The Colas c17.44

c17.44

⁷ 395 of 1922 is the earliest record so far known mentioning this achievement and dated in the 24th day of the fourth year. It is no longer true therefore to say that 'until the 8th year of his reign, A.D. 994, he did not undertake any expedition' (*SII.* ii Introd. p. 2). What Rājarāja's achievement at Kāndaḷūr exactly was has been the subject of much discussion. Though *śālai* and *kalam* mean respectively 'a feeding house' and '(eating) plate', these meanings seem hardly satisfactory in the present instance (Contra *TAS.* ii 2-5). On the other hand *śālai* in the sense of 'roadstead' is not known in any other context. But, after all, *śālai* may only be part of the name of the place; or it may have the ordinary meaning of a road. In any case, no other meaning seems more likely than the one usually adopted for the whole phrase viz., 'who destroyed the fleet in the roadstead of Kāndaḷūr.' The alternative suggestion that the 'scale of feeding in the feeding-house of Kāndaḷūr was regulated by the king' (S. Desikavinayagam Pillai - *Kerala Society Papers*, Series 2 pp. 100 ff.) necessitates a far-fetched explanation of the need for the use of force in the transaction, and fails to explain why such a thing had to be done over again, for instance, by Rājādhirāja. D. Pillai's objection that the destruction of a fleet would not be described as an act of grace *aruḷi* as this is done in the usual introduction, '*tirumagaḷpōla*' etc., of Rājarāja, is easily met; Rājādhirāja caused the Pāṇḍya Vira Kēraḷa to be trampled by an elephant, and this is described as an act of grace '*kadakkaḷiṟṟān-udaippittaruḷi.*' Perhaps, *aṟuttu* does not mean 'destroyed', but simply 'overcame,' cf. *Kalingattupparaṇi* (verse 370) saying that Viḷiñam was destroyed and *śālai* captured. It must be admitted, however, that the earliest mention of Kāndaḷūr (*TAS.* i p. 6, l. 6) does support D. Pillai's interpretation. Gopinatha Rao has correctly identified Kāndaḷūr with a part of Trivandrum now called Valiya Sālai. But see *TAR.* 1920-21 (p. 65) where Kāndaḷur near Pūvār (Neyyattinkara) is suggested. *Śālai* is sometimes sanskritised as *jvālā*. (*T.A.S.* ii. p. 4).