Chapter 47: The Captain’s Death

Oomai Rani on horseback

It is easy to guess who the woman riding the horse’s bareback was. The Prince immediately went near the horse along with Poonguzhali. The others lingered back watching and wondering how a woman could tame and ride an Arab horse with such ease.

Oomai Rani got down from the horse and cast a worrying glance at the Commander, Vaishnavan and the soldiers behind then. She then proceeded to speak with Poonguzhali in sign language.

“My aunt has seen something strange in the forest. She wants us to accompany us,” said Poonguzhali.

The Prince immediately decided to leave with her and asked her whether he is allowed to bring the others. Oomai Rani thought for a moment and then nodded her assent and they journeyed towards South East direction through the thick forest. As they followed her deep into the forest, they had to hurry to keep up with her and the Prince’s eagerness increased with each step. He intuitively knew that something of importance has happened or else Oomai Rani wouldn’t take him on such a long journey through the dangerous woods. The reason for this was soon upon them.

In a small clearing through the woods, they noticed bodies of slain men, soldiers and sailors savagely cut with bleeding wounds and the rotting stink of dead men. The Commander and the Prince who has seen countless wars were astonished by the savagery of the enemy who had cut down the men mercilessly.

The Prince looked around immediately and shouted, “Quick! Quick! See if someone is alive,”

The commander and his soldiers immediately checked the bodies of the sailors for life. Oomai Rani led the Prince through the clearing and under a tree was a man resting his head on the bark of the tree. His body was fully covered with wounds and blood. He had been dealt with a deathly gash on his head from which blood had oozed all over his body. He opened his eyes with difficulty and looked at the Prince piteously. He tried to speak something and with difficulty opened his mouth.

The Prince went near him and carefully held him in his arms saying, “Someone get him water, now!”

“No. I don’t want water. This woman gave me some just a while ago. If she had not come here on time, I would have died. Ayya! I came here with the treasonous intent of arresting you and the Gods have punished me justly,”

The Prince who recognized him after hearing his voice, said, “Ah! Kalapathy! (Those days, the captains of ships were called Kalapathy, just as army commanders were called Dalapathy) What are you saying? How did this catastrophe happen? I cannot believe that you tried to betray me!”

“Ayya! I led two ships here on Pazhuvetarayar’s command to arrest you. Here is the royal decree with Chakravarthy’s seal,” said Kalapathy and took out an Oolai from his waistcloth.

The Prince glanced over the Oolai and said, “What treason did you do here? You followed the orders of Chakravarthy. When I learned that you are here, I hastened to meet you, to give myself up. Who attacked you? Tell me quickly!”

The Kalapathy then told everything that happened after he arrived in Elangai. He left for Elangai from Nagapattinam on two ships laden with sailors and soldiers. His heart was not in the task but he couldn’t say no to direct orders from the king. Pazhuvetarayar too had issued a few orders before he left. They asked him to anchor the ships at a safe secluded place and meet the Prince with Chakravarthy’s Oolai. They also cautioned him about Kodumbalur Periya Vellar and that he should not learn about his intentions to arrest the Prince under any circumstance. They asked him to find the Prince’s whereabouts first and then give him Chakravarthy’s message. They didn’t expect the Prince to revolt but if he did, the Kalapathy had orders to arrest him with force. Next Pazhuvetarayar provided him with a few of his own men to help the Kalapathy to fulfil his order.

The Kalapathy took the ships onto the sea with a heavy heart. His men had no inkling as to why they were going to Elangai and this made his mission all the more difficult. He knew that he would have to reveal the true nature of their mission to his crew when they neared their destination but he hesitated fearing the consequences. When they reached Thondaimaan river, he left for Gangasenan Sea Port to learn about the Prince’s whereabouts. He learnt that the Prince was near Anuradhapuram at the Port and then hurried back to his ship.

When he returned to the ship, he learned that Pazhuvetarayar’s men had revealed the true reason of their voyage. Kalapathy’s sailors swarmed around him asking him to confirm whether they would arrest the Prince. Kalapathy tried to pacify them saying, “We have sworn our service and sword to the King’s service and the King has ordered us to imprison his son and bring him back to Thanjavur. We cannot defy his orders,”

“We cannot do that. These are not Chakravarthy’s orders. These are Pazhuvetarayar’s orders!”

“What will you do then? Will you defy the Chakravarthy’s orders?”

“We will go to Maanthodham and surrender our service to the Prince,”

“But the Prince is not in Maanthodham,”

“If that is so, then we will surrender to Kodumbalur Periya Vellar,”

Kalapathy tried to convince them to give up this mutiny but they refused and a handful of Pazhuvetarayar’s men agreed to stay with him. With just ten men supporting him, it was impossible to sway the minds of over 200 men.

