On the northern bank of the Kollidam, in the village of Thirunaraiyur, stood the monastery of the great Saivite elder, Nambiyandar Nambi. At the entrance of this monastery, a royal palanquin, its bearers, and palace guards stood waiting. Apart from them, the villagers had gathered a little distance away in a crowd. At the center of this gathering, it seemed as if a heated debate was taking place between two men, and the onlookers watched with eager attention.

If one were to part the crowd and peer within, it would become clear that the two men quarreling there were none other than familiar figures. One was Thirumalai, known as Azhwarkkadiyan Nambi, and the other, the valiant Saivite with whom he had argued in a boat at the very beginning of our story. This Saivite was the chief administrator of Nambiyandar Nambi’s monastery.

Learning that the great lady, Periya Piratti Sembiyan Madevi, who had come to see Nambiyandar, wished to speak with him in private, the aforementioned Saivite elder had stepped outside. The moment he saw Azhwarkkadiyan, anger welled up in him quite naturally. The memory of having once been defeated in debate by this eminent Vaishnavite only fanned the flames of his irritation.

“Hey! You masquerading Vaishnavite, deceiving the town with your holy name! Why have you come here? Are you looking for a place where you can get some pongal or tamarind rice to eat?” he demanded.

“I have already eaten all the pongal and tamarind rice I need,” replied Azhwarkkadiyan. “I came here because I heard that all of you in this Saivite monastery have grown so bloated from eating only sacred ash that you can barely move. Poor fellows! What can you do? It was only because your Lord Siva could not find any food to eat that he consumed poison. If, at that moment, our Narayana Moorthi’s sister Parvati had not grabbed his throat, what would have become of your Siva then!” retorted Azhwarkkadiyan.

“O valiant Vaishnavite! Enough of your tales! Don’t fly too high! Even your Lord, after soaring to the highest heavens, could not find the crown of our Lord Siva and had to return in defeat, did he not?” “What is this story, sir? When our Mahavishnu took the Vamana avatar and measured the earth with one stride and the heavens with another, your Shiva’s head must surely have been beneath that very foot!” said Azhwarkkadiyan.

“Hasn’t your Mahavishnu’s mischief been evident ever since he incarnated ten times on this earth? And what kinds of births! Was he not born as a fish, as a tortoise?” retorted the Veera Saivar.

“That is all you know! Why did the Lord take birth as a fish? Was it not to retrieve the four Vedas that had sunk into the ocean? That is why our Azhwar sang:

‘Neither the wealth of the eternal damsels who surround me, Nor the heavenly riches, nor the earthly kingdom do I desire; In the honeyed, flower-laden groves of sacred Thiruvengadam, Let me be born as a fish—such is the boon I seek!’”

“Ah! Your Azhwars are only twelve in number! Our Nayanmars are sixty-three! Keep that in mind!”

“Oh! Is that another kind of pride? The Pandavas were only five; will you boast like Duryodhana and his hundred brothers?”

“Impertinent one! Do you compare our Nayanmars to Duryodhana’s clan? Among your Azhwars, there are Peyazhwar, Boothathazhwar, and so on!”

“Aren’t the attendants of your Shiva called the Bhoota Ganas? Have you forgotten that?”

While the ardent Vaishnavite and the staunch Saivite thus waged their war of words, supporters on both sides cheered and encouraged them with shouts and laughter. At that moment, from within the monastery, the sacred consort of Sivagnana Kandaraadittar, Sembiyan Madevi, and Nambiyandar Nambi, who had come to see her off, appeared at the entrance. At once, silence descended upon the gathering.

Mazhavariyar’s daughter took leave of Nambiyandar and, approaching Azhwarkkadiyan, said, “Thirumalai! Have you started your quarrel even here?”

“No, Devi! We did not wage a battle of arms; it was only a battle of words. This valiant Saiva Chikamani was the one who first began the fray! Our war of words brought great excitement to all those gathered here. That is why they remained outside the monastery and did not enter,” said Thirumalai.

“Appane! Even in jest, one should not debate the superiority or inferiority of the gods. Such arguments will only confuse the minds of ordinary people! My father-in-law, Paranthaka Devar, that great king, roofed the Chidambaram temple with gold. In the same way, he renovated the Anantheeswarar temple at Veera Narayanapuram and granted it lands. We must all follow the path he showed us!” said Sembiyan Madevi.

Afterwards, the Devi ascended her palanquin, and it proceeded westward. Guards walked before and behind. Azhwarkkadiyan walked close to Sembiyan Madevi’s palanquin.

After the palanquin had gone a short distance, Azhwarkkadiyan looked at the great lady and asked, “Devi! What happened to the matter for which Nambi Andar had come?”

“My mind is now clear and untroubled, Thirumalai! Nambi Andar said that if there is no other way to prevent Madurantakan from ascending the throne, then it is right to reveal the truth to the world. I have accepted this in my heart and have resolved upon it,” replied Sembiyan Madevi.

“The Prime Minister too expected that Nambi Andar would say so. Still, your journey here has been most worthwhile. Mother! There is now even greater urgency for you to decide on this matter. A terrible message has come from Kadambur. The people here do not yet know of it. If they did, not a single person would remain here. All would have gone to witness the prince’s final procession!” said Azhwarkkadiyan.

“Thirumalai! What are you saying? What terrible words! Which prince? What final procession?” the Devi asked.

“Forgive me, Mother! Never before has such a dreadful event occurred in the Chola clan. In the palace at Kadambur, Aditya Karikalan has passed away. They say it