This is how one of the most powerful ladies of the ancient chola kingdom gets her introduction in the famous tanjore temple inscriptions.
The very name deserves detailed analysis.
Vallavaraiyan vandhiyathevan has been referred to in inscriptions as and ONLY AS the husband of Kundavai. i am atleast unaware of a single inscription which talks exclusively about VDevan. If even people like paarthivendravarman were able to provide a significant no of grants, why this hero is not finding an exclusive place in the world of Tamilnadu temple inscriptions ? Probably we may never know.
Pirattiyar. Most of the royal ladies are referred to as the wives of so and so. "Udaiyar Raajaraja devarin nampiraatiyar dandhi sakthi vitankiyar" is a common usage.
Aazhvar : Ah ! This is probably the most interesting word in the whole phrase. Azhvar is a term only used to signift vaishnavaite saints who lived 2 to 3 centuries before cholas. Why this lady was given such a title ? NO OTHER ROYAL LADY OR MALE - EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER KUNDAVAI WAS EVER AWARDED SUCH A TITLE. So what does this title really mean ? Is it a title given with a religious sense ? May not be - because she was a truely royal lady with no specific attachment to a given religion. She built 4 and only 4 temples : One saivaite, One vaishnavite (Sundarach chozha vinnagarm) one buddhist and one jain (Sundarach chozhap perumpalli) - probably all the 4 in the name of her father.
There was one more kundavai in the chola clan before this current kundavai - she was called "veeman kundavai" I think a rashtrakuta princess and consort of arinjaya.
In order to distinguish herself from her senior, our kundavai called herself "paraantakan kundavai" - tagging her most beloved father's name with her name. The love between daughter and king as portrayed in Ponniyin selvan is no fiction : she builds sundarach chozha vinnagaram, sundarach chozha vinnagara aadhura saalai (hospital) and even donates idols of her parents to periya koil temple.
What was her relationship to arulmozhi or raajaraja ? Did rajaraja really have the kind of relationship as portrayed in PS ?
Answer is a reasonable yes.
The VERY FIRST INSCRIPTION IN TANJORE TEMPLE that talks about the royal order in which the king orders to record donations of each and every indivitual to periya koil begins this :
"Naam kuduththanavum nam akkan kuduthanavum nam pendugal kuduththanavum..."
See the beloved feeling of raajaraja - he does not call her "Vdevar pirattiyar etc. - Straight away he calles her "akkan"
And he places her name just next to him - even above his peendugal or wives - even above the royal consort dandhi sakthi vitanki
That tells the power this lady enjoyed in the kingdom - she gives enormous offerings in gold to periyakoil - establishing her financial strength.
One interesting fact :
The major contributions of periyakoil were carefully monitored. Not all could give anything even though the could offord. When it was rajaraja who presents the main utsava idol "Dakshinameeru vitankarana aadavallar" it is kundavai who is permitted to present a "Umadevi" or consort to this vigraha.
Just by analyzing who has made which contribution, one is able to realize the order of power in rajaraja's time.
What was the reason behind rajaraja's extreme love and affecton for his sister ? Was it a natural flow or were there significant reasons
AhA, nan mikuntha avaludan ethirparththuk kondirunthen.... Gokul avargalukku mikuntha nandri.
As you say, the epithet 'Azhwar' given to Kundhavai is worth pondering. In this context, I would like to point out something I read in the novel 'Udaiyar' by Balakumaran.
RRC has started building the Periya Kovil and Prisoners of the various Wars they waged are being brought to Thanjai for this purpose. We shld take note that none of them were compelled. It was optional and many of them came.
Most of the Pandiyas happened to be Vaishnavites during this period. Good number of Rashtrakutas and Gangas (ppl from Karnataka) were Jains. Fearing communal clashes RRC, Anirudhar n others visit these people in person and assure them all comforts and again reiterate that this job is otpional.
Kundhavai does similar rounds and visits the Pandya camp. There she asks them what they need, and those people ask her to make arrangements for them to worship. They seek permission to grow Tulsi and perform poojas everyday.
She makes arrangements and also tells them she is ready to build a Vaishanvaite Temple - Vinnagaram - for their use. She asks them to take responsibilty to get people for this purpose from Pandiya Nadu and assures all help from her side.
The Vinnagaram she built 'Sundara Chozha Vinnagaram' still exists! It is in present day Sundara Perumal Kovil, on the Kumbakonam - Thanjavur route. It is just a couple of miles from Swamimalai and Patteeswaram. The name of the presiding deity is 'Soundararaja Perumal'.
Maybe, just maybe, this was one of the many reasons that gave her the title 'Azhwar'.
Dear Mr.Gokul expecting lot more from you on this topic.
Almost everything you have written about udaiyar is purely an imagination by Balakumaran. Atleast there is no evidence to support any of the theories.
The other side of the story is that sometimes imaginations are worthit and do come pretty close to reality - though we may not be able to substantiate them.