आमुक्तमाल्यदा (विजयनगर सम्राट् श्रीकृष्णदेवराय - गोदा देवी आण्डाल भक्ति एवं साम्राज्य-नीति)

12 Goda's Garland of Devotion
Research scholars have identified this Pandyan King with
Vallabhadeva (Ko Nedumaran) and M. Raghava Iyengar assigns
Vallabhadeva's reign to 740–767 A.D. Vallabhadeva's grand-
father was Ninraseer Nedumaran, a Jain who was converted to
Saivism by Jnanasambandhar. There is a tradition that Vallabha-
deva was a Saivite too, but he embraced Vaishnavism after listen-
ing to Vishnuchitta. It is also possible that Vallabhadeva's Chief
Minister, Maaran Kaari, had a hand in this conversion as the latter
hailed from Kalakkudi, a neighbouring hamlet of Villipputtur.
In Amukta Malyada severe summer introduces the Pandyan
King to the readers. Krishnadeva Raya's magnificent description
of the Greeshma ritu is one of the highlights of the epic. The scorching
sun-rays make the days blindingly bright, the skins of animals go
dry, long days watch pits being dug up on the river bed, drooping
lotus creepers appear in the lake, and cranes search for tiny fish in
the mud. There are also the welcome aspects of summer. The
moonlight is lovely, the nights are cool, a pleasant chill marks
the water in the well, jasmines gain a heady scent and oh! how to
describe the nectarean tender coconut water! These coconuts
are kept buried in sand for a while to make them yield icy milk
(himaantah naarikelaambuvul). Come summer, and it is the Float
festival in the Tirumaliruncholai temple which is near Madura.
Pilgrims come to the city in great numbers. One Brahmin among
them who performs sandhya on the Vaigai river bed, is entertained
to dinner by the King's chief priest with bananas, jack fruit, cucum-
bers, a variety of mangoes and grapes among other things, and
goes to take rest on the pial outside a house. There are other tra-
vellers there, and they all spend their time reciting the Lord's name
and exchanging Puranic lore.
The cool night is an invitation for romance. Vallabhadeva
decides to meet his beloved courtesan. On the way he hears some
travellers conversing in the dark. A voice recites in clear accents:
“Men work for eight months to save what they would need for
the four months of the rainy season; they gather during the day-
time the requirements for the night; the days of youth are engaged
profitably to gain security for old age; so we must gather now what
we would need after our life.” Such words of good import (purah
hita dharmamu) were spoken by the pilgrim to his fellow-travellers
on the pial. The King heard all this clearly.