Thanks everybody for all your replies. And congrats Ram for reaching the half-century mark in the member list. I guess we owe a lot to you for giving us an opportunity to discuss and talk about the greatest epic ever written!
Ok now let me do some follow ups with the previous week's article. Pavithra had some very interesting insights into Nandini's character.
1. "A person of Nandini's character and temperament would never fall in love with any one in a space of few days (like a wounded Veerapandian aftermath of the Madurai por). Assuming that she knew something of her parentage by then, this would amount to a classical "Electra complex" case study."
Now the Electra complex angle was something, which I had not thought about at all. That should explain her attachment as well as her anger towards her father.
2. "A person of Nandini's character and temperament would go to any length - even to calling her father her lover - for attaining what she wants."
I guess that should answer Prathiba's question.
3. "There is one more angle - that Nandini knew Veerapandian was her father, when he sought refuge in her house. She wanted to get back at him for abandoning his mother. So when Aditha Karikalan, enters the house, she does what she knows will anger Karikalan most - calling someone else her lover, so as to direct Karikalan's kolai veri at that person - in this case VeeraPandiyan. In a sense, Nandini took revenge on her father for leaving her mother destitute. Later when she grieves for her father, she conveniently forgets that she is the primary reason for his death and swears vengeance on the cholas. This school of thought is advocated by the section that view Nandini as an unstable, vicious sociopath - an evil villi character who just wants to wreck mayhem on the people around her."
This is also quite possible but we can only surmise that she wanted to be a part of something that is important and royal though she was responsible for Veerapandiyan's death. It can also be a deep yearning to be a part of something important and dangerous. Like she sees herself as a heroine liberating, avenging and taking up responsibilities for an entire kingdom. Was Nandini unstable? I frankly do not know. She seems to be quite in control of her emotions and actions. The only times we see the struggle within her is when she is with Vandiya Devan. But to me personally she is one of the most beautiful and yet complex character created in literature.
"The case for Nandini being Veera Pandiyan's lover is weak. Abathudavi's claim that Veerapandian made Nandini his patta magishi before he died. This could be explained as Veerapandian, recognizing here as his progeny (the Mandagini - Nandini resemblance would have told him). Thinking of a way to include her in the Pandiyan lineage, he would have proclaimed her as the patta magishi. He was a desperate man looking forward for the continuing confrontation against the cholas after his time. He doesn't know whether his official heirs have survived (like the kuzhandai vandiyathevan meets). So he makes Nandini legitimate and loyal to the Pandiyan cause."
Here I would like to add I.M lakshmi's views as well "when Veerapandiyan escaped from Porkallam and met Nandhini he would have mistaken Nandhini for Mandhahini. So he may have said something to Nandhini as if he said it to Mandhahini.This may be the reason for Veerapandian claiming nandhini as his Pattamahishi.Nandhini would have worked out the truth from what he said."
But Lakshmi I don't agree with you. There no way that Veerapandiyan - no matter how injured he is could mistake Nandini to be Mandakini. The first reason being the age factor and the second being the fact that Nandini is not handicapped unlike her mother. So there are chances that he must have recognized her as his daughter.
In the end Pavithra asked me a question
"Is Nandhini really a villi...or is she merely a victim of circumstance???"
I agree with the latter part of her question. Nandini is undoubtedly a victim of circumstances whose life has been manipulated by many people. If you remember in the fourth part of the novel Kalki himself devotes an entire chapter trying to unravel the turmoil of her heart where he compares her life with her mother's and describes how Mandakini had only the wild animals to deal with in her life in jungle where as her daughter had to suffer a lot being brought up amidst people.
Hope that answers your question Pavithra!
Guys if you have any other thoughts or points to pen down please do so. I will round them all up in another follow up.