by: Sri Swami Sivananda

Koon Pandyan, the Pandyan king, was ruling in Madura. He was called Koon Pandyan because of his hunchback. He was himself a poet and he patronised the Tamil poets and established a Tamil Sangam. His wife was Mangayarkarasiyar. She was the daughter of a Chola king. She was an ardent devotee of Lord Siva. Kulacchirai Nayanar was his minister: and he was also a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva. Tiru Jnana Sambandar has sung Padigams in praise of both.

In the beginning,Koon Pandyan had fallen a victim to the influence of Jainism. The queen and the minister feared that unless something was done, Saivism would be wiped out. The jains then were known to rule rather cruelly and Koon Pandian was more with them .Due to this, many temples were burn down as well as the devotees being tortured.

When Sambandar came to Madura and was staying outside the city, Kulacchirai Nayanar invited him into the city. The queen then informed of the plan of the Jains and her husband to set fire some of the temples in Madurai.She seek help from Sambantar.Sambantar agreed. When the jains knew about Sambantar , they try to set fire to the hut that Sambantar was staying in.Sambantar seeing the fire, closed his eyes and meditated.In his heart he prayed that the fire should go back to the person who is responsible for.

The fire reached back to the Pandian King himself and he was on high fever for days. The Jains were not able to cure.Finally the Queen seeked help from Sambantar .Sambantar besmeared the Kings body with viboothy (holy ashes) and sang the thevaram Manthiram Avathu Neera. When Sambandar sang the song, the kings hunchback was cured, as also his burning pain. He came back to Saivism. Since then he was known as Ninra Seer Nadumara Nayanar, as his hunchback had disappeared and he stood erect and tall.

The Jains felt defeated and insulted after this episod.They decided to have a contest with Sambantar.They wanted the kind back to their beliefs .The king agreed and Sambantar who was the Chief Representative of the Saivism was only a little boy then.Queen Mangayar was tensed and worried and had doubts on Sambantars ability.After all he is only a small boy .Sambantar consoled her and said that the divine lord will help him to over come whatever challenge. And indeed the lord helped him .He won the contest and this made the king more pious which worried the Jains more.They decided to have a final contest .The King,Queen and Minister assembled along the river bank of River Vaigai.Sambantar dropped a palm left containing his song Valgha Antanar in the waters of Vaigai.The Jains also dropped in a palm leaf on which their mantras were written.

The palm leaf of Sambantar went against the water current and that of the Jains was carried away by the flow of the water current.Sambantars palm leaf was taken by the Minister Kulacchirai at Edagam. The Jains were ashamed and cleared off from the scene.

The Pandyan king then defeated the northern kings at Tirunelvely and spread Saivism there. Mangayarkarasiyar helped her husband a lot in this. Both the husband and the wife worshipped Sambandar with great faith and devotion. Their devotion to the Guru and love of Saivism earned His grace for them