MAN SUMANTHA PADALAM: The flood in Vaigai river teasd the city of Madurai. The king discussed with his ministers the steps to be taken to control the flood. Since  the  breaking of river bund and subsequent demolition of Fort walls, will allow the flood water to enter into the city, he ordered the raising of the height of river bund. It was announced through the beating of the drum(Murasu in tamil) that at least one person from each house should come to do the work of strengthening of the river bund. People also gathered on the banks of Vaigai river. One very old woman by the name VANTHI was residing. Even in her old age, she was eking out her living by selling Rice pudding(Puttu in tamil). She will offer the first pudding as Neivethyam to Lord Sundareswarar, and then give it as a prasad to a Shiva devotee. Then she will start selling the puddings that she prepares after that to the customers. Vandhi was also allotted her portion in the strengthening of the rive bund. Can she at her advanced age undertake that work? So much duty conscious she was, she did not express her inability to the authorities and was searching for a person who can do that on her behalf  by taking wages from her. Lord Sundareswarar who was getting the first pudding from her daily as offering(neivethyam) and her offering of the same to a shiva devotee as Dharmam decided to come to her rescue.  He came and stood before the old day Vanthi and said “I came to understand that you are in search of a wage earner(Cooly in Tamil). O.k. Your pudding is like a nectar( amirtham) for me. Give me a pudding to satisfy mu hunger, I will go and do the job on your behalf” She replied “ you are talking as if you used to get the pudding from me and eat it daily. To day I could not find any Shiva Devotee. So I will give you the pudding that I offered to the God in neivethyam today. I will consider you as a Shiva devotee today. Eat this pudding and go for the work.” Lord Shiva took and eat the pudding and enjoyed its taste. On behalf  of Vanthi, he went to the river bund carrying with him crow bar and a basket. He started his work actively. There after with out doing the work in a disciplined manner he enacted a drama as if he is cutting the  earth, and dropping the basket unable to bear its weight. He acted as if he is tired. She went to the house of Vanthi and asked her to give some pudding and deduct the cost of the pudding from his wages. He  ate that pudding. He gave a portion of the pudding to the co workers at the site. In between he sang and danced. He made his co workers also to dance along with him. The supervisor came there at that time.

He reprimanded him saying “Have you come here  to do the work or dance? Are you dancing after eating the pudding offered to you by the old woman.?” At that time the King Arimarththana Pandiyan himself came there to supervise the work. The supervisor left that place. Seeing the king, Lord Sundareswarar who is in disguise as a wage earner, went to a nearby tree and pretended as if sleeping there. The King noticing that someone is sleeping without doing any work, came there, took the cane,  from the hands of the surpervisor and slashed at the back of the person who is sleeping without doing the work. The person who got the thrashing with the cane, shouted loudly. Not only he. All the others who were standing there also shouted. The entire world shouted. Even the king felt the pain at his back. That wage earner who got the thrashing got up. He put one basket full of sand on the bank. The flood receded. King Arimarthana Pandiyan wondered about the thrashing he himself got whole thrashing the wage earner but also all the others standing around him. Further he was surprised to know that just with the throwing of just one basket full of sand how the height of the bund rose high and the flood water receded. When he wanted to see that wage earner he had disappeared by that time from the scene. When he went to see that old day who was also responsible for this wonder to happen, a floral aircraft (Pupaga Vimanam) landed in front of her house from the sky. Those who came in that aircraft said to the old lady “Mother, We are minions of  Lord Shiva (Shiva ganangal in tamil). Lord Shiva has ordered us to fetch you. Please come with us.”She also travelled happily to the world of Lord Shiva. On seeing this the king said “ Why should I have a kingdom? What is the use of it? By cooking only the rice pudding and submitting that too to God, and living with peace of mind with whatever small income she got out of it and for such a old woman he minions of God come and take her to the world of Lord Shiva. But just look at me. I was going after  government, wealth, properties, governance ,well being etc., Because of this, the devotion that I had with God has become useless. Here after I do not want this government. “O” God please accept me also”. A divine voice was heard at that time. “Whatever you have earned  all had come through right means. I will accept only those that had been earned by right means. I had accepted with kind heart, your money  spent by Manickka vaasagar. It was I, who did that divine play of changing horses into jackals.” The pandiyan king rushed to the prison very fast. But Manickka vaasagar was not  there. He rushed to the temple. Manickka vaasagar was meditating before Lord Sundareswarar. Having no knowledge of all that had happened he asked the king to forgive him and take what ever legal action he intends to take against him. But the king requested him to take up the post of minister once again. But Manickka vaasagar did not accept it, blessed him and went to Chidambaram(Thillai ambalam).