SAMANARAI KAZHUVETRIYA PADALAM: Sambabdar requested the God to give the necessary punishment to those who gave trouble for Saivaites. In the mean time the wives of the jains, insulted their husbands and spoke ill of them because of their inability to cure the king’s disease. The jains got wounded on hearing the talk of their wives. Since their wives also not did respect them now, they decided to call Sambandar for a debate. They came to the royal court and in the presence of the king, said “Young child, We have come here to decide once for all whether your Manthram is superior or ours. Let both of us put into the fire the manuscript in which each of our manthram is written. That manuscript which does not get burned is the superior Manthram. This is the debate”. Sambandar took the manuscript written by him spread it and put a thread through it. The thirunallartu pathigam(a collection of 10 poems written praising God) which begins with the verse “BHOGAMAARTHA POON MULAIYALPONNAGALAM”was found.(This verse is recited by those who are under the influence of malefic Saturn in the eighth, eleventh, twelfth and first houses in their natal chart{Horoscope}). Sambandar put it into the fire. The jains put their manthra manuscript into the fire. When the homa kundam was doused, it was found that the manuscript put by the jains was completely burnt to ashes. But the Thirunallartu pathigam manuscript was shining brightly more than before. The people on seeing this gave a big ovation. The jains then said “Let us put both of our manthrams in the Vaigai river. Whose manuscript goes against water current that person will be considered as winner. Immediately the minister intervened at this appropriate time and said “O.K. You are losing continuously. If you lose in this competition also then what should be done? Just as a mouse is caught in the mouse trap on its desire to eat the vadai kept in it, the jains were caught by their own words.
They declared that if that happens, then kill us by putting us in the impaling stake(Kazhu maram in tamil). Kazhu is a device which will pierce the body into two halves. It is made of timber. All of them went to the Vaigai river. The king ordered both of them to put their manuscripts in the gushing flood waters of the river. The Jains put their manuscript which contained their sect’s policies. That is all. It was carried away by the gushing water along with it and the manuscript could not swim against the water current. The jains thought that is the end of their lives and were terribly shaken. The sambandar got up from his seat. He put the pathigam which starts with the song “VAAZHGA ANTHANAR, VAZHGA AAVINAM” in the river. It swam against the water current and then disappeared. In that place where it disappeared there stood a vivam tree(crateva rligiosa—botanical name.). Lord Shiva appeared as a lingam under the tree to the eyes of Sambandar. Immediately sambandar composed the poem “VANNIYAMUM MATHTHMAMUM”. He circumambulated the Swayambu( self rise) Lingam several times. At that time Lord Shiva came there in disguise as an elderly person. He embraced Sambandar and said that you resemble like my junior son. Sambandar told him “O” Great man, I put my manuscript in this spot. It disappeared from here. You should get me that manuscript which contains very rare poems. The elderly man gave him the manuscript and said “Sambanda, After visiting several places and singing in praise of me in all those places you will reach my holy fee” After saying so, he disappeared from that spot. Sambandar was happy that he could save Saivism and took leave of the king.