Nīlan, Commander of the Cholas

The Chola kingdom, famed for its beauty and wealth, was made up of many smaller territories. Among them was Tiruvāli Nāḍu, also known as Tiruvāli Tirunagari, a land of lakes and flower-filled groves that captured the heart of every visitor.

In this land lay a small village called Tirukkuraiyalūr, where devotees of Sriman Nārāyaṇa lived and spoke always of His glory. There lived Ālināḍār, the commander of the Chola army, and his wife Vallittiru. They lived peacefully and were deeply devoted to Sriman Nārāyaṇa.

In reward for their bhakti and their virtuous life, in the year Naḷa, in the month of Kārthigai, on Pournami, a Thursday, under the Kārthigai nakshatram, around the eighth century, a son was born to them as an amsham of the Shārngam, the bow of Sriman Nārāyaṇa and one of His five divine weapons. They named him Nīlan.

From childhood Nīlan received a sound education, including the study of Sanskrit. Born into a line of warriors, he mastered the sword and the bow, and learned to command all four divisions of an army: the elephants, the cavalry, the chariots and the foot soldiers. Hearing of his intelligence and his valour, the Chola king made him commander of his forces.

At that time there lived a celebrated poet who bore the title Nāṛkavip Perumāl, having defeated every rival in poetic contests. Hearing of Nīlan, he challenged him to a contest. But Nīlan was every bit as accomplished a poet, and after an exchange of many verses, the poet conceded defeat. From then on, the Chola king conferred the title Nāṛkavip Perumāl upon Nīlan himself.

Nīlan led the Chola forces into battle and defeated their enemies. In recognition of his bravery, the Chola king made him ruler of Āli Nāḍu, with its capital at Tirumangai. His prowess in war made enemy kings regard him as Kālan, Death himself, and so he was also given the name Parakālan, "the one beyond the reach of Death." Though his name was Nīlan, once he became king of Tirumangai he was known throughout the Chola land as Tirumangai Mannan.