“If you are resolved to do this folly then leave now. I will not shirk my duties to my King and defy his orders,”

The mutinous sailors then took charge of one of the ships. At first they wanted to take the ship to Maanthodham but the others rejected the idea. Later, they decided to go there through land and in their hurry to leave, they failed to anchor the ship properly. The ship moved towards the land and ran aground.

After the sailors left, Kalapathy didn’t want to linger around their ship. So he moved his ship to a secluded cove and anchored it. He had heard a disturbing rumour about an Arab ship that sank near the Gangasena port. He had learned that fierce pirates from that ship were roaming around the region.

Kalapathy then decided to travel by land to meet the Prince and he wanted the remaining men to guard the ship safely until his return. The sailors were disheartened by the turn of events and Kalapathy was trying to pacify their concerns when they were attacked.

Just as he feared, the Arab pirates surrounded them and attacked them fiercely. The Kalapathy and his men who were not prepared for this attack and were unarmed. The pirates slaughtered them mercilessly and captured their ship.

“My prince! I alone escaped their deadly attack with grievous wounds. I wanted to tell someone about what happened to us. Thankfully through God’s grace I met you. I got my just rewards for my treasonous acts. Ponniyin Selva! Please forgive me!”

“Kalapathy! You did your duty even during the most perilous times. Why do you ask my forgiveness? If there is a heaven for brave souls, you have earned a seat of respect there,” Said the Prince and touched the forehead of the wounded captain. Overcome with gratitude and pain, Kalapathy clutched the hands of the Prince and gave up his life.

Chapter 22: Senthen Amuthan in the Prison

The mint where the Chola Kingdom made its coinage was as heavily guarded as the Thanjavur fort. That evening, Kundavai and Vanathi made their way through its heavily guarded corridors even as the goldsmiths were departing after a hard day’s work. The guards checked each of the goldsmiths thoroughly before letting them leave. When the guards and the goldsmiths noticed the arrival of the Princesses, they raised a cheer, “Long live Elaya Piratti!” The commander of the Mint and the Dungeons came hurriedly to welcome them. He showed them the fire smithy where the gold was melted and the moulds bearing the ensign of a tiger and the image of a ship. Mounds of freshly minted gold coins lay on one side and their glint caught the light of the lamps dazzling the onlookers.

 

Chola coins

“See Vanathi! For many centuries, gold has been coming to our kingdom from all our conquered lands. So long, it was the womenfolk who had to bear the burden of this gold as ornaments and trinkets. Thankfully that time is past now as our Dhanadhigari (Royal Treasurer) started minting the gold into coins,”

“Akka!  How do these coins help?”

“They are a big help to merchants and traders as they can now easily sell their wares for ‘so many coins’ instead of bartering them with something else. It is easy for the common people to pay their taxes instead of giving their produce. It is easy to trade with foreign kingdoms as the coins help to regulate our transactions. That’s why our merchants and traders are indebted to Periya Pazhuvetarayar since he has eased their burden. It also helps in many other things Vanathi! It also helps those who want to plot against the King and his family. It is easy to buy treason with a bag of gold coins…”

The Commander of the Mint who was standing next to her, heard this and said, “Yes Princess! We have heard of such rumours and that’s why we have increased the guards in this fort. That could be the reason why so many prisoners arrive and leave.”

“I know that Prisoners are coming quite frequently but I didn’t realize that they left too…”

“Yes. That has been happening too. This morning they brought a prisoner to shut in the dungeons and about a hour ago, he was released and taken away…”

“Who could that be?” wondered Kundavai.

After looking at all the fire smithys’ in the Mint, the Commander took them to the inner chambers of the fort through a small door. As they climbed down the steps, to the dungeons, they could hear the blood curdling growls of many hungry tigers. A guard stood at the end of the steps with a fire log to show the way. In the light of the fire, they could see many cages with tigers locked up in them. Some were prancing around majestically, while some were lying down.

Tigers in the dungeon

Kundavai held Vanathi’s hand tightly and whispered, “Vanathi! Are you frightened? Please do not faint away here, it would be very difficult to revive you.”

Vanathi gave a faint smile and said, “How could I be frightened of tigers akka? They are the protectors of our clan!”

“Many times it our protectors who join our enemies and become more dangerous than ever.”

“No Akka! Human protectors might do that but these tigers will never turn against us,”

“We can’t say that for sure. These tigers have tasted the flesh of many traitors and undoubtedly their blood would have intermingled with these tigers…”

Vanathi shivered when she heard these words despite the bravado that she had put up for the Princess.

