Page:The story of saiva saints.pdf/26

Rh on the fire; no doubt it was burnt to ashes. Sambanthar took out a leaf containing a pathigam which was sung at Thiru Nallar and laid it on the fire and to the dismay of all it remained unburnt. The Jain ascetics demanded a third test. They said that the tenets of each faith should be written in a palm leaf and thrown into the running stream and that the doctrine of the leaf which ran up the current should be considered as a true one. Sambanthar readily agreed. The palm leaf of the monks went away. with the current, while that of Sambanthar containing the hymn "Vazhga Anthanar Vanavar Aninam” dashed against the current. As per the agreement all the Jain monks were persecuted by the king. The king himself then became a Saivite.

While returning to his native land, he caused a boat to sail across the flooded river by improvising a pathigam at Thiruk Kollampoothur. At Pothimanyai he was crossed by a Bhuddhist who was killed by a thunderbolt while Sambandar's uncle chanted one of his hymns. At Thiruvoththoor he changed the male palmyra trees into female ones. At Mylapore he brought out the preserved bones of a dead girl into the form of a virgin by singing a hymn. From Kalahasthi he sang Mt. Kalias, Ketharnath and other north Indian shrines and returned to Sirkazhi. On the day of his marriage at Achchalpuram (Thirupperumana nallur) he sang a hymn and by the grace of Siva there appeared a miraculous fire. All those present entered the celestial fire and lastly Sambanthar entered it with his bride and attained the Feet of Siva on Moolam day in the month of Vaikasi.

In Thirupperumangalam there lived a Saint called Kalikkamar. He was a Vellala by Caste and he belonged to a clan called Eyar. He heard that Suntharar sent Lord Siva as a negotiator to pacify the sulkiness of his consort