We must now tell how Vandiyathevan, whom we left on the banks of the Kollidam, after he was put into the boat, came to reach the house of the astrologer at Kudanthai, must we not?

The elder Saivite, who objected to Azhwarkkadiyan boarding the boat, after the boat had started moving, turned to Vandiyathevan and said, “Brother! I allowed him to board only because you requested it. But as long as he is in this boat, he must not utter that eight-lettered name. If he does, I will order him to be thrown into this Kollidam. The boatmen are my men!”

“Nambi Adigal! Did that fall upon your sacred ears?” Vandiyathevan asked.

“If he refrains from uttering the five-lettered name, then I too will not utter the eight-lettered holy name!” replied Azhwarkkadiyan.

“Who is he to forbid the utterance of the Panchakshara mantra, the very sacred syllables of Lord Shiva himself? Impossible! Impossible!

Even if I am bound with ropes and cast into the sea, My sole refuge is ‘Namashivaya’!”

Thus thundered the Saivite elder in a majestic roar.

“I sought, I searched, and at last I found— The name ‘Narayana’!”

Azhwarkkadiyan began to sing in a loud voice.

“Shiva! Shiva! Shiva!” cried the Saivites, pressing their fingers into their ears to block the sound.

When Azhwarkkadiyan stopped his song, the Saivites removed their fingers from their ears. Azhwarkkadiyan turned to Vandiyathevan and said, “Brother! Just listen to this valiant Saivite. See how much he suffers even to hear the name of Thirumal! The Kollidam river flows downstream only after washing the lotus feet of Perumal, who reclines at Srirangam. The water that has touched the Lord’s feet is holy water— “Isn’t that why Lord Shiva himself is said to be performing penance, immersed in those very waters at Thiruvanaikka?” Even as he uttered these words, the Saiva elder grew furious and sprang at Azhwarkkadiyan. As the two men grappled at the edge of the boat, it seemed as if the vessel would overturn at any moment. The boatmen and Vandiyathevan intervened, separating them.

“O paragons of devotion! It seems you both are eager to fall into the swirling flood of the Kollidam and attain salvation straightaway. But I still have unfinished business left in this world!” said Vandiyathevan.

One of the boatmen remarked, “Who knows if falling into the Kollidam will lead you to salvation! But you’ll certainly end up in a crocodile’s belly! Look there!”

At the spot he pointed to, a crocodile could be seen, its jaws gaping wide in a terrifying manner.

“I have no fear of crocodiles; where has the primordial Narayana, who saved Gajendra, gone now?” asked Azhwarkkadiyan.

“Where has he gone? Perhaps he’s hiding in the end of a gopi’s sari in Brindavan!” replied the Saiva.

“Or maybe, just as he granted a boon to Padmasura and then ran away in distress, perhaps Shiva has found himself in some new predicament, and Narayana has gone to save him from it,” said Nambi.

“It seems this Vaishnavan has forgotten how Vishnu’s pride was humbled during the destruction of Tripura!” retorted the Saiva elder.

“Swamigal! I truly do not understand why you are quarreling like this. Whoever has devotion to whichever deity, should they not worship that very god?” said Vandiyathevan.

Why did the Saiva elder and Azhwarkkadiyan quarrel in this manner? Why did a similar debate erupt at Veera Narayanapuram? It is fitting at this juncture to explain these matters to the reader.

For nearly six hundred years in ancient Tamil Nadu, the Buddhist and Jain religions held sway. Their influence brought many benefits to the Tamil land. Sculpture, painting, poetry, and epic literature all flourished. Later, the Alwars and Nayanmars arose. They poured forth divine Tamil hymns sweet as nectar, causing Vaishnavism and Saivism to thrive and spread. Their methods of propagation were exceedingly powerful. For their propaganda, they combined the art of sculpture with the art of music. The hymns of the Alvars and the Thevaram songs of the three Saiva saints were set to music resembling the celestial tunes of the gods, and many began to sing them. These musical hymns enchanted the hearts of listeners and instilled a fervor of devotion. The Vishnu temples praised by the Alvars and the Shiva temples celebrated by the three Saiva saints attained new glory and sanctity. Temples that had previously been built of brick and wood were renovated and reconstructed in stone. This work of temple restoration was carried out extensively by the Chola kings and members of the royal family from the time of Vijayalaya Chola.

At the same time, a remarkable event occurred in the land of Kerala. In a place called Kaladi, a great sage was born. In his youth, he renounced the world and became a sannyasi. He mastered all the scriptures in Sanskrit and reached their farthest shores. On the basis of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras, he planted the flag of Advaita Vedanta. With the help of his profound knowledge of Sanskrit, he traveled throughout the land of Bharat, conquering all directions, and established eight Advaita monasteries in various places. The sannyasis who supported his philosophy spread far and wide across the country.

Thus, in Tamil Nadu, at the time when our story takes place—about 980 years ago (from 1950, when this was written)—a great religious upheaval was underway. From this turmoil, some harmful elements also arose and spread. Fierce Vaishnavites and fierce Saivites sprang up here and there. Wherever they met, they clashed in disputes. The Advaitins too joined in these debates. Sometimes, these religious arguments escalated into physical brawls.

There is a remarkable story that illustrates the Saiva–Vaishnava conflicts of that era. A Vaishnavite from Srirangam was walking along the outer wall of the Thiruvanaikaval temple. Suddenly, a stone fell on his head. He was wounded, and blood began to flow. The Vaishnavite looked up in surprise. Seeing a crow perched on the gopuram, he realized that a stone