The Colas c11.59

c11.59

Two other short poems⁷⁴ express the king's eagerness to meet Āndai before the end came, as also his quiet confidence that his friend would not fail him. When Āndai turned up in good time and joined the king in his resolve to quit the wicked world, Pottiyār evinced⁷⁵ great admiration for the nobility of the king and the wisdom of Āndai, and the deepest concern for the country which was losing a monarch whose great qualities captivated the mind of Āndai, though he owed him no allegiance. Two short pieces⁷⁶ commemorate the suicide of Āndai in the king’s company: One of them records that Āndai starved himself to death under the shade of a tree in the river-bed. When Pottiyār wanted to follow, the king forbade him asking him to postpone his suicide till after his son had been born,⁷⁷ and Pottiyār had to go back. In the following lines the poet gave vent to his feelings as he returned to Uṛaiyūr:⁷⁸