After Sundara Chozhar had sent word several times expressing his wish to see Sembiyan Maadevi, the venerable queen mother finally came to visit the Emperor. Hearing of her arrival, the Emperor walked as far as the entrance to greet her, waited there, and then led her inside. He requested her to be seated beside him on the throne.

“O King of Kings! My heart, wounded by the continual tidings of sorrow, finds solace in seeing that you are in good health. By the grace of the Almighty, may you live long, rule this world for many years, and continue to protect it,” said the aged queen.

“Mother! You speak of the strength that has returned to my legs, enabling me to walk again. I too am pleased by this! I, who could not rise to welcome you—whom all of Chozha Nadu reveres and worships—am now blessed, through the power of affection from a mute and deaf divine maiden, to have regained what I had lost. I have been granted the fortune to rise, walk, and welcome you. Yet, O Devi, I find no satisfaction in the mere fact of being alive, nor do I wish to live long any further. Please do not bestow such blessings upon me. Instead, pray that I may soon attain the abode of Shiva!” replied Sundara Chozhar.

“O Emperor! All your noble ancestors have attained either the warrior’s heaven or the feet of Shiva. Surely, in the other world, they have reserved a place for you as well. When the destined hour arrives, the hosts of Shiva will come to escort you. But there is no need for you to hasten towards such a state. You still have many duties left in this world. Under your just and unwavering rule, the people live in happiness. Temple services are being conducted everywhere. Shaivites, Vaishnavites, Buddhists, Jainas, and followers of many other faiths are all praying for your long life…”

“Mother! Let none of them pray for my life any longer. Praying for the extension of my life is but a prayer to prolong my suffering. Among all the warriors Chozha Nadu has produced, the bravest of the brave, Aditya Karikalan, has been lost to us—should I continue to live in this world for long after that? Would it not have been better if my life had ended before his?...” “Emperor! The grief of losing a son is indeed most cruel. Yet, I, a simple woman, need not speak to you of the power of fate. Was not Lord Krishna the inseparable companion of Arjuna? Krishna Paramatma, the incarnation of the divine protector Thirumal himself—yet even he could not save Ghatotkacha or Abhimanyu. Did not Arjuna continue to live even after such heroic sons perished? Was Arjuna a man without love for his children? ‘For the sake of protecting the lives of others, you must preserve your own life,’ so taught Krishna Paramatma, and Arjuna accepted this and lived on. Emperor! The counsel that Lord Krishna gave