“Akka! What are you saying? Do these guards feed the prisoners to these tigers?”

“No! The dungeons have only one door. Any one who enters has to go past these tigers to the prison below. If someone from below plans to escape, he needs to come through this chamber and that’s when they become prey to the tiger’s hunger,”

“Shiva Shiva! That’s barbaric!”

“That’s how great kingdoms work Vanathi! Compassion and cruelty are shown in equal measures here. You should have heard the way Chinna Pazhuvetrayar spoke to me today. I would not have been surprised if he had shut me in the dungeons with these tigers…”

“Akka! There is no one in these 14 worlds who has power enough to shut you in the dungeons. If someone were to attempt it, the earth that we stand upon would split and swallow everything in its wake. I am a bit worried about our Pazhaiarai Physician’s son. Let’s hope that poor boy did not attempt to escape…”

“He is a poor boy indeed! But one can’t always be sure as when they will change…”

As they neared the chamber, the growls of the tigers increased as they noted the new visitors. Kundavai asked the guard, “Looks like the tigers are very angry today…”

“No Princess! They are growling thus to welcome their Chakravarthi’s daughter,”

Kundavai smiled at this clever retort and said, “That’s a nice welcome…”

“Moreover it is time for their feed…”

“In that case, we will leave early. Where is the door to the dungeons below?”

The guard took them to the farthest corner of the dungeon and then moved the tiger cage. On the floor, there was a strong iron door, which required two strong guards to open. Built deep within the ground, there was no light save the fire log that their guard carried. The dungeons were narrowly built and they had to go in a single file following the guard with the fire torch. The narrow path ended in a chamber filled with prison cells. Some had single prisoners while some shared a cell. Most of them were skin and bones and their sad sorry selves was pitiful to watch. Yet among these there arose a soulful sweet voice singing –

“Ponnaar meniyane!

Pulitholai araikkasaithu

Minnaar senjadai mel

Milirkondrai aninthavane!”

The cells in the dungeons were not built in order. They had to move around the chamber like a maze to look into each cell as the guard raised the fire torch. Some prisoners were left to roam in the cell free, while some were chained with iron. Noting this, Vanathi asked, “Akka! This is very cruel indeed. So many prisoners shut down here? Didn’t these people undergo any trial?”

“These men are not ordinary prisoners Vanathi. They have committed treason against the King and the crown. Spies and people who help these spies are incarcerated in these dungeons. If they confess their crimes and tell the truth they are banished from the Kingdom but most of them have nothing to tell. Their condition is quite pitiful, indeed.”

As they searched for the Pazhaiarai’s Physician son, they neared the cell where the prisoner was singing. They found a young man with a slight build in the cell. He was none other than our old friend, Senthan Amuthan.

Senthan Amuthan

His innocent looks and thoughtful eyes made them stop there for a while. Kundavai, “You were the one who was singing?”

“Yes Princess!”

“Looks like you are quite happy here.”

“There is no dearth of happiness for me here amma! My God who is omnipresent, is here with me in this darkest of the dungeons…”

“You speak like a wise man. Who are you? What were you doing outside?”

“I am not a wise man Princess. I used to present my lord with flowers as my offering, when I was outside. Since that’s not possible here, I am offering him songs.”

“Do you know only this one song or many others?”

“I know many others Princess. But ever since I came here, I have been singing this song…”

“And why is that?”

“When they brought me here, I came through the mint and there I saw piles and piles of gold coins. The sheen and the glint of the gold reminded of my Lord Shiva who glows like a gold… hence the song,”

“You are lucky! It is easy to corrupt people with gold and fortunate are those who see the God in them. Do you have any relatives living outside?”

“My mother is there. She lives outside the Thanjavur Fort where we have our garden…”

“What is her name?”

“Vaani Ammai”

“I will meet her and tell her that you are living happily here.”

“That would be useless, Amma! My mother is deaf and mute.”

“Is that so? Is your name Senthan Amuthan?” asked Kundavai

“Yes. How is it that the Princess knows my name?”

“Do you know why you have been imprisoned here?”

“I didn’t know about it until yesterday. I learned about it today.”

“What did you learn?”

“They have shut me here because I helped a ‘spy’ to escape from Thanjavur Fort.”

“Who was this spy?”

“I met a traveller near the Thanjavur Fort. He was looking for a place to rest that night so I took him to my home. I didn’t know that he would turn out to be a ‘spy’,”

“Do you know his name?”

