Murugaiyyan, the boatman, was startled and bewildered by the shrill cry his wife had let out.

He turned to her again, gesturing with his hands, and said, “Woman! What nonsense are you babbling? Have you gone mad?”

“I am not mad! It is you who are mad, your father was mad, and your grandfather too! Don’t you recognize who this is? Don’t you know who this hero is, who conquered Eezham and drove King Mahindan into the hill country? Can’t you recognize the Emperor’s own son, the apple of the Chola people’s eye, the ascetic’s child whom Mother Kaveri herself saved and gave back? If you cannot recognize him, then why did you set out with him? Where are you going with him?” Raakkammal cried.

At this point, the prince interjected, “Woman! You have mistaken me for someone else. I am a merchant who has come from Eezham. I am the one who brought him along to show me the way! Take him with you! Don’t make a useless scene!” he said.

While this conversation was going on, people had begun to gather around them. The crowd grew larger with every passing minute. All those who arrived stared intently at the prince.

Then Raakkammal, in an even louder voice, cried, “Ah! O God! Has Ponniyin Selvan lost his senses? Did you lose your memory when you drowned in the sea? Or have those wretched Buddhist monks cast a spell on you and made you think you are someone else? Or—oh no! Could it be that you have died, and some sorcerer who knows the art of entering another’s body has taken possession of your form? No, that cannot be! Prince! Think carefully! You are not a merchant. You are the beloved son of Emperor Sundara Chola, born to rule the world under a single parasol. If you doubt it, look closely at your palms. You will see the lines of the conch and discus there!” she shouted.

At once, Prince Arulmozhi tightly closed both his hands.

“Woman! Will you not shut your mouth and keep quiet?” he said, then turned to Murugaiyyan and asked, “What is this nuisance? Can’t you stop her shouting?” Murugaiyyan came close to his wife and whispered in her ear, “Raakkamma! Let this be a merit to you! Be silent! The prince wishes to go to Thanjavur in the guise of a merchant, without anyone’s knowledge!”

“You wretched fellow! Couldn’t you have told me this earlier? Didn’t you say that the prince would never be at the Buddhist monastery? You still have that same foolishness! Alas! What a crime I have committed! Out of excessive eagerness, I have blurted out the truth! The hapless Pazhuvettarayars are waiting for an opportunity to imprison you and take their revenge! Even knowing that, I have exposed you like this! My prince! Still, you need not fear. The Pazhuvettarayars cannot harm even a single atom of your sacred person. There are lakhs and lakhs of people, like myself and my husband, ready to stand by your side and protect you!” she declared. Then, turning to the great crowd gathered around her, she said, “All of you agree with what I have said, don’t you? Is there anyone among you who belongs to the Pazhuvettarayar faction? If so, come forward! Kill me first, and only then think of harming the prince!” she cried out.

The people, who until then had watched and listened in astonished silence, now raised a great shout: “Long live Ponniyin Selvan! Long live the heroic conqueror of Eezham!” Hearing this, even more people gathered and joined the crowd.

Among those who came was one of the eight-member council leaders of the city of Nagapattinam. Pushing through the throng, he came forward and said, “Prince! We heard that you had come from the Chudamani Vihara of this city. We did not believe that rumor, but now we know the truth. The great storm that struck yesterday has caused much destruction in this city. Yet, the fact that you were safely brought out of the Buddhist monastery makes us forget all the storm’s cruelties. It is the fortune of our city that your feet have touched its soil!” he said.

The prince realized that there was no further use in trying to conceal himself. “Sir! My heartfelt thanks for your affection. The love of the people of this city overwhelms me. But I must go to Thanjavur urgently on a matter of great importance. It was only to avoid any hindrance to my journey that I set out in the guise of a merchant. Please grant me leave!” he said.

At that moment, a voice rose from the crowd. “No, no! The prince must stay here at least one day and accept the humble hospitality of us poor folk before he departs!” the voice rang out loudly.

Following that, a thousand voices cried out in unison, “No, he must not leave! The Prince must stay here at least for a day, rest, and only then depart!”

At that moment, the leader of the Eight-member Council said, “Prince! Have you seen the love and enthusiasm of my city’s people? You must accept our hospitality and, at least for a while, be our guest before you go. Are we any less fortunate than the Buddhist monks who cared for you? Just yesterday, the people of this city suspected that the Buddhist monks were hiding you away, and in their zeal, they nearly destroyed the entire Choodamani Vihara. At that very moment, the storm struck! What we failed to do, the storm accomplished. The vihara has collapsed and lies in ruins!”

Hearing this, the Prince replied, “Sir, it is not right to blame the Buddhist monks. It was at my own request that they sheltered me in the vihara. When I was stricken with illness and pleading for my life, they saved me from the noose of Yama himself. My heart aches to hear that the Choodamani Vihara has fallen. It is