CHAPTER 18 Idumbankari
Let us now turn our attention to Azhwarkadiyan Nambi, also known as Thirumalaiappar, whom we left near the wharf on the Kollidam. Gazing in the direction in which Vandiyathevan had set off on horseback to Thanjavur, he muttered to himself, “He’s a smart boy, he has a trick up his sleeve for every trick I have. I’ve not been able to find out whose man he is, or where he’s going. I’m not even sure he took part in the meeting the conspirators held at the Kadambur palace yesterday. Anyway, I’ve told him about the Kudandhai josier. Let's see if he's able to find out something.”
“What's this? Are you talking to yourself, sami, or to the pepal tree?” Azhwarkadiyan turned and saw the servant from Kadambur who had fetched a horse for Vandiyathevan.
“Appane! Did you ask me something? I was not talking either to myself, or to the tree. There’s a vedalam, a ghoul, who lives in the branches of the tree. I was having a chat with it.” said Thirumalai.
“Oho! Is that so? Is it a Saivite vedalam or a Vaishnavite One?”
“That’s what I was trying to find out when you interrupted. It's disappeared now. Doesn’t matter. What’s your name appane?”
“Why do you want to know, swami?”
“You prevented the boat from capsizing in the middle of the Kollidam and saved us! Don't you think I should remember the worthy soul who did that for me?”
Weighing his words, the man replied, “My name... my name....
is Idumbankari.”
“Oh! Idumbankari! I remember hearing that name. ”
Idumbankari then did something very strange. He spread his fingers, placed one palm on the back of the other hand and moved his thumbs, looking at Thirumalai all this while.
“Appane! What does this sign mean? I don’t understand,” said Thirumalaiappar. Idumbankari’s dark face grew even darker.
He knitted his eyebrows. “Me? I made no sign.”
“You did, you did. I saw it. There’s a hastham in Bharathanatyam indicating the first avataram of Vishnu. That’s what you showed me.”
“What do you mean by Vishnu's first avataram? I don’t know what it is, swami.”
“You don’t know Vishnu’s first avataram? The matsyavataram?”
“You mean, a fish?” “Yes appane, yes.”
“Well, well sami... your eyesight appears to be peculiar. You
See a ghoul on a tree and a fish in my empty hand. Maybe the sami has developed a taste for fish, is that it?”
“Che! Don’t say such things, appane. It doesn’t matter. There was a Veerasaivite with us in the boat, did you see which way he went?”
“Of course I did. Cursing you roundly he went in the same direction that I took when I went to buy the horse.”
“How did he curse me?”
“If he ever met you again, he said he would cut off your tuft and tonsure you...”
“Oho! So he's an expert at that as well!” “He’ll erase the namas on your body and smear vibhuthi all Over it.”
“Then I must definitely see him. Do you know where he's from?”
“He said himself that he was from Pullirukkum Velur.”
“I must see him then before I do anything else. Where are you going? Perhaps you’re travelling in the same direction.”
“No, no. Why should I? I must cross the Kollidam and go back to Kadambur or my master will have my eyes plucked out.”
“Then go back at once. The boat is about to leave.”
Idumbankari turned around. He realised that Azhwarkadiyan was right, the boat was about to depart.
He said, “Right, sami! I’m going,” and hurried to the wharf.
Halfway there, he turned back. But before he did so, Azhwarkadiyan did something strange. He quickly climbed the peepul tree and hid in its dense foliage. Idumbankari did not see him do this.
Idumbankari reached the wharf. One of the boatmen asked, “Are you coming?”
Idumbankari replied, “No, I’ll come on the next boat. You can go.”
“Ada, so that's it? You were rushing towards the boat, so I waited for you.” The boatman rowed away.
By this time Thirumalai, well-ensconced among the thick branches, began to talk to the vedalam. “It’s just as I thought. He didn’t go in the boat, so he's sure to return. When he comes back, I’ll have to find out which way he’s going. I distinctly saw his hand making the sign of the fish. Ah! Fish!
