Chapter 27 - The Jungle Trail

Colonel Poothi Vikrama Kesari, the Periya Velar of Kodumbalur, was an old and experienced man; He has also eaten fruit and nuts on many battlefields. He had a close friendship and relationship with the Chola tribe. His brother Kodumbalur Siriya Velar attained heroic heaven on the battlefield of Lanka a few years ago. The army that went with him was also defeated and had to return. He was very angry to wipe away the blame and re-establish the heroism of Kodumbalur. That is why, though he was a little older, he had come there as the commander of the Ceylonese army.

Haven't we already seen about the difficulties caused by the Pazhuvertaraiyars in not being able to conduct the Ilankai war well? The rivalry and rivalry between the two princes which had existed for a long time had now grown greater. Therefore, Vandhiyathevan's song caught with the Pazhuvur sealed seal must have gone to Colonel Periya Velar. Fortunately he had to mention this to Anirutha Brahmarayar. When Aniruthar came to know the truth about Vandhiyathevan from Azhvarkadiyan, he sent him urgently to go to Colonel Poothi Vikrama Kesari and tell him the truth.

Colonel Poothi Vikrama Kesari must have made a good impression of the brave son of the Varnar tribe who was looking him up and down. In a loving voice, he said, "Brother! Have you been properly taken care of here? Did you get food and a place to stay?"

"Yes, Colonel! They made sure that there was no shortcoming. Five or six footmen were always waiting at the door to carry out the order, and lodging was ample. A cat was sent to supper. Just as I was about to eat it, I got angry when I saw this brave Vaishnava. He scratched him with his claw and ran away!"

The colonel said, "Oh! This child is such a funny boy! Thirumalai! Is what he says true?"

"Colonel! His ancestors were poets. Therefore, he also has a lot of imagination. Otherwise, what he says is true. Where I went to see him, a cat scratched my hands and feet!" said Azhvarkadiyan.

Seeing the blood wounds on his body, Colonel Poothi Vikrama Kesari burst out laughing.

"A cat has made you suffer like this! Good luck! This soldier has been your guide to the forest path ..."

"Colonel! I don't need a escort. My cane is enough. It was a mistake that I went to see him without taking it..."

"Then be his guide! Feed him properly before you leave, and then leave! Younger brother! Now there is little food in Sri Lanka. Mahinthan's army soldiers have broken the banks of all the lakes and tanks here. So farming is not doing well. There are no people to do the farming. The people of this country are starving. How will our soldiers get food? We don't send enough rice from our country either..."

"Colonel! That's something I know. When the junior stateswoman passed through the Pazhaiyarai Veera barracks, I heard the women complaining to her. 'Our husbands and children are starving in Ilankai!' they complained..."

"Oh! Did they know this there too? Good good! What did the junior stateswoman say to that?"

"As long as Colonel Periya Velar is in Ilankai, he will not let our soldiers die of starvation; He told me not to worry..."

"Aha! Did the junior stateswoman say that? Many famous virgins have been born in many royal families in the world. But there is no one equal to our junior stateswoman ..."

"There's a princess next to you, General!"

"Who's that, brother?"

"Kodumbalur princess is Vanathi Devi!"

"Aha! This child is very wicked. His imagination seems to mesmerize me. Younger brother! Did you see our family lamp in Pazhaiyarai?"

"I saw it, sir! How can you not see someone who is not separated from the junior stateswoman? Both of them came on the elephant to see them off from the doctor's house. Just as light does not separate a lamp, fragrance of flowers and shadow of a body, Vanathi Devi does not part from the junior stateswoman ..."

"Oh no! This child is very clever! Thirumalai! Take him to our treasure house and give him the necessary clothes and ornaments!"

"Sir! Let everything remain in the treasure for the present, and I'll take it when I go back."

"Brother! About the girl of our house, about Vaanathi, – Didn't the junior stateswoman send me a message—?"

"Colonel! I don't want to lie to you."

"Never lie to anyone, brother!"

"Please make an exception in the case of this Veera Vaishnava. Colonel; My head will explode if I tell him the truth..."

