Page:The story of saiva saints.pdf/42

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In the Siva temple at Thiruvanaikka, there was a spider which used to spin its web up above the Siva Linga daily. A white elephant used to go there everyday, destorydestroy [sic] the spider's web and conduct worship. This happened for a long time. The spider lost patience and one day it entered the trunk of the elephant. The elephant could not brook the bite of the spider, dashed the trunk against the ground and died. The spider too met with death. The spider was blessed to become a Chola king in its next birth and accordingly it was born as a son to the Chola king Subadeva and his consort Kamalavathi. He became known by the name Kochchengat Chola. While he held his sway as a Chola king, he constructed serveralseveral [sic] Siva Shrines in the Madakkovil style. He worshipped Lord Nataraja at Chithambaram and built mansions for the Brahmins of Thillai. At last he attained beatitude.

At Thiru erukkaththam puliyur there lived in the Panar's Caste a Saint called Thiru Neelakanta yazhppanar. By the grace of Lord Siva he got a golden plank and played on yazh standing on it on a rainy day. Then he went to Thiru Arur and worshipped the Lord by going into the temple through a separate passage. Afterwards he went to Sirkazhi and worshipped the feet of Thirugnana Sambanthar, joined his confederation and accompanied his improvisations on yazh whereever he went. In the end he entered the Siva Jothi at Thirupperumana Nallur on the wedding day of Thirugnana Sambanthar and attained finite bliss.