The Thiruvaalangadu copper plates discovered in 1905,
contains a verse on Ram Sethu (verse 80),
supposed to have been written in the 6th year of reign of Chola king, Rajendra Chola-I
http://www.whatisindia.com/inscriptions/south_indian_inscriptions/volume_3/no_205c_aditya_ii_karikala.html
The translation of the verse written in sanskrit is as follows:
(Verse. 80.)
" The lord of the Raghavas (i.e., Rama) constructing a bridge across the water of
the ocean with (the assistance of) able monkeys, killed with great difficulty the
king of Lanka (i.e., Ravana) with sharp-edge arrows ; (but) this terrible General
of that (king Arunmolivarman) crossed the ocean by ships and burnt the Lord of
Lanka (Ceylon). Hence Rama is (surely) surpassed by this (Chola General). "
The Chola general mentioned here is Arulmoli varman (of "Ponniyin Selvan'' fame)
who later crowned as Rajaraja chola.
He was the father of Rajendra Chola-I on whose order this information
was written on the copper plate.
It somehow irks to read this comparison with Rama that the chola king surpassed him.
Usually kings of those times used to project themselves as equal to or a shred below Gods,
but never as surpassing Gods.
Arulmoli varman himself would not have agreed to such a note getting to be inscribed.
If written so by a poet, it may be granted as a poetic license.
But a king of staure such as Rajeandra Chola
authorising such a note, smacks of something else.
Perhaps the rhetorics by the likes of Karunanidhi can be traced to
medieval mind-set of the Tamil kings (such as this one)
who assumed greater than God image...