"Don't, don't... The junior stateswoman didn't send me anything!"

"I didn't send you a message. But..."

"But, what?"

"They have sent it to whomever it needs to be sent. They have instructed me to tell the prince some news about Vanathi Devi in person..."

"I have never seen a clever child like you!" said the colonel and hugged Peria Velar Vandhiyathevan to his chest. Then, "Okay; Don't waste any more time; Depart!"

"Sir! Does this brave Vaishnava have to come with me? Can't I go alone without him?"

"What do you mind if he comes?"

"I don't mind. The knife that is inserted in my waist is a pure Veerashaiva sword. It has been asking for 'Veera Vaishnava blood' for a long time. I see that if it gets out in spite of me, it will be dangerous for him."

"Then leave that knife here and get another one! If Thirumalai does not come with you, you will not find the prince. No one knows where he is. He also brings an important letter to give to the prince. So it was better for the two of them to go together! Don't spoil things by fighting with each other on the way!"

இவ்விதம் சொல்லிவிட்டுப் பெரிய வேளார் மறுபடியும் வந்தியத்தேவனை அருகில் அழைத்து அவன் காதோடு இரகசியமாகச் சொன்னார்.

"தம்பி! இவனால் உன் காரியத்துக்கு இடைஞ்சல் ஒன்றும் நேராது. ஆனாலும் ஜாக்கிரதையாகவே இரு! இளவரசரிடம் இவன் என்ன செய்தி சொல்லுகிறான் என்பதைத் தெரிந்து வந்து என்னிடம் சொல்லு!"

ஆழ்வார்க்கடியானைத் தனக்கு ஒற்றனாகப் பின்னோடு அனுப்புகிறார்கள் என்று முதலில் வந்தியத்தேவன் எண்ணியிருந்தான். இப்போது அவனுக்குத் தான் ஒற்றன் என்று ஏற்பட்டது. இந்த நிலைமை வந்தியத்தேவனுக்கு மிகவும் பிடித்திருந்தது.

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வந்தியத்தேவன் ஆழ்வார்க்கடியானும் இரண்டு வீரர்கள் துணையுடன் அன்றிரவே புறப்பட்டார்கள். பிரயாணம் தொடங்கி இரண்டு நாள் கிழக்கு நோக்கிச் சென்றார்கள். முதலில் கொஞ்சதூரம் ஊர்ப்புறங்களாக இருந்தன. ஓரளவு ஜன நடமாட்டமும் இருந்தது. வர வரக் காட்டுப் பிரதேசமாக மாறி வந்தது. முதலில் குட்டை மரங்கள் நிறைந்த காடாயிருந்தது. பின்னர் வானை அளாவிய பெரிய மரங்கள் அடர்ந்த அரண்யங்களாக மாறின. இடையிடையே ஏரிகள் தென்பட்டன. ஆனால் அவற்றின் கரைகள் பல இடங்களில் இடிந்து கிடந்தன. தண்ணீர் நாலாபுறமும் ஓடிப்போய் ஏரிகள் வறண்டு கிடந்தன. கழனியில் பயிர் செய்யப்படாமல் கிடந்தன. இன்னும் ஓரிடத்தில் விசாலமான பிரதேசத்தில் தண்ணீர் தேங்கியிருந்தது. பாலாவி நதியின் கரை வெட்டப் பட்டபடியால் அதன் தண்ணீர் நதியோடு போகாமல் வெளியில் கண்டபடி சிதறிச் சென்று அப்படித் தண்ணீர்த் தேக்கம் உண்டானதாகத் தெரிந்தது.

இந்தக் காட்சிகளையெல்லாம் பார்த்துக்கொண்டு அவர்கள் சென்றார்கள். நீடித்த யுத்தத்தினால் அந்தப் பிரதேசத்தில் ஏற்பட்டிருந்த அழிவுகளைப் பற்றி ஆழ்வார்க்கடியான் வந்தியத்தேவனுக்கு எடுத்துச் சொல்லிக்கொண்டு போனான். யுத்தம் எவ்வளவு கொடுமையானது என்று அடிக்கடி அவன் கூறினான். அதைப்பற்றி இருவருக்கும் விவாதம் பலமாக நடந்தது.

