On the seashore of Mamallapuram, there are many small rocks scattered about. At times, the sea swells and its waves crash upon those rocks. At other times, the sea recedes, giving the rocks a chance to dry under the sun. Not even a single one of those small rocks was left untouched by the master sculptors of Mamallapuram. According to the nature of each stone, they imagined grand or delicate scenes and carved upon them imperishable sculptures.

It was to such a place, where two small rocks stood facing each other, that Aditya Karikalan and his two companions came. They alighted from their chariot and walked towards the rocks. Considering the two stones as twin thrones, Karikalan and Malayaman seated themselves upon them. Parthibendran stood a little apart from them. Waves frequently rolled in, wetting them up to their knees. Sometimes, the spray thrown up by the waves as they struck the rocks would shower upon them like a rain of pearls. A little distance away, boats moved in rows, slicing through the sea, laden with various goods. Men were unloading these goods from the boats and transferring them onto large wooden ships anchored nearby.

“My heart boils when I think that all the goods we have gathered for the twin-pronged invasion must be sent to Lanka!” said Parthibendran.

“What of it?” replied Aditya Karikalan. “The brave warriors conscripted from Chola land are in Lanka. They are winning victory after victory on the battlefield. They have captured Anuradhapura, where the kings of Lanka have ruled for a thousand years, and have planted the flag of triumph there. Should such warriors be left to starve and die?”

“Who said they should be left so?” asked Parthibendran. “Of course, food supplies must be sent. But they should be shipped from Nagapattinam port in Chola land, or from Sethukarai in Pandya country. What need is there to send them from this arid Thondai region? I only spoke thinking that this would hinder our own plans to march north with our army!”

“When I think of it, my heart too burns with rage. I cannot fathom what those wretched Pazhuvettaraiyars truly intend. How much longer are we to endure all this? Grandfather! Why do you sit there, lips sealed, saying nothing? Please, open your mouth and speak!” demanded Karikalan.

“My child! These waves of the sea never cease their roaring. Competing with the sea’s tumult, your friend Parthibendran too shouts at the top of his voice. Amidst all this, what am I to say? Age has rendered me feeble…” replied Malayaman, the Lord of Miladu.

“Parthibendra! Be silent for a while. Let Grandfather express his thoughts,” said Aditya Karikalan.

“There, I have shut my mouth. Poor Grandfather! In his advanced age, he has come all the way down from his mountain fortress, enduring so much hardship. How can I speak before him? This sea, however, has no sense at all! It rages on without pause! There is no one to restrain it. It seems