Xo. 46. — 1895.] axciext tamil literature. 35 



prisoners. He compelled the first two to change their royal 

 garments for the religious mendicant garb (sarin yd si), and 

 sent his prime minister, Yillavankotai, with a military 

 escort to the Himalayas, from where a statue of the goddess 

 Pattini was made and brought. He caused the two princes 

 to carry it on their heads and returned to his capital with great 

 spoils, after an absence of thirty-two months.* At Yafiji. it is 

 needless to state, he was welcomed by his queen and subjects 

 with great rejoicing. Then he sent Kanaka and Yijaya 5 still 

 dressed as religious mendicants, in charge of his messengers, 

 to be exhibited at the courts of the Pandiyan and Chola 

 kings, who however expressed their condemnation of the 

 cruel treatment accorded to the unfortunate princes by 

 Senkutturan. f When he heard this, the fiery king was for 

 immediately declaring war. but was fortunately appeased by 

 the Brahman Madalan, whose spirited address on that 

 occasion, somewhat abridged, runs thus : — ■ 



" King of kings, may your power ever increase ! You have 

 conquered Yiyalur, you have defeated nine Chola princes, 



* Enrianku niatiyana Vaujinii^ldyani. " Ckilappatikaram." p. i7i. 



j Such, and worse ill treatment to conquered princes was not unusual 

 in those times. There is extant a short poem written by the Chera prince 

 Kanai'k'kal Irumporai. immediately before his suicide, complaining of the 

 treatment he received at the hands of his conquerer. the Chola king 

 SenTiannan ('■ the Red-eye "). which is quite pathetic : •• Even if a child is 

 still-born, or the birth is a dead mass (embryo), even this is regarded as 

 part of humanity and receives proper treatment. But when, though a 

 prince, my only fault has been misfortune in war. instead of being beheaded, 

 alas ! that I should be chained like a dog and treated cruelly, even a 

 drink of water being refused : surely I have enough self-respect and 

 courage left to commit suicide without seeking to appease hunger and 

 thirst at the hands of strangers who pity my state ! 



The Senliaiinan here mentioned is Ko-Senliaiinan of Dr. Hulztsch 

 (South Indian Inscriptions, vol. II.. p. 153). whose name is mentioned in 

 copperplate grants as ancestor of Vijayalaya. who reigned circa 575 anno 

 Christi (South Indian Journal, vol. I., p. 112). Jnana Sambandha. in his 

 Devaranis. mentions him in more than one of his hymns. So does Arpar 

 (Tirunavukkarasu). his contemporary, as also Sundaramtirtti. Jnana 

 Sambandha lived prior to the second century of the Christian era. Cf. pp- 

 19, 20. 21. supra. 



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