the throne.
After her death, Gandara Aditya had not married again for
several years. However, his younger brother Arinjaya
already had a handsome, capable and intelligent son.
That son named after his grandfather Paranthaka, was
known as Sundara -- the name bestowed on him by the
people. Gandara Aditya willed that after him his brother
Arinjaya, and after Arinjaya, Sundara should succeed to
the Chozla throne. He obtained the approval of all the
leaders of the land, the chieftains, the commanders, the
chiefs of the cities and guilds, and announced his
intentions publicly.
After all such arrangements were made, a surprising
incident occurred in his life. He happened to meet the
young daughter, of a petty chieftain named Mazlava-raya.
The beauty, modesty, virtue and piety of that jewel among
maids, Sembiyan Madevi, attracted him. In his advanced
age he married that young maid. As a result of this
marriage a child was born in due course. They named the
child Madurandaka and cherished him. But, both the King
as well as the Queen did not wish to change any of the
arrangements they had made earlier about the kingdom.
The couple were both involved in piety, devotion and
renouncement of the world; they wished to raise their son
in a similar ascetic fashion. Once again the King
proclaimed his wish that after him, his brother Arinjaya and Arinjaya's descendants should have the right to ascend
the Chozla throne.
Thus, bypassing the two lines of the elder brothers Rajaaditya
and Gandara Aditya, the line of Arinjaya Chozla
became heirs to the Chozla throne.
Parakesari Arinjaya who ruled after Gandara Aditya, did
not live for a long time. Within one year he followed his
elder brothers to the heavenly abodes.
After him, the citizens, chieftains, leaders and guildsmen
happily crowned Prince Sundara as their king. Rajakesari
Paranthaka Sundara Chozla was an able ruler of the
kingdom that came to him by good fortune. In the early
years of his reign he performed various deeds of valor and
once again acquired the lost Pandiya and Thondai
Territories. He drove away the Rashtrakuta armies from
the banks of the Pennar.
Aditya Karikala and Arulmozli Varma, the two sons of
Emperor Sundara Chozla, were able warriors and worthy
sons of their father. Both sons cooperated and helped their
father with complete devotion. These sons had experienced
battlefield and war at very young ages. In every campaign
they participated, the Goddess of Victory stood on the side
of the Chozlas.