Parthiban Kanavu (Dream of Parthiban)

Title: Parthiban Kanavu (Dream of Parthiban)

Author: Kalki. R. Krishnamurthy

Translated By: Dr. M. S.Venkatraman

Main Characters: Ponnan, Valli, Vikraman, Arul Mozhi Devi, King Parthiban, Veerabadra Aachaari, Sivanadiyar, Narasimha Pavallan, Kundavi Devi and Marappa Bhupathi.

Description of one of the main character: King Parthiban was the king of the Chola Nadu before Narasimha Pallavan, the ruler of Pallavas won it in the battle. King Parthiban has a son named Vikraman. He had many dreams such as capturing many northern states and to capture islands far away. He was a brave king.

Setting/theme of the story: King Parthiban died in the war between the Chola Nadu and the Pallavas. The war was held because King Parthiban refused to pay tributes to Narasimha Pallavan. After the war, King Parthiban's son, Vikraman launched an attack on Narasimha Pallavan with the help of his uncle Marappa Bhupathi. Half-way through the attack, Marappa Bhupathi betrayed Vikraman by leaving the boy fight on his own. So, Vikraman was captured and was brought to the Pallava king's palace in Kanchi. He was exiled. The young prince went to Shanbagam Island while his mother lived in Casanthe Theevu. Vikraman started ruling Shanbagam Island. He came back to Chola Nadu to see his mother. He was disguised as a gem trader He fell ill and the Princess Kundavi rescued him. When Narasimha Pallavan found out that Vikraman had come to Chola Nadu disguised as a gem  trader, knowing that he would be punished if found out, was surprised by the bravery of the prince. He married his young daughter Kundavi to Vikraman and gave the Chola Nadu to him as an independent state which need not pay tributes. Slowly Parthiban's dream got fulfilled when Vikraman and his successors conquered many places. The Chola warriors hoisted the Tiger flag, near the Ganges in the north, and beyond the seas in the east on the Kaadaaram Island. Parhiban's dream was to become reality 300 after Parthiban's death in the battlefield.

Kalki Selected Stories

Kalki Krishnamurthy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: Kalki Selected Stories

Author: Kalki.R.Krishnamurthy

TRANSLATED BY: GOWRI RAMNARAYAN, GRAND DAUGHTER OF KALKI.

THE STORIES I LIKED:

v  THE TIGER KING

Prince Jung Jung Bahadur was born and the astrologers predicted that the child will grow to become a warrior. They also said that the 100th tiger will kill him. The crown Prince, Jung Jung Bahadur grew up and started killing all the tigers. He had killed all the tigers in his kingdom but he had to kill 30 more. He married a young princess of a state with large tiger population. He had killed all the tigers there. He had killed 99 tigers. If he killed 1 more, he could prove that the astrologers were wrong. One day his soldiers got him an old tiger. He aimed a shot at the tiger and the tiger fell to the ground. He went to celebrate. Later, the soldiers found it was not dead and killed it instead of saying it to the king. Soon Jung Jung Bhadur son's birthday arrived. The king presented his son a toy tiger. While playing with his son, the steel went inside the king's hand. Best surgeons from Madras were called but the surgery failed and the king died. The 100th tiger had killed the king.

 v  THE POISON CURE:

This story is about Narayana Iyer, who thinks that untouchables are not equal to his Bhramin caste. He has the skill to draw the poison from snakebites and scorpion stings. He believes that when he says the mantra to draw the poison from the person, the mantra will not work if an untouchable is near him. One day an Inspector sat near him while he drew poison away from a person. After completing his mantra and after the patient was recovered, he told the inspector that the manta wouldn't have worked if an untouchable was near him. The inspector started laughing and replied when he was asked why he was laughing that he himself was an untouchable and the mantra had worked. From then on Narayana Iyer did not mind an untouchable near him.

 v  THE RURAL FANTASY:

This story is about a woman named Sakunthala who made the young women of the Kanaiyazhi educated and asked them to be brave and daring. She made the Kanaiyazhi people clean their village and asked them to keep it clean. She taught them now to read and sing songs. But when Sakunthala returns to Kolkata, they all start littering again. But the women of Kanaiyazhi still follow Sakuthala's advice.

The other stories are:

The letter, Rebirth of Srikanthan, The Governor's visit, The Big swelling sea, S.S.Menaka, Ruined Fort, Veenai Bhavani and Madatevan's spring.

It was an interesting book with nice stories. I enjoyed reading it. It is a must read for people who want to read good books.

Ponniyin Selvan: The Crown

The first three parts of the story Ponniyin Selvan are  The First Floods, The Cyclone and The Killer Sword. Now to the 4th part The Crown.

