He was a Brahmin and had been to Kanchi for his higher education. There he was insulted by a Pallava military officer. Mayur Varma felt so offended that he decided to become a Kshatriya. He gathered the tribal people and attacked Pallavas. Finally the king of Pallavas to accepted Mayura Varma as king and gave away many places of Karnataka to him to rule. Mayur Varma got the Chandravalli Lake repaired near Chitradurga.