For story continuity, please check my previous blogs.
After they returned from Thiruvenkattu and reached Thiruchengattangudi, one day Paranjothi's mother was lying on the ground in tears. Paranjothi, who had gone out somewhere, saw this and came and sat near his mother. He did not ask why the mother was crying. He did not say peace to her.
"Mother! I will tell you one thing; you must not forbid it," he said.
Mother wiped away her tears and said, "What's it, my dear!" she said.
"I am going to Kanchi city," Paranjothi said.
She startled and sat up. "What for?" she asked.
"For learn, mother! It's sad to think that I wasted all these days without learning!" said Paranjothi.
The mother's eyes were filled with tears of joy and sorrow. "Why going to Kanchi to study. Shouldn't you study here, child?" She said,
"As long as I stay here, I will not get education. Everyone says that if you want to get good education, you should go to Kanchi. Here are no colleges and art galleries like those in Kanchi anywhere else on this Indian continent. I have inquired and found out, mother!” said Paranjothi.
It was true what Paranjothi had said that day Kanchi city was a place of learning. Kanji was full of Vedic schools that provided Sanskrit education, Monasteries that taught Tamil education, Buddhist teaching colleges and Jain religious schools. There were also fine art colleges for learning the arts of painting, sculpture and music.
Above all these, an incident happened some time ago that gave great importance to Kanchi city and created a sensation in Tamil Nadu. That incident was when Chakravarthy Mahendravarmar, the great warrior, great sage and all-powerful, renounced Jainism due to the glory of Lord Tirunavukkarasar and became a Shiva devotee.
Navukkarasar, whose real name was Marul Neekiyar, was for short period famous among the Jain religious preachers with the name Dharmasena. Later, due to his sister Thilakavathy's devotion to Shiva, he renounced Jainism and became a devotee of Shiva. This history was spread all over Tamil Nadu. People everywhere were talking in amazement about the above-mentioned miracles during that period. It was known throughout the country that Navukarasar had established a Monastery at Kanchi as the request of Emperor Mahendra Chakravarthi, and the divine Tamil language and the divine music were taught in that Monastery. as Paranjothi came to know all these, he told his mother, 'I am going to Kanchi to study.'
Although Vadivazhagi Amma felt great pain at the thought of being separated from her only son, Paranjothi's statement that he was going to study gave her immense joy on the other hand. When Paranjothi, after knowing the mother's consent, said, "Mother! You should Tell uncle that Umaiyal should not get married until I get back educated." Knowing her son's state of mind, the mother once again shed tears of joy.
His uncle was also overjoyed to know Paranjothi's decision. As that Shiva devotee has already met Thirunavukarasar and he developed a friendship with him and said that he would write a recommendation letter for Paranjothi to Thirunavukarasar. He said that he wanted Paranjothi to learn any additional art along with Tamil education and for this, he would give his old friend Ayanar another letter. Knowing Paranjothi's state of mind, he promised to marry Umaiyal to him when he returned from his studies.
On a good day, at an auspicious time, Paranjothi took the blessings of his mother and uncle, said goodbye to everyone else and left for Kanchi city.
As he was leaving, his uncle's last advice was, "Dear, Paranjothi! It is right that you should set out with a spear in your hand when you are going far. But keep it only as a companion for the journey, and when you reach Kanchi, throw it away. Then give your full attention to education."
Here ends the fifth chapter of first volume.
To be continued....