Title: Ponniyin Selvan: The Crown

Author: Kalki R. Krishnamurthy

Main Characters: VallvarayanVandiyathevan, Poonkuzhali, Parthibendran, Adhitha Karikalar, ArulmozhiVarman(Ponniyin Selvan), ParanthakaSundaraChozhar, KundavaiDevi(IlayaPirati), MadhuranthakaDevar, Kandaradithar, Nandini(PazhuvoorRani), ChinnaPazhuvetaraiyar, PeriyaPazhuvetaraiyar, KudanthaiJosiyar, Malayaman, SendhanAmuthan, KandanMaran, Manimekhalai, AzhvarkadiyanNambi(Thirumalai), EasanaBhattar, Vanathi, Aniruddha Bhramarayar and Sambuvaraiyar

Setting/Theme of the story: As Aditha Karikalan does not turn back, Vandiyathevan goes to Sambuvaraiyar's palace to ensure that the prince is safe. The prince and Vandiyathevan enjoy themselves by going out for hunting and boating. Meanwhile, Adithan's best friend Parthibendran,  KandanMaran and Sambuvaraiyar plan to kill the Crown prince. Prince Arulmozhi Varmar is still in Anuradhapuram. This is the end of the fourth part. 

Stay tuned for the last part, Part 5.

Ponniyin Selvan: The Killer Sword

The first two parts of the story Ponniyin Selvan are The First Floods and The Cyclone. Now to the 3rd part The Killer Sword.


Title: Ponniyin Selvan: The Killer Sword


Author: Kalki R. Krishnamurthy


Main Characters: VallvarayanVandiyathevan, Poonkuzhali, Parthibendran, Adhitha Karikalar, ArulmozhiVarman(Ponniyin Selvan), ParanthakaSundaraChozhar, KundavaiDevi(IlayaPirati), MadhuranthakaDevar, Kandaradithar, Nandini(PazhuvoorRani), ChinnaPazhuvetaraiyar, PeriyaPazhuvetaraiyar, KudanthaiJosiyar, Malayaman, SendhanAmuthan, KandanMaran, Manimekhalai, AzhvarkadiyanNambi(Thirumalai), EasanaBhattar, Vanathi and Sambuvaraiyar


Setting/Theme of the story: Vandiyathevan leaves ArulmozhiVarmar with Poonkuzhali and her cousin SendhanAmuthan. SendhanAmuthan brings an information that the PazhayaraiPirati(KundavaiDevi) wants her brother to stay in the Buddhist viharam at Nagapattinam. Vandiyathevan goes back to IlayaPirati to tell her that the prince is safe. Meanwhile, Nandini, the PazhuvoorRani, invites Karikalan to Sambuvaraiyar's palace. So, when Vandiyathevan meets IlayaPirati, she asks him to stop AdithaKarikalan from going to Sambuvaraiyar's palace. Once AdithaKarikalan takes a step forward, he never turns back. When Vandiyathevan tries to stop Karikalan, he was in vain. By the time, KundavaiDevi brings ArulmozhiVarmar to Anuradhapuram. This is the end of Part 3. 


Stay tuned for Part 4.

Ponniyin Selvan: The Cyclone

Image by mlanghans via Flickr

Title: Ponniyin Selvan: The Cyclone

Author: Kalki R. Krishnamurthy

Main Characters: VallvarayanVandiyathevan, Poonkuzhali, Parthibendran, Adhitha Karikalar, ArulmozhiVarman(Ponniyin Selvan), ParanthakaSundaraChozhar, KundavaiDevi(IlayaPirati), MadhuranthakaDevar, Kandaradithar, Nandini(PazhuvoorRani), ChinnaPazhuvetaraiyar, PeriyaPazhuvetaraiyar, KudanthaiJosiyar, Malayaman, SendhanAmuthan, KandanMaran, Manimekhalai, AzhvarkadiyanNambi(Thirumalai), EasanaBhattar and Sambuvaraiyar


Whom I like and why: I like Vallavarayan Vandiyathevan very much. He is a warrior from the royal but impoverished Vana clan. His ancestors had ruled TamilNadu for 300 years. Vandiyathevan serves the Chozha empire now. He is a friend and emissary of the crown prince Adhitha Karikalan. Vandiyathevan is famous for his valour. He brings back Arulmozhivarmar from Eezham to Nagapattinam as instructed by the IlayaPirati.


Whom I dislike and why: I dislike Nandini, the Pazhuvoor rani. As KundavaiDevi says Nandini is a venomous she-devil, an enchantress and a poisonous cobra. She wants to marry Adhitha Karikalan so that she can become the Empress of Chozha kingdom. She asks Adhithan to imprison his father SundaraChozhar and make her the Empress. She tries to separate Vandiyathevan from Adhithan.


