Chapter 13 - Waxing Moon

After the chariot left, the Jodhidar took Vandiya Devan inside his hut to his pooja room where he met his clients.

After pointing him to a seat, the Jodhidar asked him, "Who are you, thambi? How did you come here?" Vandiya Devan started laughing.

"Why are you laughing, thambi?"

"Nothing, Jodhidaray! I was thinking that you are such a popular astrologer, can't you can find out who I am through your astrology itself."

"Oh yes. Why not? I can find that out myself. But only problem is that if I see astrology that way then who is going to pay my fees?"

Vandiya Devan laughed out hearing this. "Jodhidaray! Who are those people who just now left?"

"Oh them! I know whom you are asking about, thambi! You are asking about those people who were here when you barged in. You are asking about those people who just now left in the chariot."

"Yes I am asking about them."

"Ask. Who said you can't ask? The people about whom you are asking about were two women."

"Thank you so much for telling me that, Jodhidaray! But incidentally I knew that they both were women because I am not blind. When I see somebody I can find out whether it is a man or a woman. I can find out even if a man is dressed like a woman." "Then why did you ask?"

"I was asking who those women were… which clan? What name…"

"Oh I see. Women are generally categorised into four categories. Padmini, Chithini, Ghandarvi and Vidyadri…" "Oh God!"

"What, thambi?" "I am calling out to my God and you are asking me what?"

"Why not? God is omnipresent, thambi. I don't think you have been in the company of the elders, which is why you didn't know this simple truth. God is present within you, within me…"

"Please for God's sake, stop."

"It was God who made me talk so long and it is God who asked me to stop."

"Jodhidaray! Who were those women who just now left? What is their name? What clan do they belong to? If you can please tell me clearly…"

"If I tell you clearly what will you give me in return?"

"I will thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"Who wants that, thambi? Can you give me some money?"

"If I give you will you tell me?"

"Thambi, listen to this. Many people will come and go to a Jodhidar's house. I will not tell you anything about the people who left just now. And tomorrow if somebody comes and asks me about you I will not tell them anything about you either."

"Great! Azhvarkadiyan was right about you, I think."

"Azhvarkadiyan? Who is that?"

"You don't know him! The way he was talking about you I thought you knew him."

"I might know the person by sight but not by name. Can you tell me what he looks like?"

"He is short and stout. He ties his hair in a knot in front of his face. He is fair complexioned and applies sandalwood with the mark of Vishnu all over his body. If he sees a Saivaite he will immediately start a debate and if he sees an advaiti his stick will do the talking."

"Seems to me you are talking about Thirumalaiappan."

"Really! So he is known by different names?"

"Oh yes. He is known by different names in different places."

"So you are saying that he is a big fraud and one cannot believe what he says."

"Mostly three fourths of what he says will be imagination but one fourth will be true."

"So you are saying that he is a very dangerous person."

"We cannot say that too. If you are dangerous to him he will also look dangerous to you."

"So basically you are saying that one cannot believe what he says."

"It depends on what he said to you, thambi."

"For example, he told me that if I go to you to learn about my future you would be able to guide me well."

"I told you that one fourth of what he says would be true. This belongs to that category."

"Then please tell me something about my future. It is getting late for me."

"Where do you have to go, thambi?"

"Why don't you find that out through your jodhidam? Where should I go and where I shouldn't go? If I go to one place will my task get completed?" "Thambi, I will need some information about you to predict all this. I will need your horoscope; if not that then at least your name, star and native place."

"My name is Vandiya Devan."

"Oh! You belong to the Vanar clan."

"Yes. You are right."

"Would you be Vallavareyan Vandiya Devan?"

"Yes I am."

"You should have told me this earlier, thambi. I have your horoscope in my collection. If I look for it I am sure I will get it."

"Really! How come you have my horoscope?"

"What other work does an astrologer have, thambi? I have a collection of horoscopes of Princes and Princesses born in great royal clans." "But I am not from any great clan."

"Thambi, how can you say that? Your clan is so great that the poets have made it immortal through their poems. Haven't you heard any of those poems that poets have sung about your clan?"

"Why don't you tell me one?"

Immediately the Jodhidar sang a poem, which described how the great flag of the Vanar kingdom flew in all the kingdoms in Tamil Nadu.

"How is the poem?"

"The poem was very good to listen to, but it is a bit outdated. Today I can tie our flag only on a cow's horn and that too only if it allows me to."

"Today your fortunes are thus. Who knows how it will be tomorrow."

"I thought you will be able to tell me."

