Two thousand years ago – a thousand years before this story takes place – there was a Sinhalese king named Valahambahu. During his time also the Tamil army invaded Sri Lanka. At that time Valahambahu had fled from the capital and was hiding in a mountain cave at Dambulla. Then he again gathered his army and captured Anuradhapura. He further dug out the mountain cave that had sheltered him and turned it into a temple. In order to express his gratitude to Lord Buddha, he had many Buddha statues, large and small, erected inside the cave. The sculptors who sculpted hundreds of Buddha statues were not satisfied that they had fully demonstrated their sculptural skills. So they also installed images of Hindu deities between the Buddha statues. Those sculptural wonders can be seen even today in the cave temple in Dambulla.
When Vandhiyathevan entered that holy place, he felt as if he had entered a new world. The fragrance of fresh flowers made him dizzy. Lotus buds and shenbaga flowers were piled up on the street corners. The devotees took the flowers in beautiful baskets and proceeded towards the temple. Crowds of devotees, both men and women, blocked the streets. Buddhist monks in saffron robes were also to be seen. "Sadhu, Sadhu!" rose from the crowd of devotees.
All this surprised Vandhiyathevan greatly. Looking at Azhvarkadiyan he said, "We thought we were coming to the war centre. Isn't this a Buddhist Kshetra?"
"Yes, father! Hasn't this been a famous Buddhist kshetra for thousands of years?" said Azhvarkadiyan.
"But you said that this is under the control of the Chola army?"
"Yes; I still say that."
"Don't you see any Chola soldiers here?"
"They're in barracks outside the town. That's the prince's order."
"Which prince?"
"Why? It is the prince we are looking for!"
"I wanted to ask you about it. Isn't Parthipenthiran going back after searching for the prince here and finding 'no'? What's the use of us looking for him here again?"
"Will I believe that Pallavan just because he said 'no'? Ill find out for myself. Raniyan said that there is no god called 'Hari'. Did Prahlad believe that?"
"Oh! O Veera Vaishnava! You have been constantly fighting with the Saivas in our country? So many Buddhist monks go here. Are you just coming to sing? What is the reason? Are you frightened by the crowd of enemies?"
"Brother! What is fear? What does that look like?"
"It's as big as an elephant and it's black. Haven't you seen it?"
"No," said Azhvarkadiyan and approached two men who were standing on the roadside watching. They looked like Tamils. After talking to them for a while, Azhvarkadiyan returned.
"O Vaishnava! What did you ask them? Did you ask whether Vishnu was bigger or Buddha was greater? If you ask anyone in this town, they will say, 'Buddha is great'. Don't you see how magnificent each Buddha statue is?"
"Brother, I have packed up all my Veera Vaishnavism in Rameswaram and have come here on a royal mission, do you understand?"
"Then what did you ask those men? Have you inquired about the prince?"
"No; I asked him what's so special about this town today."
"What did they say?"
"Two Chinese pilgrims are coming here to-day; A festival is held in the Buddhist Viharam on this occasion; That's why they said there was a lot of excitement in the town."
"Where do the Chinese pilgrims come from?"
"They came here yesterday and went to Simmakiri. They said they are coming from Simmakiri now and will be here in a little while."
"Where is Simhagiri?"
"It's a long way from here. It is still in the hands of the Sinhalese. If it's daytime, you can see it from here. There is a strong fort on top of the Simmakiri hill. There is a cave there with wonderful paintings of immortal colors. The Chinese pilgrims must have gone there to see those pictures. They must have had a hard time getting up and down the hill... Look at that!"
A big decorated elephant was coming to the place indicated by Azhvarkadiyan. Two men were sitting in its howdah. Their appearance and dress indicated that they were the Chinese pilgrims. An elephant keeper was sitting on the elephant's neck with an ankusa in his hand. The people who surrounded the elephant raised various slogans.
"Did you see?" said Azhvarkadiyan.
"I saw; I saw it! Mother! How big is the elephant? Can I see if there's a hole nearby?"
"No, no, just stand back in the street."
As the elephant approached, they stood aside on the side of the road. The elephant passed them; The crowd followed the elephant.
Vandhiyathevan kept his eye on the pilgrim sitting in the howdah. He was amazed at the devotion of those Chinese who had travelled so far and crossed so many seas to visit the holy places of the Buddhas. It is only fair that they should be treated so much here. But how strange is it that they do not interrupt the pilgrimage even in the midst of the war? It must have been Prince Arulmozhivarmar's arrangement. He is the only one who can do such generous things. But where would he be now? Is it possible to find him? Will it be in vain that I have been travelling with this Vaishnava with so much difficulty?"
