Ayilyam tirunAl (आइल्यं तिरुनाल्) passed away in 1880 and was succeeded by vishAkham tirunAl (विशाखं तिरुनाल्) , a distinguished scholar alike in English and saMskR^ita (संस्कृतम्) . kerala-varmA (केरलवर्मा) , who was an intimate friend of the mahArAja (महाराज) , now regained his full freedom and glory. The king bestowed on the poet honors and rewards, but they had now little attraction for the poet who was content to lead a life of study, teaching and spiritual practices.
ilattUr (इलत्तूर), the native village of poet where he often retired during his closing days, suffered for want of good water supply. The villagers appealed to the Government through the poet, and the king ordered a tank and a well to be dug in the village, and facing the tank a temple of gaNapati (गणपतिः) to be constructed. The order was duly carried out in 1882, and the poet celebrated the consecration ceremony in person and composed a song “pillaiyAr kalyANam” (पिल्लैयार कल्याणम्) in tamil (तमिल) and made a grant of land for the daily pUjA (दैनिकपूजा) of the Deity. To perpetuate this auspicious event, sundararAja-kavi (सुन्दरराजः कविः) , student of the poet and native of the same village, composed three stanzas in saMskR^ita (संस्कृतम्) and had them engraved on the wall of the gaNapati-temple (गणपतिमन्दिरम्).
कोलम्बे सुमनायमानगणिते वर्षे स्वभा(स्वर्भा)न्वग्रजे
श्रीमद्वञ्चिकुलाब्धिचन्दिरविशाखेन्द्रेण धर्मात्मना ।
यावच्चन्द्रदिवाकरं विजयतां दिव्याम्बुपूर्णं सरः ॥१॥
May the tank, full of divine waters, caused to be dug by the order of the victorious king vishAkha (विशाखः) , the moon of the vanchi line (वञ्चिकुलः) of kings, in kollam year (कोल्लं वर्षः) 1057, for the sacred bathing and drinking by the Gods (देवः) and Brahmin-s (द्विजः), last as long as the sun and the moon endure.
वृन्दाधवाब्दमिति भाजि कलौ द्विजेन्द्रा –
नन्दाय दन्तिमुखधामतटाककूपाः ।
श्रीमद्विशाखनृपतेः कृपयात्र राम –
Through the kindness of the king vishAkha (विशाखः) , paNDitavara rAmasvAmI (पण्डितवरः रामस्वामी) had a temple for the God gaNapati (गणपतिः) constructed and a tank and a well dug, in the kali year 4983, to the joy of dvija-s (द्विज) of illatUr (इलत्तूर).
श्रीविशाखो नृपो रामः श्रीरामः सचिवोत्तमः ।
रामस्वामी कविः सभ्यः रामस्वाम्यधिकार्यपि ॥३॥
– श्लोककर्त्ता सुन्दरराजः ।
Now shrI rAma varmA vishAkha (श्रीरामवर्माविशाखः) is the ruling king; shrI rAma (ayyngar) (श्रीरामः अय्यङ्गरः) the Dewan of the State; rAmasvAmI (shAstrI) (रामस्वामी शास्त्री) the poet and counselor, and rAmasvAmI (रामस्वामी) the sarvAdhikArI (of the palace) (सर्वाधिकारी).
– The stanzas were composed by sundararAja (सुन्दरराजः). }