Karuthiruman, also known as Kari Thirumal, was a native of Thopputhurai, a village situated a little north of Kodikkarai on the seashore. He made his living by ferrying boats to the island of Eezham (Sri Lanka) from there. About twenty-five years ago, as he was returning from Eezham to Thopputhurai, a storm broke out and the sea raged violently. He struggled greatly to bring his boat to shore without capsizing. As he neared the coast, close to the lighthouse at Kodikkarai, he saw a woman floating amidst the tumultuous waves. Moved by compassion, he pulled her into his boat. At that time, she was unconscious. He could not even tell whether she was alive or dead.

He tried to land the boat right there, but could not. Steering the boat in the direction of the wind, he finally managed to reach the shore near a place called Thirumaraikkaadu. Carrying the unconscious woman onto the shore, he laid her down and watched over her anxiously. Just then, several important men arrived on horseback. The woman did not speak. Karuthiruman did not even hear what the others were saying. One of them remarked, “She must have been born mute and deaf.” The man who seemed to be their leader called Karuthiruman aside and told him a strange thing: once the storm subsided, he was to take the woman back to Eezham and leave her either in that land or on a nearby island. For this, he would be paid a large sum of money.

Karuthiruman agreed and received the payment. When the sea calmed, he took the woman in his boat and set out. In the middle of the sea, he saw a man clinging to a log, floating, utterly exhausted. He took him too into the boat. At first, the woman was frightened by the new arrival, but soon she ignored him. Karuthiruman took them both and left them on an island near Eezham.

On that island lived a distinguished elder, who claimed the woman as his daughter. He said that she had always been mute, and now she did not even recognize him. Karuthiruman then recounted how he had saved her from the sea.

The man who had boarded the boat in mid-ocean handed Karuthiruman a palm-leaf letter and asked him to deliver it to the king of Lanka. From this, Karuthiruman concluded that the man must be a person of great importance. After delivering the letter to the king of Lanka, from the king’s words, he realized that… He came to know that the man who had been rescued was the king of the Pandya country. The king of Lanka sent his attendants to bring the Pandya monarch to him. Karuthiruman, being greatly exhausted, did not go with them. After a few days, the Pandya king arrived at the palace of the king of Lanka. The two monarchs together journeyed to the land of Rohana, surrounded by mountains in the southern part of Lanka. They stayed there for several days. The Pandya king, who had grown fond of Karuthiruman, took him along as well. In Rohana, the king of Lanka showed the Pandya king many places. At last, he took him to a ravine that no one could easily approach. There, in a mountain cave, were stored countless gold coins, precious gems, and priceless ornaments.

After showing him all these, the king of Lanka took a golden casket and opened it. Inside, there was a resplendent, radiant jeweled crown and a necklace of gems. From the conversation between the kings, Karuthiruman learned that the crown was the ancient crown of the Pandya dynasty, and the necklace was said to have been bestowed upon the first Pandya ruler by Indra, king of the gods. The king of Lanka urged the Pandya king to take them with him. The Pandya king refused. He said that when the day came for him to utterly vanquish the Cholas and ascend the throne in Madurai, then the king of Lanka himself should bring these treasures to Madurai and present them to him before the world.

Afterwards, the Pandya king gave Karuthiruman as many gold coins as he could carry, made arrangements for the safe care of the mute girl, and sent him back with instructions to return and join him in the Pandya country after completing these tasks.

When Karuthiruman went to Puthur Island, he could not find the girl there. Her father was also missing. Searching for them both, he went to Kodikkarai. There, he found the mute girl. But she did not recognize him. From her family, he learned some details. Her father, having fallen ill, had brought her there and left her before passing away. It was revealed that the lighthouse keeper at the headland was her brother. At first, she remembered neither her brother nor her sister. After she once again slipped and fell into the sea and was rescued, her memory of them all returned. Others discovered that she was pregnant. She herself realized this and, in great terror... She sank into herself. She often visited the Kuzhagar temple at Kodikkarai and busied herself in service there. No matter how much Karuthiruman tried, she would not even notice him now.

While he was at Kodikkarai, he met the younger sister of that mute girl. Learning that she too was mute, he felt a deep pity for her. He even thought of marrying her and living together. But before that, he wished to go to the Pandya king and deliver his message.

At that time, the Chola Empress, Kandaradithar’s queen and a devout worshipper of Shiva, Sembiyan Maadevi, came to the Kuzhagar temple at Kodikkarai for a darshan. There, she saw the mute girl, Mandakini, and took her along with her. Her younger sister Vaani also went with them.

Karuthiruman went to the Pandya country. There, he learned that the Pandya king had gone to the battlefield. When he went to the battlefield and met the king, the king asked