The Colas c23.121

c23.121

41. The author of the *Kōvai* is more keen on identifying his hero with Viṣṇu and attributing to him the legendary achievements of that god, than on treating him as a human ruler and mentioning the incidents of his career. In this respect, this *Kōvai* compares unfavourably with the *Pāṇḍikkōvai*, which furnishes most of the illustrative stanzas in the commentary to the *Iṟaiyanār Ahapporuḷ*. Even so, attention may be drawn to the following expressions of the *Kōvai* which, by alluding to victories against Kongu and Pāṇḍya and mentioning specially the King’s devotion to Śiva, may be taken to support in some measure the identification of the hero of the *Kōvai* with Kulōttunga III—especially as there is nothing traceable in it against such an identification: