59Legends of the Nayanmars

By this time, the King became dejected that the Jainreligion, which he had trusted, had failed to cure him. Heaccepted his wife’s counsel and replied that he would embraceSaivism if Sambandar would cure him. Mangaiyarkarasiyar andthe minister went and requested Sambandar to help cure theirKing. Sambandar arrived in the King’s chambers afterworshipping Lord Shiva in the temple.

The Jains, refusing to accept defeat, challenged that theywould cure the pain on the left side and that Sambandar shouldtry to cure on the right side. Whichever side was not cured,should accept the superiority of the other religion. Sambandaraccepted to this challenge and asked the Jains to proceed first.They started using many tools and mantras, which furtherincreased the King’s suffering. Finally, The King beseechedSambandar to help him. Sambandar came forward and sang ahymn on Lord Shiva and smeared holy ash on the King’s rightside. The King was miraculously cured immediately.

Still refusing to accept the superiority of Saivism, the Jainsannounced that they wanted to test the power of the religionsthrough a fire test. They claimed that the holy scriptures of thereligions should be kept in a giant fire. The scriptures of thereligion which would survive this would then be declaredsuperior. They asked Sambandar to go first. Sambandar, prayingto Lord Shiva, kept the palm manuscripts containing his versesin the fire. To everyone’s amazement, they were not burnt.However, the Jain scriptures were immediately burnt to ashes.

The King declared that the Jains had lost a second time.Still not accepting their defeat, they called for a third test. Thistime, they wanted to throw the scriptures on the waters of theriver Vaigai flowing through Madurai. The religion, whose palmleaves float in the gushing river waters, would win. Accordingly,