Sundaram showed his respect for Harvey, a Scottish Professor of Philosophy and English at The Maharaja's College, by dedicating his drama Manonmaniyam to him, and naming his farmhouse after him.

The MDT Hindu College, Tirunelveli, of which he was the first Principal, describes his works as follows:[3] In 1885, he published Chathira Saugiragam, commonly known as Nootrogai Villakkam.

In 1897, Some Early Sovereigns of Travancore was published and he became a Member of Royal Asiatic Society (MRAS).

His son P. S. Nataraja Pillai served as Minister of Finance for Travancore-Cochin state from 1954–56 and was also a member of Constituent Assembly of India.

He was elected to state legislative assembly of Kerala and to the Indian Parliament as a Lok Sabha member.