Chapter 19 - The Dark Side

In ancient Tamil Nadu, it is customary to erect a temple with a heroic stone in memory of the great warriors who died in the battlefield. If only a stone is erected as a souvenir, it is called 'Nadukkal Temple'. Also, if an idol of any deity is installed and erected as a temple, it is called 'Pallipadai'.

There was a Pallipadai temple near the village of Tirupurampayam on the northern bank of the river Manniar, half a mile to the northwest of Kudanthai. It was taken in memory of the Ganga king Prithivipati who died in a great battle in that region. Those who know the history of the world know that the course of history changed through some battles like the battle of Waterlur, the battle of Panipeth and the battle of Plassey. For Tamil Nadu, the battle of Thirupurampayam is of such importance. That battle took place nearly a hundred years before our story. Its history should be known to all the Tamil people.

After the time when Chola kings like 'Karikal Valavan', Perunarkilli, Ilanchet Chenni, Thodithode Sembian and others ruled the Chola country with great glory, the glory of the Chola tribe was engulfed by a prolonged eclipse for about five to six hundred years. The Pandyas in the south and the Pallavas in the north became powerful and pressed the Cholas. At last the Cola tribe could not bear the harassment of the Pandyas and had to leave Uraiyur, their capital for a long time. They reached Pazhaiyarai near Kudanthai. However, they did not give up their right to be their capital. He did not give up the title of 'Chancellor of the Chicken'.

Vijayalaya Chola was the greatest of the Chola kings of Pazhaiyar. He had fought in the forefront in many battlefields and received ninety-six wounds on his body. He was sung by later court poets as 'Enkonda ninety's more than two and three wounded victorious patrons' and 'Punnuru thanrirumeniyil poonaga ninety and six sumanthonum'. His son Athitha Chola was a great warrior equal to his father. He also participated in many battles and became famous.

Vijayalaya Cholar had reached old age and had retired after crowning his son. At that time there was enmity between the Pandyas and the Pallavas and there were frequent fights. The Pandya king of that period was known as Varagunavarman. The Pallava king was known as Aparajithavarman. The battles between these two emperors took place mostly in the Chola country. Cholanadu suffered like a caught in the middle of an elephant and an elephant fight. The people of Chola Nadu suffered. However, Vijayalaya Chola took advantage of these wars. In every battle he went to one party or the other with his small army. Despite the alternation of victories and defeats, the Chola country was militant.

Everyone knows that many tributaries of the river Kaveri are carving off and enriching the Chola kingdom. All these tributaries branch off south of Cauvery. There is only one river that separates from Kollidam and flows between Cauvery and Kollidam. It is called Manniaru. The final test of strength between the Pandyas and the Pallavas took place on the northern bank of this river near Tirupurampayam village. The force on both sides was more or less equal. Pallava Aparajithavarman was accompanied by Prithivipati of Ganga. Athitha Chola had also joined the party of Aparajithavarman.

Compared to the Pandya and Pallava armies, the Chola army was very small, but Aditya knew that if the Pandyan won this time, the Chola dynasty would be completely destroyed. Therefore, like the river Kaveri flowing into the big ocean, he had joined his small army in the great army of the Pallavas.

The battlefield was spread far from Kadha to Kadha. The four types of armies, Ratha, Gaja, Turaka and Padadis, were engaged in battle. When the elephants attacked each other like a mountain to a mountain, all the four directions shook. The spears in the hands of the horsemen shone like flashes of lightning as the horses leapt upon each other like a storm against a storm. The chariot collided with the chariot and flew in all directions. When swords clashed with the swords of foot soldiers, and spears with spears, all the sparks trembled with the noise of thunder. After three days of incessant fighting, the battlefield was full of blood. There were patches of dead elephants and horses in the sea. Parts of the wrecked chariots floated like planks of a capsized ship on the sea. Tens of thousands of men lay dead on both sides.

After three days of this fierce battle, only a part of the Pallava army remained. The rest were also very tired. The brave Maravars of Pandya Nadu attacked more and more as if they had received boons who knew no fatigue. Mantra consultation took place in Aparajithavarman's tent. The three kings, Aparajita, Prathivipati and Aditya, were consulted by the commanders of the army. They decided that they could no longer resist and that it was better to retreat to the northern shore of Kollidam.