"Brother! Did you see?" said Azhvarkadiyan.
"I saw."
"What do you know?"
"The Chinese pilgrims' faces were sloppy and their clothes were strange..."
"I didn't ask about the pilgrims."
"And then?"
I said, 'Did you notice the elephant-keeper?'"
"Elephant keeper? Haven't I noticed?"
"It's beautiful. When that elephant-keeper's gaze accidentally fell on us, didn't you notice the light in his eyes?"
"What's that? Is there a torch in the elephant-keeper's eyes to shine?"
"You are a good man! I don't know whether to be surprised at your carelessness or wonder about the junior stateswoman who entrusted you with such an important matter. Come with me!"
They followed the elephant and the crowd that surrounded the elephant at some distance.
The elephant stopped at the entrance of the Buddhist viharam. Then the elephant keeper said something and the elephant knelt down. The pilgrims disembarked. Buddhist monks gathered at the entrance of the Buddhist vihara to welcome the Chinese pilgrims. The associations thundered; The bells rang. Flowers showered from the balcony of the viharam. The slogan "Buddha Saranam Gacchami" rose in the sky. The two Chinese pilgrims went into the viharam. Most of those who came with them followed them into the viharam.
யாத்திரீகர்கள் இறங்குவதற்கு முன்பே யானையின் கழுத்திலிருந்து இறங்கிவிட்ட யானைப் பாகன் யானையை எழுப்பி நடத்திக்கொண்டு சென்றான். சற்றுத் தூரத்தில் நின்றிருந்த நாலுபேரைப் பார்த்தான். அவர்களில் ஒருவனிடம் யானையை ஒப்புவித்தான். இன்னும் ஒருவனிடம் ஆழ்வார்க்கடியானைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டி ஏதோ சொன்னான். மற்ற இருவரையும் அழைத்துக்கொண்டு சிறிது நேரத்தில் வீதியின் ஒரு திருப்பத்தில் திரும்பி மறைந்தான்.
யானைப் பாகன் எந்த ஆளுக்கு ஆழ்வார்க்கடியானைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டினானோ அவன் இவர்கள் நின்ற இடத்தை நோக்கி வந்தான். ஆழ்வார்க்கடியானிடம் மெல்லிய குரலில், "ஐயா! என்னுடன் வருவதற்குச் சம்மதமா?" என்று கேட்டான்.
"அதற்காகவே காத்திருக்கிறோம்" என்றான் ஆழ்வார்க்கடியான்.
"அடையாளம் ஏதாவது உண்டா?"
சேநாதிபதி கொடுத்திருந்த கொடும்பாளூர் முத்திரை மோதிரத்தை ஆழ்வார்க்கடியான் காட்டினான்.
"சரி, என் பின்னால் வாருங்கள்" என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு அவன் முன்னால் செல்ல, இவர்கள் பின்தொடர்ந்து சென்றார்கள். ஊரைத்தாண்டி அப்பால் சென்றதும் குறுகிய காட்டுப் பாதை ஒன்று தென்பட்டது. அதன் வழியே சிறிது தூரம் சென்றதும் பாதையிலிருந்து சற்று விலகியிருந்த ஒரு பாழும் மண்டபத்தை அடைந்தார்கள். அதில் சிறிது நேரம் காத்திருக்கவேண்டும் என்று அவர்களை அழைத்து வந்தவன் தெரிவித்தான். பிறகு அவன் ஒரு மரத்தின் மேலேறி அவர்கள் வந்த வழியைக் கூர்ந்து கவனிக்கத் தொடங்கினான்.
"இதெல்லாம் என்ன மர்மம்? எனக்கு ஒன்றும் புரியவில்லையே?" என்று வந்தியத்தேவன் கேட்டான்.
"எல்லாம் சீக்கிரத்தில் புரிந்துவிடும். கொஞ்சம் பொறுத்திரு!" என்றான் ஆழ்வார்க்கடியான்.
அந்தப் பாழும் மண்டபத்தில் பின்னால் இரண்டு குதிரைகள் கட்டப்பட்டிருந்தன. குதிரைகள் இரண்டுதான் என்பது வந்தியத்தேவனுக்குக் கொஞ்சம் கவலையை உண்டாக்கியது.