Setting/Theme of the story: Vandiyathevan goes across the sea to Eezham with the help of a boat-girl named Poonkuzhali. She also helps him escape many dangers. She once saves him from getting caught in the Pazhuvettaraiyars' hands again. Vandiyathevan finds Prince Arulmozhivarmar in Eezham and hands over the scroll addressed to the prince from KundavaiDevi. At the same time, AzhvarKadiyanNambi delivers a scroll to the Prince from AniruddhaBhramayar of Anbil. After a few days, Parthibendra Pallavan also gives a scroll to Ponniyin Selvan from Adhitha Karikalan. The Prince becomes confused. Kundavai has asked Arulmozhivarman to come to Pazhayarai at once. The Prime Minister has asked Ponniyin Selvan to stay at Eezham for some more time. Prince's brother Karikalan has asked him to come to Kanchi at once. While the Prince is thinking whom he should listen to there is news that the Emperor wants Ponniyin Selvan arrested. Ponniyin Selvan thinks he has to follow his father's orders and goes in the ship of Parthibendran. Meanwhile Vandiyathevan gets caught in the ship of a few Arabs. He pushes the Arabs into the sea. While they are all travelling a cyclone hits and Vandiyathevan's ship catches fire. Ponniyin Selvan jumps into the sea from the other ship in order to save Vandiyathevan. Vandiyathevan is rescued from the burning ship but both the Prince and Vandiyathevan get caught in the cyclone. When Ponniyin Selvan and Vandiyathevan start to loose hope in surviving the cyclone, Poonkuzhali rows to them and saves them in her boat. She takes them back to safety. 


This is the end of part 2. Stay tuned.

Ponniyin Selvan: Part 1: The First Floods

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I am currently reading the English version of Kalki R. Krishnamurthy's Ponniyin Selvan translated by C. V. Karthik Narayanan and published by MACMILLAN India Ltd.

The original was first serialised in Tamizh 1950-54 in the magazine Kalki.

The First Floods is the first part of Ponniyin Selvan series.

Main Characters: VallvarayanVandiyathevan, Parthibendran, Adhitha Karikalar, ArulmozhiVarman(Ponniyin Selvan), ParanthakaSundaraChozhar, KundavaiDevi(IlayaPirati), MadhuranthakaDevar, Kandaradithar, Nandini(PazhuvoorRani), ChinnaPazhuvetaraiyar, PeriyaPazhuvetaraiyar, KudanthaiJosiyar, Malayaman, SendhanAmuthan, KandanMaran, Manimekhalai, AzhvarkadiyanNambi(Thirumalai), EasanaBhattar and Sambuvaraiyar

Story: VallavarayanVandiyathevan of the Vana clan who serves AdithaKarikalan, the crown prince goes to deliver two important scrolls from Adithan. One is addressed to ParanthakaSundaraChozhar who is the ruling emperor and the other is to KundavaiDevi, daughter of the emperor and also called as the IlayaPirati. On his way to SundaraChozhar's palace at Thanjavur, he settles the disputes between AzhvarkadiyanNambi and EasanaBhattar on whether Vishnu or Shiva is supreme. Then Vandhiyathevan gets trapped in PeriyaPazhuvetaraiyar's, the prince of Pazhuvoor, hands. He somehow gives the scroll to SundaraChozhar. The scroll invites SundaraChozhar, Adithan's father, who lives under the influence of the Pazhuvetraiyars' to come and live in the golden palace built by Adithan for his father. Then Vandiyathevan escapes from Thanjavur and goes to meet IlayaPirati in Pazhayarai. He delivers the message safely to KundavaiDevi. KundavaiDevi gives him another message to be taken to prince ArulmozhiVarman in Eezham(Lanka). This is the end of first part.

Parthibendran is a friend of AdithaKarikalan. MadhuranthakaThevar is the son of Kandaradithar. Kandaradithar and SundaraChozhar are brothers. Nandini is PeriyaPazhuvetaraiyar's wife and doesnt like KundavaiDevi, the IlayaPirati because she is SundaraChozhar's daughter and adored more. KundanthaiJosiyar predicts that ArulmozhiVarman will rule all the three worlds as per his horoscope. SendhanAmuthan helps VandiyaThevan during his journey to Pazhayarai. KandanMaran is a friend of VandiyaThevan. Manimekhalai is KandanMaran's sister. Sambuvaraiyar is father of KandanMaran and Manimekhalai.

I like the setting and theme of the story. I like the story and continuing reading other parts of Ponniyin Selvan. Stay tuned for the rest.