CHAPTER 24

THE BATTLE AT PULLALUR

PART 2

A naazhigai before sunset, one evening, saw the sudden re-appearance of Gundodharan at the Vihara. Eager to know the outcome of his search—for both steed and bikshu—Sivakami and Aayanar pelted him with questions.

“I flung your words of caution to the winds and set out on my hare-brained search, didn’t? I suppose I deserve every ill that befell me on my journey,” Gundodharan sighed dramatically. “I tracked the bikshu through hell and high-water…and was pitch-forked into a blazing battlefield. Oh Lord…I’ve never seen a battle such as this, nor heard of one!” He finished, looking awe-struck.

“What of the battle? Where was it fought?” Sivakami put forth eager questions. “Who won, and who was vanquished?”

Upon which request, Gundodharan began to relate the events that transpired at the Battle of Pullalur. Readers too, would doubtless wish to know something of one of the more famous battles that took place in Tamil Nadu, and which is now an indelible part of ancient Tamil history:

A few days after the Vathapi Emperor Pulikesi’s historic march of invasion against the Pallava Empire, the Ganga king Dhurvineethan deemed it the right opportunity to place his own armed forces along the western boundaries of the Pallava country. Dhurvineethan’s intent, no doubt, was to proceed into the Empire, breaking open its boundaries as soon as news reached him of the Vathapi army’s victory over Pallava forces…

...until Dhurvineethan, due to some peculiar quirk of fancy, decided to discard waiting, and proceeded to march into the Pallava Empire. News of his intended ‘invasion’ reached the capital soon enough and Mahendra Pallavar, who was encamped in the Northern countries, lost no time in sending a summons to his son. Commanded thus to take care of the threat, Kumara Chakravarthy made haste to obey his father’s instructions to take charge of the legions stationed at Thirukazhukundram, and defeat the Ganga hordes before they touched Kanchi’s boundaries.

Having waited eight months—eight long months of inactivity, boredom and exasperation—the Crown Prince lost no time in marching post-haste to Thirukazhukundram, the faithful Commander Paranjyothi in tow. The Pallava Armies re-grouped themselves swiftly, and two kaathams to the south-west of Kanchi, battle commenced on the outskirts of a small village called Pullalur.

The Ganga hordes were three times the size of the comparatively slender Pallava forces—yet, they were consumed by the sheer passion and ingenuity with which Maamallar and Paranjyothi directed their men. The battle tactics and strategies employed by both Prince and Commander, not to mention their courage and dare-devilry in the front-lines of battle, filled the Pallava soldiers with immeasurable boldness and enthusiasm.

The battle had reached its zenith; the fervour of war had over-run it course through every soldier—when a rumour blazed its way through the men: a large Pallava contingent had unexpectedly begun its attack on another, hitherto unprotected side of the Ganga hordes!

Panic broke through the ranks of Dhurvineethan’s men at once—within moments, soldiers who had been battling reasonably well, and with hopes of a victory, were now discarding any attempts at fighting back. Fear gripped their hearts, and many lost hope of being able to hold out until re-enforcements arrived—if they arrived at all. Hasty retreat became the order of the day, and Ganga Warriors began to leave the battlefield inn straggling groups.

News spread through the jubilant Pallava ranks that Dhurvineethan, coward that he was, was making good is escape in the Southern direction, perched on his Royal elephant. Determined to imprison him at any cost, Maamallar and Paranjyothi split their forces into as many smaller contingents as were possible, sending them along the various roads and paths branching off towards the southern lands. They themselves lost no time in following their subordinates.

Gundodharan, having grabbed hold of a horse careening wildly over the battlefield, had tried following both Prince and Commander on their swift journey southwards. His steed, however, saw fit to break its leg, leaving that young man with no choice but to discontinue his journey.

Aayanar’s erstwhile student therefore left his horse to take care of itself, and walked back to the sculptor’s present abode.

With this, he finished his descriptive recital.