யானைப் பாகனைப் பற்றிய மர்மம் என்னவாயிருக்கும்? அவனுடைய முகத்தை ஒரே கணம் வந்தியத்தேவன் கண்கள் ஏறிட்டுப் பார்த்திருந்தன. அப்புறம் சீன யாத்திரீகர்களிடம் அவன் கவனம் சென்று விட்டது. யானைப் பாகனுடைய முகத்தை நினைத்துப் பார்க்க ஆனமட்டும் முயன்றான். ஒன்றும் நினைவுக்கு வரவில்லை.
"வைஷ்ணவரே! அந்த யானைப் பாகன் யார்? எனக்குச் சொல்லக் கூடாதா?"
"யாராயிருக்கும்? நீயே ஊகித்துப் பார், தம்பி!"
"யானைப் பாகன்தான் பொன்னியின் செல்வரா?"
"அவருடைய கண்களில் ஒரு கணம் ஜொலித்த பிரகாசத்திலிருந்து அப்படித்தான் தோன்றியது."
"உம்மைப்போல் மற்றவர்களும் அவரைத் தெரிந்து கொண்டிருக்க மாட்டார்களா?"
"No, who would expect the prince to be an elephant keeper for pilgrims from China? And the people of this town have never seen the prince."
"Didn't you say that the Chinese pilgrims came from Simmakiri?"
"Yes."
"Didn't you say that Simmakiri is still under the control of the Sinhalese?"
"I told you."
"Then, has the prince returned from among the enemies?"
"What about Simhagiri? The prince has returned with the Chinese pilgrims from Mahiyangana, Samantha Koodam and other places in the middle of the enemy territory."
"எதற்காக அவ்வளவு பெரிய அபாயத்துக்கு உட்பட்டார்?"
"அந்த க்ஷேத்திரங்களையும் அங்கேயுள்ள சிற்ப சித்திர அதிசயங்களையும் பார்ப்பதில் உள்ள அளவு கடந்த ஆசையினால்தான்!"
"நல்ல ஆசை! நல்ல இளவரசர்! இத்தகைய விளையாட்டுப் புத்தியுள்ளவரையா முடி மன்னர் வணங்கும் ஏகசக்ராதிபதியாவார் என்று அந்தக் குடந்தை சோதிடர் சொன்னார்?"
"அவ்வாறு குடந்தை சோதிடர் சொன்னாரா, தம்பி?"
"நீரும் அதை நம்புகிறீரா?"
"நான் ஜோசியத்தை நம்பவில்லை. ஜோசியம் பார்க்க வேண்டிய அவசியமும் எனக்கு இல்லை."
"பின்னே என்ன?"
"ஜோசியம் பார்க்காமலேயே எனக்கு நிச்சயமாய்த் தெரியும்…"
Suddenly the tramp of horses hoofs was heard. The sound was getting closer and closer to where they were. The man who had been watching from the top of the tree hurried down. He took the two horses. He climbed into one. He asked Azhvarkadiyan to climb on another one. "In a little while some horses will go along this path. We must follow them."
Vandhiyathevan asked, "Do I have a horse?"
"I have orders to bring only this one!"
"Whose orders!"
"I'm not authorized to say that."
"I must see the prince at once. I've brought very important news."
"I don't know anything about that, sir!"
Azhvarkadiyan said, "Brother! Have some patience! I will go and tell the prince and arrange to bring you with me."
"O Vaishnava! Don't you know that the message I have brought is very important and urgent?"
"Give me that letter; I'll give it to you."
"It can't."
"Then wait, there is no other way!"
"Is there no other way?"
"Not at all!"
Vandhiyathevan's heart was agitated. There is no doubt that Azhvarkadiyan is being taken to the prince. The colonel has asked us to listen to what Azhvarkadiyan is saying to him. Wouldn't that be impossible? The horses drew nearer; They passed where they were; Lightning flew away with twinkling speed.
The two men on the horses in the pavilion pulled the harness of the horse and shook it to start. At that moment, something unexpected happened. Vandhiyathevan grabbed one of the legs of the man on the horse and kicked him with a throw. The man stumbled to the ground. Vandhiyathevan jumped on the horse; The horse flew. Azhvarkadiyan's horse also flew. The fallen soldier screamed and threw the knife out of its sheath. Vandhiyathevan bowed his head and lay down on the horse's back. The knife thrown by the soldier went swiftly and plunged deep into a tree. The two horses flew away like the wind.
The two horses followed the three in front, neither too close nor too far behind. "You did a good job, brother!" said Azhvarkadiyan encouraging Vandhiyathevan. But Vandhiyathevan made no reply. His heart was worried about the outcome. He wondered why he had crossed the ocean and landed in such a predicament because of a womans word. The horses were galloping along the narrow forest path.