At this juncture, we wish to share with our readers an incident related to the study of Tamil Nadu’s history. In the Lalgudi taluk of the Tiruchirapalli district, there is a village named Anbil. Sanskrit scholars have translated this as “Premapuri.” (This chapter was written in 1951.) About forty-five years ago, a Vellalar from this village began to demolish his old house to rebuild it anew, and as he dug the foundation, a remarkable object was unearthed from beneath the earth. Several copper plates, pierced at the top and strung together with a ring, were discovered. Something had been inscribed on those plates. The plates were so heavy that it took two men to lift them. The Vellalar kept them for some time. Later, when Sri R.S.L. Lakshmana Chettiar came to the village to oversee the renovation of the temple, the Vellalar handed the plates over to him.

Sri Lakshmana Chettiar, suspecting that these plates might contain historical information, took them to the renowned scholar Mahamahopadhyaya Swaminatha Iyer. Upon examining the copper plates, Swaminatha Iyer realized that they contained highly significant details. He handed them over to Sri T.A. Gopinatha Rao, M.A., who was then engaged in the study of stone inscriptions. The moment Sri Gopinatha Rao saw the copper plates, he was as delighted as a man who had discovered a rare treasure. For, inscribed upon them were details of immense importance regarding the lineage of the Chola kings.

The plates contained the record of a land grant of ten velis, given in the fourth year of Emperor Sundara Chola’s reign to Anbil Aniruddha Brahmarayar, the “Manya Mantri” (Chief Minister) of Sundara Chola. The scribe of this land grant, Madhava Battar, had listed the genealogy of the Cholas up to Sundara Chola. He had also described the Vaishnavite lineage of Aniruddha Brahmarayar, mentioning the services rendered by his father, mother, grandfather, and great-grandfather at the temple of Sriranganatha. The genealogy found in the Anbil copper plates closely matched that found in the previously discovered Anaimangalam and Thiruvalangadu copper plates. This confirmed the historical authenticity of the details inscribed on the Anbil plates. Moreover, the Anbil plates contained some additional information not found in the other two sets, making them especially renowned in the field of Tamil historical research.

Therefore, keeping in mind that Aniruddha Brahmarayar is the illustrious minister of the Chola Empire, as celebrated in the chronicles of history, we request our dear readers to continue reading the story further.

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Azhwarkkadiyan entered the mandapam where the chief minister, Aniruddha Brahmarayar, was seated. He circled him three times! Then, prostrating himself in full sashtanga namaskaram, he rose to his feet.

Chanting “Om Hraam Hreem Vashat” in a loud voice four times, he said, “Gurudeva, grant me leave!”

With a smile, Aniruddhar replied, “Thirumalai! What is this commotion? Why do you ask me for leave?”

“Having surrendered the Srivaishnava tradition I have followed, the name ‘Azhwarkkadiyan’, and the fortune of serving you, into this great ocean, I