After successfully fending off the Chalukya's siege of Kanchi, the Pallava emperor Mahendra Varmar drives the enemy king, Pulikesi, to call for a truce. The statesman in Pallavar is keen to convert a foe into a friend, but a vengeful Pulikesi reneges on his commitment. While the Pallavas are successful in chasing the Chalukyas away, Pallava Nadu bears the brunt of Pulikesi's wrath.
Fate wields its unpredictable hand further. A rash decision by the sculptor Aayanar and his daughter Sivakami results in her being abducted by the Chalukyas. Sivakami takes a momentous vow, little realizing how far-reaching the consequences will be. How will the Pallava crown prince Narasimha Varmar, who is in love with Sivakami, act? Will Mahendra Varmar shape his son's future in a manner he had always envisaged? And what role will the Machiavellian bikshu play in Sivakami's life as a captive? The Bikshu's Love, the action-packed third volume of Sivakami's Vow, is unputdownable, and sets the stage for the startling climax of this magnum opus in the fourth and final book in the series.