"What do I tell you, thambi? I am also an ordinary man like you. It is the stars that rule us. I just tell you what they tell me."

"What do the stars say about me?"

"You will grow day by day."

"Great! I thought I have already grown enough. I am so tall that I had to bend to enter your house. Please tell me something specific."

"If you ask me specific questions then I can tell you specific things."

"I am going to Thanjavur on an important work. Will I complete it successfully?"

"If you are going to Thanjavur for a personal work then you will complete it successfully. But if you are going there on behalf of somebody else I will have check out that person's horoscope."

"Jodhidaray, you are very clever."

"Don't praise me so much, thambi." "Fine, I will ask you directly. I want to meet the King in Thanjavur. Would that be possible?"

"Thambi, there are two great astrologers in Thanjavur - you will have to ask them."

"Oh! Who are they?"

"Periya Pazhuvetar and Chinna Pazhuvetar!"

"People say that the Chakravarthi is very ill. Is it true?"

"People will talk all sorts of things. Don't believe in it and don't repeat it anywhere."

"If something happens to Chakravarthi, who do you think will ascend the throne?"

"It is neither you nor I. Why should we bother?"

"Thank god it is neither you or I."

"Yes, thambi. To be the heir apparent of a kingdom is no joke. It is a very dangerous position."

"Jodhidaray, can you tell me the future of Crown Prince Aditya Karikalar in Kanchi?"

"You are going to Thanjavur on his behalf, right?"

"Yes I am - you found out at last."

"Right now I don't have his horoscope with me. I will have to look at that."

"How is Prince Madhuranthakar's future?"

"His horoscope is a very strange one. It is like a woman's horoscope. He will always be under somebody's authority."

"People say that Chola Kingdom is ruled by a woman. Is it true?"

"Where do they talk like that, thambi?"

"Near Kollidam."

"They are probably referring to the authority wielded by the Periya Pazhuvetar's young wife."

"No, they were not referring to her."

"Then?"

"They say that Chakravarthi's daughter Princess Kundavai rules the kingdom."

The Jodhidar looked at Vandiya Devan for a moment to ascertain whether the young man was aware of the fact that it was Princess Kundavai who had left just then. But he couldn't find out anything from his face.

"Wrong, thambi! Absolutely wrong! Maharaja Sundara Chola is in Thanjavur whereas his Princess Kundavai lives in Pazhaiarai. Moreover…"

"Moreover?"

"Nowadays it is the Pazhuvetar brothers who are wielding all the authority, not the Chakravarthi." Saying this, the Jodhidar looked carefully at Vandiya Devan.

Noticing this Vandiya Devan said, "Jodhidaray, I am not Pazhuvetar's spy. So you don't have to suspect me. Just a short while ago, you told me that the stars rule us. Can you tell me what the stars foretell about the Chola Kingdom?"

"I can tell you this without any doubt, thambi. Have you seen the new floods of the Kaveri River? The floods flow right from the end of Aani month to the Puratasi. The Chola Kingdom is like the floods that come in the Kaveri River every year. Its fame and greatness will grow year after year until it carves a niche of greatness in the history of Chola Kingdom."

"Thank you. Just tell me one more thing. I have always wanted to travel by ship. Would it be possible?"

"Your wish will be fulfilled, thambi. Your stars are very fortunate. You will be constantly moving from one place to another. You will travel by horse, elephant, chariot and very soon you are going to travel overseas in a ship."

"Thanks so much, Ayya. Tell me one more thing - what do the stars foretell about Prince Arulmozhivarmar?"

"Thambi! Sailors who travel by ship depend on a compass to know the direction. Sometimes the lighthouse is also there to guide them. But in the middle of the sea where you see water in every direction, the sailors depend on only one thing to learn the direction and that is the pole star. Even the Saptarishi mandal changes direction but the pole star is anchored in one place. Prince Arulmozhivarmar is like that pole star. His ideals, his knowledge, his bravery is unparalleled in this world. If young men like you keep him as a role model you will achieve your goal in life."

"My God! You have so much to say about him."

"Thambi, if you ask anybody in this kingdom about Prince Arulmozhivarmar, they will describe him just as I did."

"Thanks Jodhidaray, for reading my fortune. I will take my leave now."

"Your stars are lucky so you will be successful in all your ventures."

"Thanks so much. Please take this as a token of my appreciation. This is all I can afford right now." Saying thus Vandiya Devan gave the Jodhidar five gold coins.

"You are as generous as your ancestors," said the Jodhidar and took his fees.