Yanaikatchai Mantaran Cheral Irumporai was a king of the Chera Kingdom during the Sangam period. He was a warring ruler, and constantly moved about the frontiers of his dominions harassing the neighboring kings. He was surnamed Yanaik-kan meaning elephant eyed due to his eye shape
According to Sangam literature he was a contemporary of famous Pandya ruler Nedum Chezhian (Nedum Chezhian II). Purananuru states that he participated in the Battle of Talaiyalam-Kanam allied with Chola ruler Killivalavan and five other small rulers including Ezhini, Thithiyan, Irungo Vaenmaan, Porunan and Erumaiyuran against Nedum Chezhian. However, the Pandyas invaded the Chera country, won the battle and the Chera king was taken as a prisoner to Madurai. After his court trial at Madurai he was locked in a fort inside a bamboo forest surrounded by the crocodile lake. Mantaran Cheral later escaped from his cell and returned to his country and "continued to rule his loving people in peace, plenty and harmony for many more uninterrupted years".
The Chola ruler Rajasuyam-vedda-peru-nat-killi was also at war with Mantaran Cheral, and Thervan Malayan chief of Maladu is said to have assisted the Cholas in this battle. Kurunko Koliyur Kilar, a poet in the Mantaran Cheral 's court, praises the king for having once saved a city called Vilamkil from the enemies.
The poet Kurunko Koliyur Kilar who was present at the death of the king states that the death was portended by the fall of a meteor seven day previous to the occurrence.
"Seven days after a bright meteor appeared in the sky, amidst the Adu (Mesha) constellation, past midnight on the first leg of the starday of Krittikai in the month of Panguni (Phalguna) in the first quarter of Anusham, with North star going down on the west, Moolam rising from the east and Mrigasirisha wandering above towards north and east of the port of Tondi, Mantaran Cheral Irumborai died suddenly."
Thus the prediction of an imminent loss for the kingdom by the council of Vanaviyal Kanidar (ancient Tamil astrologers) came to be agonisingly true. The mentioned brightly visualised comet that appeared in the said month of March and April points to the Halley's comet of 141 CE (February–April 1 week). This apparition was recorded in Chinese chronicles.