Fish! What does it signify? Isn’t it the emblem on the Pandyan flag? Perhaps! Aha! Could it be? Let's wait and see. The patient will rule the earth. The impatient can rule only the forest. Let’s be patient even though it seems better these days to rule a forest than to rule the earth. Anyway, let me wait patiently and watch.
Soon, what he had expected happened. The boat left. Idumbankari looked carefully at the peepul tree and then all around him. He made sure that Azhwarkadiyan was nowhere in sight, then went up to the peepul tree, looked cautiously around, and sat down beneath it. He continued to look all around him as if he was expecting someone. But he did not look upwards at all. Even if he did, he would not have spotted Thirumalai who had concealed himself very well.
About a nazhigai passed. Thirumalai's legs began to grow numb. He felt that he could not stay on the tree any longer. But there was no way he could make Idumbankari budge.
How could he escape? Even if he climbed down the tree on the other side, Idumbankari was sure to spot him. He had a sharp dagger tucked into his waist. How could he be sure Idumbankari would not stab him with it?
What else could he do? Could he jump down on him, howling like a ghost? Idumbankari might think he was the vedalam and faint with fear. Or he might run away — and then Thirumalai could escape...
As these thoughts passed through Thirumalai's mind, something happened that made it seem as though his trials would soon end. A man came along the Kudandhai road from the south-west. Thirumalai felt instinctively that he was the person Idumbankari was waiting for. It soon became evident that his instinct was not wrong. Idumbankari got up as soon as he saw the newcomer.
The newcomer made the sign Idumbankari had made earlier: he spread his fingers, placed one palm on the back of the other hand and moved his thumbs in the matsya hastham.
Idumbankari showed the same mudra in answer. “What is your name?” asked the newcomer. “Idumbankari. And yours?”
“Soman Sambhavan.”
“You’re the person I’m expecting.” “I too have come looking for you.” “In which direction should we go?” “Westward.”
“Where?”
“To the pallipadai, the cenotaph of the enemy.” “Near Thirupurambayam.”
“Don’t talk so loudly! Someone may hear you.” Soman
Sambhavan looked around him.
“There’s no one here. I’ve already checked.” “Aren’t there any hiding places here?”
“No. None.”
“Let’s set off then. I don’t know the way, so go ahead. I’ll follow. From time to time stop to make sure I’m behind you.”
“It’s an uneven path. It goes through a jungle and is stony, thorny and rough. You’ll have to walk carefully.”
“All right. You lead. Even though it’s the forest we’re going through, if we catch sight of someone, we’ll have to hide.”
“I understand.”
Idumbankari went westwards along the bank of the Kollidam. Soman Sambhavan followed at a distance. Azhwarkadiyan stayed on top of the tree until they disappeared from sight.
He had seen and heard everything.
“Aha! These are evil times! All kinds of unexpected events take place. By the grace of God, I’ve been given an opportunity to unveil a great mystery. Everything depends now on how capable I am. I found out only bits and pieces of the mystery at the Kadambur palace. I mustn't be caught out like that again. The pallipadai at Thirupurambayam – that must be the Ganga King Prithvipathi’s. But it’s a hundred years since it was built, it's in ruins. The jungle has overrun it completely. The village is some distance away. Why are they going there? If it’s a matter that concerns only these two, they don’t need to go so far. They could have had their discussion here. So it’s certain that they expect some other people. Why did one of them call Prithvipathi's pallipadai the enemy’s? Whose enemy is Prithvipathi? Aha! I think I guessed right. Let's make sure, anyway. They’re going along the Kollidam. Let me go along the banks of the Manni. The route is worse, but it doesn’t matter. Ups and downs, thorns and stones, why should they bother me? It’s the jungle that should be afraid of me.”
Grappling with these thoughts and muttering to himself, Thirumalai climbed down from the tree and walked a little way south till he reached the River Manni. Then he turned westward along the bank.
He walked through dense forests that no one usually ventured into and reached the temple at the Thirupurambayam cenotaph as the sun was setting.