Two days later the direction of the journey changed. Those who had gone east now turned south. As time went on, the area became denser. The plains were replaced by rocks and small hills. Farther on, huge mountain ranges could be seen with sky-high peaks. The appearance of the forest was becoming more and more terrifying. The sweet voices of the birds were mingled with some unknown and hideous sounds.

There was talk of the dangers posed by wild beasts in such forest passages. Azhvarkadiyan said that there are animals like foxes, leopards, bears and elephants in those forests.

"Isn't it dangerous if a pack of foxes comes?" asked Vandhiyathevan. He remembered the terrible dream he had in Kadampoor palace.

"A single fox's howling is more dangerous than a pack of foxes," said Azhvarkadiyan.

"How's that, Swamigal?"

"In these forests, the fox and the leopard go hunting together. The leopard will be lurking around. The fox runs here and there in search of prey. When it sees a man or a deer, it howls in one voice. Immediately the leopard will pounce and kill him. The fox who works as a spy for the leopard is called 'Ori' ..."

While they were thus talking, they heard the sound of the sea roaring in the distance.

"கடற்கரையிலிருந்து வெகு தூரம் வந்துவிட்டோ மே? இது என்ன சத்தம்?" என்று வந்தியத்தேவன் கேட்டான்.

"பக்கத்தில் எங்கேயோ ஏரி அல்லது குளம் இருக்க வேண்டும். அதில் தண்ணீர் குடிப்பதற்கு யானைமந்தை வருகிறதுபோல் தோன்றுகிறது!" என்றான் ஆழ்வார்க்கடியான்.

"ஐயையோ! யானை மந்தையில் நாம் அகப்பட்டுக் கொண்டால்…!"

"அதைப் பற்றிக் கொஞ்சமும் பயமில்லை. மந்தையில் வரும் யானைகள் நம்மை ஒன்றும் செய்துவிடமாட்டா. நாம் ஒதுங்கி நின்றால் அவை நம்மைத் திரும்பி கூடப் பாராமல் வழியோடு போய்விடும்!"

By this time one of the soldiers who had accompanied them had climbed a tree and looked in all directions.

"Sir! Sir! The lone elephant is coming! Religious elephant! It is breaking the trees and destroying them!" he shouted.

"Alas! What an embarrassment this is! How does it escape!" said Azhvarkadiyan in panic and looked around.

"You said you were not afraid of herd elephants. Why is a single elephant so scared!" asked Vandhiyathevan.

"Uncle! A single elephant is equal to a thousand ordinary elephants. No one can resist its ferocity..."

"Three of us have spears in their hands. You have a stick in your hand!"

"A thousand spears cannot resist a religious elephant. If we climb on it, we may escape and run!"

Saying this, Azhvarkadiyan ran towards the hill. The others followed. But when they had run a short distance they saw a deep and steep valley ahead. The valley was between where they stood and the hill some distance away. They stopped at the edge of the canyon. The elephant was approaching them very fast. Its frenzy must have increased at the sight of humans. It was a wonder that when the religious elephant blew with its trunk, the cosmic crates did not explode in its sound. The four men covered their ears. They scattered to one side of their heads.

The elephant came closer; It got closer and closer. It seemed to be coming towards the place where Azhvarkadiyan was standing, aiming at him. If he takes two more steps away, Azhvarkadiyan will fall into the abyss. Nor is it comfortable to run sideways. The vegetation was thick; Is it possible to run away?

Vandhiyathevan took the work in hand. But it seemed to him that even Indras thunderbolt would not be able to stop the speed of that mad elephant at that moment. The hand that held the work became weak and weary.

At that time, Azhvarkadiyan's action made Vandhiyathevan laugh on one side. Holding his stick in his hand, he said, "Stop, stop! Stand still! You came up and lost! I will kill you and dig a hole in you! Be careful!" shouted Azhvarkadiyan looking at the mad elephant!