Studies in Cola History and Administration c7.102

c7.102

The evidence from the two poems in the *Paṭṭuppāṭṭu* on the circumstances attending Karikāla's accession to the throne seems at first sight to be somewhat conflicting. One of them says that the war-like child of Uruvappahṟērḷaiyōṉ (the young man with many fine chariots) obtained his right (to the kingdom) from the mother's womb, and carried the burden of the kingdom on his shoulders from the time he learned to crawl as a baby (*Porunar*. ll. 129-38). The other affirms that like the tiger cub growing up in a cage, Karikāla stayed in the prison of his enemies (*pirar*) until his wounded pride roused him to action, and then, like the elephant effecting its escape from the pit into which it had fallen by filling it up with mud brought down by its tusks in order to join its mate, so also Karikāla by means of wisely laid plans effected his escape after fighting the warders of his prison with his sword, and attained royalty which was his by right. (*Paṭṭiṉappālai* ll. 220-227). One statement is common to both the