Page:The story of saiva saints.pdf/44

Rh oned Manikkavachakar to his court. Manikkavachakar not knowing what to do implored the Lord who told him to return and inform the king that the horses would arrive on the Avanimoolam day.

On the appointed day Lord Siva converted all the jackals of the jungle into horses, converted himself and the demons into horsemen, rode to Madurai, delivered the horses to the king and disappeared. In the night all the horses turned again into jackals and fed away. When the king heard of the great fraud, he frowned and put Manikkavachakar to torture. The Saint appealed to the Lord. There came a huge flood in the river Vaigai. The king ordered that every family should send one member to do the work of strengthening the banks of the river. All obeyed. There was an old woman called Vanthi a vendor of rice cakes and she wanted a servant to represent her. Lord Siva appeared as a Kooli and offered his services in return for the Pittu (made of rice) that she cauldcould [sic] give as wages. His name was enlisted. He did no work, but he chatted with others wasting their time also and finally laid himself down to sleep. The king sommonedsummoned [sic] him and gave him a blow with his stick. The blow was felt by the whole Universe and the king too felt the blow. The Divine Labourer poured one basket of the earth in the portion allotted to him and vanished. The king realised the greatness of Manikkavachakar and permitted him to retire.

Manikkavachakar went on pilgrimage and reached Chithambaram. There he held a dispute with the Buddhists of Ceylon, and defeated them by making a dumb girl to answer their questions. The answers through the dumb girl are immortalised in a hymn called Thiruchchalal.

It is said that Lord Siva came in human form, requested him to dictate all his Thiruvachakams and wrote them