When the elder who followed behind in the chariot made a sign, Aditya Karikalan turned his horse and rode up to where the old man sat enthroned in his chariot.

“My child! Karikala! Here, I wish to take leave of you and proceed to Thirukovalur. But before I depart, I must speak to you about some important matters. Dismount from your horse and come to the platform beneath that royal tree!” he said.

“So be it, Grandfather!” replied Aditya Karikalan, leaping down from his horse.

The elder too alighted from his chariot. Both of them walked to the platform beneath the royal tree.

At that moment, Parthibendran turned to Kandanmaran and said, “It’s a good thing this old man stopped here. I was afraid he might keep following us, refusing to let go.”

“If he had continued, I was thinking of pushing him into the floodwaters of the river and giving him a good dunking!” said Kandanmaran. Both laughed heartily at their own jest.

Turning to Aditya Karikalan, the lord of the hill country, Thirukovalur Malayaman, began to speak:

“Adithya! Today, it is twenty-four years since you were born! You were born in my palace at Thirukovalur! The celebrations that took place then are as vivid in my memory as if they happened yesterday. Members of your clan, my own kinsmen, and many minor kings from Chola Nadu and Thondai Nadu had gathered. Along with them, thirty thousand warriors assembled. Words cannot describe the grandeur of the feast given to them all. Not even during your father’s coronation were there such banquets and festivities. All the wealth my ancestors had amassed and stored in my treasury for a hundred years was spent in those three days of celebration!”

“At that time, your great-grandfather, Emperor Parantaka himself, came to Thirukovalur. Your elder grandfather Kandaradithar, and your father Sundara Chola, were there too. The moment they heard the news of a male child’s birth—” There was no limit to the joy that filled everyone’s hearts. They rejoiced, exclaiming, “You have been born to bring glory to the Chola dynasty!” Until then, your grandfather’s elder brothers had no heirs. Arinjaya, too, had only your father as his son. In his youth, your father shone with a beauty rivaling that of Manmatha himself. Nowhere in the Chola clan, nor among the lineages of the petty kings of Tamilagam, had anyone ever seen a child of such beauty before. This very beauty brought your father certain troubles as well. He was the darling of the entire family. The women of the palace delighted in dressing him in women’s attire, exclaiming in wonder, “If only he had been born a girl!” and spoke of it with endless joy.

From Lanka to the Vindhya mountains, kings and chieftains performed penance, hoping to wed their daughters to your father. Not only was he as handsome as Arjuna or Manmatha, but he was also the rightful heir to the Chola throne—this thought made them all the more eager. In the end, it was I who was blessed to have your father as my son-in-law.”

“In our lineage, whether man or woman, we are not famed for physical beauty. For our sons, the number of battle scars upon their bodies is the measure of their handsomeness. For the women of our clan, chastity and virtue are their beauty and their adornment. When it was decided that my daughter would wed your father, all of Malayamanadu was thrown into a tumult. The petty kings of Tamilagam were consumed with envy; but I paid it no heed. The marriage of your parents was celebrated in Thanjai with such grandeur that it astonished the three worlds. Yet, even greater than those festivities was the celebration that took place in Thirukovalur at the time of your birth. There was much debate and excitement over what name should be given to you. Some wished to name you after the illustrious Karikala Valavan, a famed ancestor of your line. I and a few others insisted that you should bear the name of your elder paternal uncle, Rajaditya. In the end, both names were joined, and you were christened ‘Aditya Karikalan.’”

“Look there, Aditya! The temple tower of Thirunavalur is visible. That is the birthplace of Nambi Arurar, Sundaramurthi Adigal. It was there, twenty-five years ago, that your elder uncle, Rajaditya Chola, had his encampment. I have heard tales of countless heroes in stories and epics. I have seen many warriors in this valiant land of Tamilakam. But never have I seen, nor heard of, a hero like Rajaditya. Anyone who witnessed him in battle would say the same.”

“He was preparing here to gather a mighty army and march upon the northern lands. His resolve was firm: to defeat Kannaradeva, the king of the twin realms, and to raze to the ground his capital city, Maniyakedam. Just as, in ages past, the great emperor Mamalla of the Pallava dynasty had destroyed the city of Vatapi, Rajaditya believed that only by utterly annihilating Maniyakedam would the arrogance of the twin kingdoms be subdued, and that he too would earn fame like Mamalla. But is it an easy task to assemble such a vast army? They say Mamalla took seven years to gather his forces. Rajaditya declared he would not require so long; three or four years would suffice. He chose this land between the rivers Kedilam and South Pennai as the most suitable region for mustering the army and training the assembled troops for war.”

“Aditha! In those days, you did not get to witness the lands between these two rivers. Those who beheld those sights can never forget them as long as they live. In Thirunavalur, Rajaditya stayed with thirty thousand soldiers. On the banks of the Pennai, at Mudiyur, the local chieftain Vellan Kumaran camped with twenty thousand warriors. Your grandfather Arinjaya was with me at Thirukovalur. Together, Arinjaya and I prepared fifty thousand soldiers. In addition, the great Velan of Kodumbalur, the Pazhuvettaraiyar who