The whirlwind that had swept across the sea entered the Chola land’s coastline and continued its furious journey. Just as the saying goes, “Where the stone-grinder’s son has passed, the forests and hills are reduced to dust,” so too, everywhere the whirlwind had gone, it left behind countless scenes of terrible destruction. From Kodikkarai to Kaveripoompattinam, along the Chola country’s seashores, one could clearly see the handiwork of Lord Vayu’s playful wrath. Numerous trees lay uprooted, their branches snapped and scattered. The roofs of houses had been lifted clean away by the storm and flung far and wide, shattered to bits. Huts stood as nothing but stunted walls. Everywhere in the region of Kodikkarai, the land looked like a flooded wilderness. It seemed as if the sea itself had risen and invaded the earth.

Yet, the stretch of white sand that lay between the land and the sea belied that notion. Only in those places where the sand had been mixed with clay did water now collect in abundance. In such places, if man or beast were to step in, it would be their living grave! Even elephants would be swallowed up by those pits of quicksand, which would then belch them out with a gulp!

Two days after the whirlwind had struck, Periya Pazhuvettarayar and his retinue arrived at Kodikkarai. The palanquin followed behind them. But this time, it was the young queen Nandini Devi herself who traveled in that palanquin. “There is no longer any need to secretly take Prince Madurantaka away. Besides, if I take the young queen with me now, won’t the palanquin be available again when the need arises to take Madurantaka away?” So Nandini had said, and Pazhuvettarayar had readily agreed with enthusiasm. For that elderly lord, who was immersed in the intoxication of desire, it was only natural to wish to take that celestial beauty along with him.

Before the whirlwind, they had already reached Nagapattinam. There, the officer in charge first fulfilled his official duties.

At that time, Nagapattinam was one of the major port cities of Tamil Nadu. From foreign lands, all manner of goods arrived at that harbor in great wooden ships. Thousands of small boats would ferry those goods to the shore. From the shore, other goods would be loaded and taken back to the ships. There were many officials appointed to levy and collect tolls and taxes for all these things. Was it not the right and duty of the Chola Nadu’s Chief Administrator, the great Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar, to oversee whether they were performing their duties properly?

After completing that work, Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar visited the renowned Chudamani Buddhist Vihara in Nagapattinam. The bhikshus received him with due respect and attended to him. The Chief Administrator inquired whether the vihara needed anything, or if the bhikshus lacked anything. The bhikshus replied that they wanted for nothing, and expressed their gratitude to Sundara Chola.

A few days earlier, two bhikshus from this vihara had come to Thanjavur to see the