When Vanathi first arrived in Pazhayarai from Kodumbalur, the abundance of water in Chola Nadu plunged her into a sea of wonder. There were no rivers near Kodumbalur; only tanks. During the rainy season, the tanks would brim and overflow with water. In the summer, they would dry up completely. There, one could not see rivers and canals and streams, their waters touching both banks, swirling and eddying as they flowed. Nor could one find ponds lush with blooming lotuses and red lilies. In Vanathi’s native place, such sights were unknown. She would sit, entranced, gazing at these marvels. She delighted in watching the water droplets, like pearls, rolling and dancing across the lotus leaves that shaded the fish in the ponds. She would be enraptured by the sight of bees circling and humming around the blooming lotus and lily flowers. Time would slip away unnoticed.

Once, Vanathi and Kundavai had gone to Thirunallur (in these days called Koonerirajapuram) at the invitation of Sembiyan Maadevi. They stayed in the Vasantha Maligai—the Spring Palace. Sembiyan Maadevi and Kundavai would often begin to talk about the lives of the Saiva saints and the nectar of devotion that dripped from their hymns. Vanathi had little interest in listening to such discussions. Rather than that, she was far more eager to wander through the gardens adjoining the Spring Palace, to listen to the sweet songs of the birds, and to hear the blissful drone of the deep-blue bees hovering around the trembling lotus blossoms in the pond. She was also keen to watch the river, flowing past one side of the palace, swirling in eddies, and to see the beautiful, crimson kadamba flowers spinning in those whirls. In the region of Kodumbalur, such enchanting scenes were not to be found.

One day, the daughter of the Mazhavarayar and the young princess Kundavai were conversing animatedly about something. As Vanathi approached them, the young princess said, “Vanathi! Go to the garden! I’ll come in a little while.” Vanathi, brimming with excitement, skipped and ran off. She wandered for a while in the garden, then made her way to the lotus pond. Along the bank of the pond grew many trees, their branches spreading wide and thick, shading the sky. Among them was a tall, broad, and luxuriant iluppai tree. Its fallen flowers had covered the ground completely… ...were present. Their fragrance wafted gently, spreading throughout the entire garden.

Underneath one of those trees, upon a large root, Vanathi sat. Leaning against the trunk, she gazed around—above, below, and on all sides. The sweet songs of various birds flowed into her ears like a flood of nectar. A blissful feeling, one she had never experienced before, blossomed in her heart. That inner joy often surged and overflowed, spreading through her entire being. Until that day, Vanathi had never even dreamed that life could be so filled with delight.

From beneath that tree, at a little distance, she could see the river’s flood. Now and then, through