Kumanan was an early philanthropist. He ruled over the hill tract of Mudhiram. He had a problem with his younger brother ILam Kumanan who did a coup and toppled Kumanan.
                Kumanan fled to the jungles and was in hiding. The Younger Kumanan thought that the Elder Kumanan might collect armies and wage war against him and get rid of him.
                So he wanted to kill Kumanan.
                He announced a reward of one thousand gold pieces to whomsoever killed Kumanan. But as a proof, Kumanan's head had to be brought to him.
                During the time that Kumanan was ruling, many poets and bards used to come to him for getting help with rewards and gifts.

                There was one poet named Perum Thalai Chaaththanaar. He lived somewhere away from Kumanan's land. He did not know about the coup. He came to see Kumanan. Learning that Kumanan was in hiding, the Poet sought him out and told him of his woes.

                Kumanan was filled with untold sorrow.

                It is said by wise-men that philanthropists who had a habit of giving lavishly would be very misrable by one thing alone. If they lose their riches and they themselves were cast into poverty, the inability to give freely would pain them more than any other mundane sorrow.

                Kumanan lamented to the Poet,

"Thou comest not in those days of glory and plentifulness
O, Poet of Unexcelled poesy!
But griefeth nought.
Take my head and go fetch it to my brother.
He will rightfully give you the reward of gold.
Take it, O Poet!".

                Saying this, he gave his sword to the poet and kneeling down, bowed low before
the poet.
                The poet was overcome with emotions.
                He caused a life-like facsimile of the head of Kumanan to be made, smeared it
with goat's bood and took the effigy to the Younger Kumanan.
                When he saw the head of the elder brother, he was overcome with remorse and grief, swooned and fell down. He started lamenting and cried out aloud that he did not want
the throne that was stained by his brother's blood.
                After sometime when the poet was sufficiently satisfied that the grief of the
Younger Kumanan was genuine, he told him the truth.
                Upon which Kumanan was invited back to his capital and reinstalled on his throne.

                Kumanan's name still lives with us after more than two thousand years and might
last a thousand years more.

                He still lives in our memories because of the philanthropy that exceeded his own life.

                Thannaiyum minjiya dhaanam!