“His name was Vallavareyan Vandiya Devan. He said that he belonged to the old Vanar clan…”

Vandiya Devan

Excited by his reply, Kundavai and Vanathi looked at each other. Vanathi asked Senthan Amuthan, “Tell us everything that happened after you met him…”

Senthan Amuthan told them all about their meeting and Vandiya Devan’s return during the dead of the night with his wounded friend, Kandan Maran. And then he also described their flight from Thanjavur on the horse and the chasing Pazhuvur soldiers and his subsequent capture.

“Why did you help this stranger? It seems like, he got you into a lot of trouble…”

“Devi! Life is strange. I didn’t know Vandiya Devan very well but I liked him and trusted him, right from the moment I met him. I would have sacrificed my life too, if I had to save him from those murderous soldiers of Pazhuvetrayar. And there are some we meet for a very little while and we feel like murdering them. The guards brought a prisoner today and shut him in this cell along with me. I couldn’t control the anger that I felt towards him. Thankfully, he got released by Pazhuvur Elaya Rani’s men, a short while ago…”  

“Is that so?” said Kundavai. She bit her lips with her pearly white teeth and let out an angry sigh, “Do you know this prisoner’s name?”

 “I don’t know his name but he is the son of a physician from Pazhaiarai.”

“What did the physician’s son say to make you so angry?”

“He spoke ill of my uncle’s daughter, Poonguzhali who lives in Kodi Karai. That is why I got very angry. But he also gave me a good news so I let him go…”

“What good news was that?”

“This scoundrel went to Kodi Karai along with my friend Vandiya Devan and he double crossed him and betrayed him to the Pazhuvur soldiers but my friend escaped.”

“He escaped? Are you sure about this?” asked Kundavai and Vanathi simultaneously.

“Yes Devi! Poonguzhali took him on her boat across the sea to Elangai and this fool got captured by the Pazhvur soldiers instead…”

 

Poonguzhali helping Vandiya Devan

Smiling with relief, Kundavai said to Senthan Amuthan, “If you are so happy because a ‘spy’ escaped, then it is best that you stay imprisoned here in the dungeons…”

“Devi! If that is true, then you both should rightfully occupy the cell next to me…”

His witty reply elicited laughter from both the women. The sound of their mirth sounded as strange and out-of-place as Senthan Amuthan’s song.

“You are very clever indeed! If we leave you here, you might just corrupt the other prisoners with your songs. I will speak to the commander and get you released immediately…”

“Devi! Please do not do that. One of the prisoners here keeps telling me, ‘Teach me at least one song and I will tell you where I have hidden the Pandyan Crown and Indra’s pearl necklace in Elangai,’ I don’t want to leave this place before learning that secret,”

 

Pandyan's Treasures

Smiling at his wit, Kundavai said, “So you want to be here until you become mad like the rest of them. What will happen to your mother then? Think about it…” and left with Vanathi. After an hour’s time, the guards released Senthan Amuthan and escorted him out of the fort.

Chapter 9: This is Elangai!

By the time Vandiya Devan woke up again, it was dawn and a glorious sight awaited him at the shores. The sun shone through the waters making it seem almost golden. At the horizon, there awaited an isle in emerald hues. Fresh and green, his first sight of Eelangai was indeed breath-taking. To the right, there was another island beckoning them with a seductive grace. All through the shore, he could see many such beautiful islands enticing them with their pristine beauty. The beauty of the land awed Vandiya Devan so much that he felt that they were created by God only to show the world how beautiful a place can be.

Spellbound Vandiya Devan lay silent for a few moments, when Poonguzhali remarked, as if she was reading his thoughts, “This is not heaven. This is Elangai.”

“Yes. You are right. But for a moment I thought I was in heaven.”

“This is not heaven but a place that could be heaven, if only soldiers and war-mongers like you would leave it alone.”

“Are you calling me a war-monger now?”

“Why shouldn’t I? People like you who are interested only in conquering lands and enslaving people are the reason why places like Eelangai are turning into hell.”

“Would you call Ponniyin Selvar too a war-monger now?”

“Why are you talking about the Prince now?”

“You said that you would find out where the Prince is now.”

“Yes. I told you that I would find out where he is and not what he is.”

As the boat neared the shores, Vandiya Devan looked around with interest. “What do you say? The island you see in the front is boodha theevu (Ghost Island). To your right is Naga Theevu. Shall I go to Naga Theevu? Will you find your way to the Chola army camp?”

“No. Let us go to Boodha theevu. It doesn’t matter if my journey is delayed by a few hours. I would rather know where the Prince is exactly, before I start.”

“Alright. But remember the promise you made to me.”

Soon the boat neared the shores of Boodha theevu. Poonguzhali bid Vandiya Devan to watch over the boat and then walked into the island disappearing amidst its foliage.

