Studies in Cola History and Administration c6.31.2

c6.31.2

Srinivasa Aiyangar who draws attention to a contradictory tradition related in the Tamil-nāvalar-caritai which says that this ode was composed by the king and despatched to his poet-friend Poygaiyār who thereupon sang the 'Kaḷavaḻi Forty' and obtained his release. "The fact that the two legends contradict each other shows," we are assured* "that supposed traditions which Tamil scholars regard as sacrosanct are but brittle reeds to lean upon in historical investigation." The first thing to observe in this connection is that the Tamil-Nāvalar-Caritai is, as Mr. Srinivasa Aiyangar admits, a demonstrably late work of the sixteenth century A. D.† and some regard must be had to this in pitting its traditions against those in the colophons of the Puraṉāṉūṟu. Further, in this particular instance, the note in the Caritai leaves altogether unexplained the reference to drinking water that occurs in the text of the poem. The suggestion has been made‡ that the Cēra for whose release the Kaḷavaḻi was composed by Poygai was some king other than the author of Puṟam 74. But it is not possible to accept this, because Śeṅgaṇāṉ, the Cōḻa king is expressly mentioned both in the colophon of the Puṟam song and that of the Kaḷavaḻi as the Cēra Irumporai's foe; and the Kaḷavaḻi celebrates Śeṅgaṇāṉ's victory.