In such a situation, a miracle happened on the battlefield. Vijayalaya Cholan, who was weak due to old age, who had ninety scars on his body and who had lost the strength to stand up due to a severe wound on his legs, somehow reached the battlefield. The roar of the old lion who knew that if the Pallava army retreated to the north of Kollidam, the Chola kingdom would not be able to regain its prowess for long, revived the remaining soldiers of the Pallava party.

"An elephant! Give me an elephant!"

"Our elephant army is completely destroyed; Not a single one escaped."

"Bring me a horse, at least a horse!" he said.

They said: "Not a single live horse remains."

"Are there any two pure warriors of Chola Nadu still alive? Come, if you are!" screamed Vijayalaya.

Instead of two, two hundred people came forward.

"Two people with pain in their shoulders and manure in their chests, pick me up on your shoulders. The others keep coming back two by two. If two of my bearers fall, the two behind me pick me up!" said the brave warrior. Thus two Bhimasena came forward and took Vijayalaya on their shoulders.

"போங்கள்! போர் முனைக்குப் போங்கள்!" என்று கர்ஜித்தான்.

போர்களத்தில் ஓரிடத்தில் இன்னமும் சண்டை நடந்து கொண்டிருந்தது. தெற்கத்தி மறவர்கள் கீழைநாட்டாரைத் தாக்கிப் பின்வாங்கச் செய்து கொண்டே வந்தார்கள். இருவருடைய தோள்களில் அமர்ந்த விஜயாலயன் அந்தப் போர் முனைக்குப் போனான். இரண்டு கைகளிலும் இரண்டு நீண்ட வாள்களை வைத்துக் கொண்டு திருமாலின் சக்ராயுதத்தைப் போல் சுழற்றிக் கொண்டு, எதிரிகளிடையே புகுந்தான். அவனைத் தடுக்க யாராலும் முடியவில்லை. அவன் புகுந்து சென்ற வழியெல்லாம் இருபுறமும் பகைவர்களின் உடல்கள் குவிந்து கொண்டேயிருந்தன.

ஆம்; இந்த அதிசயத்தைப் பார்ப்பதற்காகப் பின்வாங்கிய வீரர்கள் பலரும் முன்னால் வந்தார்கள். விஜயாலயனுடைய அமானுஷ்ய வீரத்தைக் கண்டு முதலில் சிறிது திகைத்து நின்றார்கள். பிறகு ஒருவரையொருவர் உற்சாகப்படுத்திக் கொண்டு தாங்களும் போர்முனையில் புகுந்தார்கள். அவ்வளவுதான்; தேவி ஜயலக்ஷ்மியின் கருணாகடாட்சம் இந்தப் பக்கம் திரும்பி விட்டது.

The Pallava commanders gave up the idea of retreating to the northern bank of Kollidam. The three kings entered the front, surrounded by their various soldiers. After a while, the Pandya soldiers started retreating. The Ganga king Prativipati, after performing many deeds in the battle, established his fame on the battlefield and went to the heaven of heroes. In memory of such a hero, the heroic stone was erected in those battles. Then they took the pallipadai temple.

The battlefield where such a cruel and terrible battle took place remained uncovered for some time. People don't go that way. After a while the forest began to grow there. The forest around the Pallipadai temple was thick and foxes were inhabited in the bushes. Owls and goats lived in the dark tree branches. Eventually, no one went to the temple. Therefore, the temple was also decaying day by day. It was in ruins at the time of our story.

Azhvarkadiyan arrived at this ruined Pallipadai temple at dark. The goblins on the edge of the upper porch of the temple tried to frighten him. But is that brave Vaishnava Shikhamani the one who is afraid? He jumped on to the Pallipadai temple hall. He sat down under the cover of a branch of a tree on the porch. He was looking all around. His eyes had the power to pierce through the dense darkness. His ears were equally sharp enough to hear the faintest music.

இருட்டி ஒரு நாழிகை; இரண்டு நாழிகை; மூன்று நாழிகையும் ஆயிற்று. சுற்றிலும் சூழ்ந்திருந்த அந்தகாரம் அவனை அடியோடு அமுக்கி, மூச்சுத் திணறச் செய்தது. அவ்வப்போது காட்டு மரங்களினிடையே சலசலவென்று ஏதோ சத்தம் கேட்டது. அதோ ஒரு மரநாய் மரத்தின் மேல் ஏறுகிறது! அதோ ஒரு ஆந்தை உறுமுகிறது! இந்தப் பக்கம் ஒரு கோட்டான் கூவுகிறது! மரநாய்க்குப் பயந்து ஒரு பறவை சடசடவென்று சிறகை அடித்துக் கொண்டு மேல் கிளைக்குப் பாய்கிறது. அதோ, நரிகள் ஊளையிடத் தொடங்கி விட்டன. தலைக்கு மேலே ஏதோ சத்தம் கேட்டது. அண்ணாந்து பார்த்தான்; அணிலோ, ஓணானோ, அல்லது அத்தகைய வேறொரு சிறிய பிராணியோ மரக்கிளைகளின் மீது தாவி ஏறிற்று.

மரக்கிளைகளின் இடுக்குகளின் வழியாக வானத்தில் ஒரு சிறு பகுதி தெரிந்தது. விண்மீன்கள் 'முணுக்', 'முணுக்'கென்று மின்னிக் கொண்டு கீழே எட்டிப் பார்த்தன. அந்தத் தனிமை மிகுந்த கனாந்தகாரத்தினிடையே வானத்து நட்சத்திரங்கள் அவனுடன் நட்புரிமை கொண்டாடுவதுபோல் தோன்றின. எனவே, ஆழ்வார்க்கடியான் மரக்கிளைகளின் வழியாக எட்டிப் பார்த்த நட்சத்திரங்களைப் பார்த்து மெல்லிய குரலில் பேசினான்;

"Oh! O stars! You look as if you are winking and laughing at the foolishness of the people of the earth. You have reason to laugh. You have seen the great war that took place in this very place a hundred years ago, and the blood that flowed here for a long time after the war. You wonder why people hate each other like this. You wonder why human blood should be spilled like this. This is called heroism. "

"They still hate a man a hundred years after his death! This school army is the enemys school! The enemy is going to gather near the school and think. To persecute the living in the name of the dead! O stars of the sky! Why wouldn't you laugh? Have a good laugh!

"Oh my God! Was it in vain to come here? Is the night going to go on like this? Aren't the expected people going to come here? Was it wrong to hear me? Am I not listening properly? Or have the Machahasta signallers changed their mind and gone elsewhere? What disappointment? If I were deceived today, I would never be able to forgive myself... Aa! There's a little light there! What is that? The light disappears; Again, no doubt. Theres a man with a torch! No, two people are coming, waiting is not in vain..."

The two men crossed the school plaza and went a little farther away. They stopped in the middle of a dense forest. One sat down; The man with the spin in his hand was looking around. No doubt he was expecting someone, and in a little while two more came. They must have been to this place before; Otherwise, would he be able to find his way in this darkness, in this dense forest?

Those who came first and those who came later said something. But Azhvarkadiyan did not hear it. 'Oh no, it seems that all this trouble is of no use! I don't even know the identity of the people!'

Then two more came; The first and the last spoke to each other. One of the last men had brought a bag in his hand. He untied it and poured out its contents. Gold coins glittered in the flickering light.

The stinger laughed like a madman and said, "Friends! We are going to disturb the Chola kingdom with the treasure of Chola Nadu! Isn't that funny?" and he burst out laughing again.

"Ravidas! Don't make noise; Let's talk a little slower," said one.

"Aha! What is it like to talk like this here? Only foxes, wolves, crows and gotans will listen to us! Luckily they don't tell anyone! Ravithasan said.

"Wouldn't it be better to speak a little slower, though?"

Then they began to talk softly. Azhvarkadiyan felt that it was useless to sit on the mandapam without listening to them. You have to get down from the hall and stand near the meeting place and listen to the eavesdropping. We have to deal with the danger that comes with it – when Azhvarkadiyan tried to get down from the mandapam thinking this, his body brushed against the branches of the tree and there was a rustling sound.

Two of the men who were talking suddenly jumped up and roared, "Who's there?"

Azhvarkadiyan's heart stopped beating for a while. They had no choice but to flee without being caught. Even if you run, you can hear the rustling in the forest! They might come and catch him, wouldn't they? At that moment, a gotan spread out its whip and slapped it and growled, "Oooooooooo