At the banks of the Kollidam, in the sacred bathing ghat, we left behind Thirumalaiyappan, known as Azhwarkadiyan Nambi. Now, let us turn our attention for a while to that valiant Vaishnavite.

When Vandiyathevan mounted his horse and set off towards the town of Kudanthai, Thirumalai stood watching the direction in which he departed, speaking to himself inwardly.

“This youth seems to be a most cunning fellow. If I enter through the front door, he comes in through the back. I have not been able to discover whose man he truly is, for what purpose, and where he is headed. I do not know for certain if he took part in the conspiratorial meeting at Kadambur palace. Luckily, I have told him about the Kudanthai astrologer. Let us see if the astrologer can find out what I could not!…”

“What is this, Swami! Are you talking to the peepal tree? Or are you speaking to yourself?” came a voice, making Thirumalaiyappan turn around.

It was the servant who had brought the horse for Vandiyathevan from Kadambur, standing nearby.

“My boy! Was it you who heard me? I was neither talking to myself nor to the peepal tree. There is a ghost perched atop this tree; I was having a little conversation with it!” said Thirumalaiyappan.

“Oh! Is that so? Is that ghost a Saivite or a Vaishnavite?” asked the man.

“That is exactly what I was trying to find out. But you interrupted before I could get an answer. The ghost has vanished now; let it go! What is your name, my boy?”

“Why do you ask, Swami?”

“Did you not save us from capsizing in the middle of the Kollidam? Should I not remember a virtuous soul like you?”

“My name… my name… is Idumbankari, Swami!” he said, dragging out the words.

“Oh! Idumbankari, is it? That name sounds familiar, as if I have heard it somewhere before!”

At that moment, Idumbankari did something peculiar. He placed his two outstretched hands one atop the other, palms down, and wiggled the little fingers at both ends; all the while, he kept his eyes fixed on Thirumalaiyappan’s face. “Appane! What is this sign? I do not understand it at all,” said Thirumalai.

At that moment, Idumbankari’s dark face grew even more serious; his eyebrows drew together.

“Me? I didn’t make any sign at all,” he replied.

“You did, you did! I saw it myself! In the Bharatanatyam shastra, there is a particular mudra for the first avatar of Thirumal—that’s exactly what you did!”

“The first avatar of Thirumal? What is that? I do not know, Swami!”

“You do not know the first avatar of Vishnu? Matsyavataram.”

“You mean the fish?”

“Yes, yes, that’s right, Appane!”

“Goodness, Swami! Your eyes are truly extraordinary! On a bare tree you see a ghost, and in my empty hand you see Matsyavataram! Perhaps the holy man has a special fondness for fish?”

“Tch, tch! Don’t say such things, Appane! Let that be. The Veera Saiva