charity were loud in their expression of grief for their departed chief, and their tears mingled with those of the two orphan girls who were now friendless. Kapilar the favourite bard of Pâri took charge of his daughters and while leaving Parambu addressed the mountain as follows :—
“We loved thee once! When the toddy jars were ever open, and sheep were slaughtered, and rice cooked with flesh was served as much as we wanted. Now Pâri, having died, forlorn and helpless with tears streaming from our eyes, we bid thee fare well; noble Parambu! And we depart in search of proper husbands for Pari’s daughters, whose tresses are fragrant and whose arms are adorned with bracelets.” Kapilar took the girls first to Vichehick-kô and then to Irunko-vêl who were two petty chieftains in Tamilakam; and both the chiefs having declined to wed them he gave them away in marriage to Brahmins.[1]
Nannan, lord of Chenkamnà in the valley of the Cheyyâr, was another famous chief in the Chola kingdom. The poem Malaipadukadam was, composed in his honor by Perunk-kausikanâr. It appears from this poem that there was a temple dedicated to Siva, under the name of Kari-undik-kadavul, on the top of the mountain Naviram in his territory.[2]
Ay, Porunan and Palayan-Mâran were the principal chieftains who owed allegiance to the Pandyan king. Of these, Mâvêl-ây belonged to the tribe of Vellâlas and was lord of the Pothiya hill and the land surrounding it. The chief town in his province was Aykudi.[3] Ay-andiram who was one of the rulers of Aykudi is said to have once defeated the Kongas and driven them to the Western Sea.[4] Thithiyan, a successor of Ayandiran joined the confederacy of princes against the Pândya Nedunj-cheliyan and was defeated by him in the battle of Alankânam.[5] Porunan was the family name, of the princes of Nânjil-nád which was situated west of the Pothiya hill.[6] His territory is still known as Nânjil-nád and forms a portion of the modern state of Travancore.
Palayan-Màran, prince of Mohoor, was the head of the ancient tribe of Marar who were settled near the Pothya hill and who