He thought about the name of the island and wondered idly about the ghost who would be giving Poonguzhali the information about the Prince. Within an hour, the girl who had occupied his thoughts was back with information.

She walked briskly towards the boat and bid Vandiya Devan to get in.

“What did you find out?”

“Prime Minister Anirudha Bhrahmarayar has come to Maanthotham to meet the Prince. It is believed that the Prince must have come there to meet him but I am not sure how long he will stay there.”

“How far is Maanthotham from here?”

“Quite far. You will need to make your way through the forest. Don’t imagine that it would be anything like the forest you saw in Kodi Karai. Here it is very easy to get lost among the trees that almost touch the sky. You will also encounter many elephant herds through the forest and not to mention other beasts that inhabit the place. You will need to travel very carefully.”

“Hmmm. If only I could get a guide like you to show me the way through this strange land, it would be wonderful…”

“If you need help at every step of the way, you can hand that oolai to me and I might as well deliver it for you. ….No. I can’t do it. You were sent specifically by Elaya Piratti. Only you will have to give it to him.”

“That’s fine Poonguzhali. I will complete my mission, no matter what. You helped me to get here, that in itself is a big help.”

The boat now approached Naga Theevu (Snake Island) and Poonguzhali plied the oars steadily but it was evident from her face that her thoughts were elsewhere.

“Samudra Kumari!”

“What?”

“You told me that you would ask me for some help later. Now is the time. Soon I will get down from this boat and go in search of the Prince. Tell me what you want?”

Poonguzhali looked thoughtful and remained silent for a while. Vandiya Devan continued, “The help that you have rendered to me is very important. In a way, you have helped the entire Chola kingdom by ferrying me here. In return, if there is anything that I can do for you, please tell me…”

“Do you honestly want to do something for me, in return?”

“I solemnly promise in your father’s name, Samudra Rajan.”

“…which means you are writing all this in water.”

“No. I really want to do something for you in return. I solemnly call upon the Gods and the five elements to bear witness to my sincerity.”

“Alright. I am not saying this because I believe this oath of yours. Scoundrels and liars take oaths about all things but they do not keep it but when I saw you for the first time, I intuitively knew that you were a good man…”

“They say that first impression that a person has about another is often the right one…”

“After meeting Ponniyin Selvar, when he is alone and free, ask him just one question. ‘Prince! Do you remember Samudra Kumari?’ If he says ‘yes’ then tell him that it was I, who had brought you to Eelangai.”

Aha! Poonguzhali! Is this your secret? So a little sparrow like you, wishes to reach the heights of an eagle? This can’t be good for you… thought Vandiya Devan but thankfully did not voice it.

“Is that all? You were hesitating so much, for this. I thought you were going to ask for something really big. I will definitely tell the Prince about you. Even if he does not remember you, I will tell him about you…”

“Ayyo! Don’t say anything to him if he does not remember…”

“No. I will tell him…”

“What will you tell?”

“I will tell him whatever happened. ‘Ponniyin Selva! Do you remember Samudra Kumari? If you don’t, then please try to remember her now. It was she who helped me to escape the murderous soldiers of Pazhuvetrayars. It was she who brought me to Eelangai in her boat. It was she who saved me from drowning in the sea, when I jumped into it like a fool. Without her help, I couldn’t have come all the way here and given you this Oolai.’ What do you think?”

“So far so good… but don’t add anything more to this and don’t tell him that I asked you to tell him all this.”

“Che! Do you think I don’t even know that?”

“If the Prince says something to you, make sure that you come back to me and tell me everything word by word…”

“Of course I will. But where will I find you?”

“That’s not difficult. I will be either in Kodi Karai or in Bootha theevu or somewhere in between.”

“While going back home, shall I stop at Bootha theevu to check whether you are there?”

“You are not to enter the island under any circumstances.  If you do, there will be danger. See if this boat is there at the shores. Yesterday, I cooed like a cuckoo. Can you make a sound just like that?”

“No. But I can scream like a peacock. Want to hear?” saying thus, Vandiya Devan tried to imitate the high pitched scream of a peacock only to elicit a delightful laughter from his beautiful companion.

Naga Theevu is know as Nainativu today
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Soon the boat was at the shores of Naga theevu and Vandiya Devan embarked on the beach for yet another adventure but not before throwing one last glance at the strange boat girl who had brought him there. He had a vain last hope that she might just change her mind and accompany him into the strange land but Poonguzhali had already forgotten all about him and was back in the dreamland that she lived in.

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Glossary 

Maanthotham - Known today as Manthai (Mannar district in Sri Lanka)