Sham S. Misri
Madurai (southern Tamil Nadu, India) was once ruled by a
Pandian King by the name of Abidhega Pandian. He was a great devotee of Shiva
and one day Lord Shiva decided to grace him. Shiva came as a miracle performer
who appears simultaneously in a number of places. He was changing older people
to look younger; he turned iron into gold and cured much illness. He becomes a
well talked miracle performer.
News about him spread all over and reached to the knowledge
of the king. The king was eager to see this miracle performer and send his
guard to bring the miracle performer before him. But the miracle performer
refused to follow the guards, instead sends news that whoever wants to see him
must come to him since there is nothing for him to gain from the King.
As the King started to hear more about this miracle
performer, the more was the urgency of the King to see this performer. One day,
the King decided to go to the temple. Upon seeing him, all his subjects stood
up and bowed in respect .The miracle performer was there too. He did not stand
up and gave his respect like the others. The king was somewhat curious as to
who this person is, he started to inquire about the miracle performer. The
miracle performer of course replied, saying that since he has travelled to many
places, every poor people are his relatives. He has mastered the arts of all
arts and that he doesn’t feel he is going to benefit anything from the King.
The King was taken aback by the man’s reply. He felt that this man is rather
rude and haughty and that he should be taught a lesson. He found a farmer
nearby with some sugar-cane. He then challenges the miracle performer that if
the performer is that powerful as his claim, then he should be able to feed the
stone elephant with the sugar-cane. Hearing this, the miracle performer, took
the sugar-cane with ease, and looked at the stone elephant gracefully. Suddenly
to everyone’s astonishment the elephant trumpeted loudly and stretched out its
trunk and took the sugar-cane from the miracle performer’s hand. After eating
the sugar-cane, the elephant changed back to stone. The King immediately lay
prostrate at the man’s feet. He realised that a person who had such powers
could not be an ordinary man but the Lord himself. The miracle performer smiled
and Lord Shiva appeared in front of the King. The king was given a boon to be
blessed with good children and then The Lord disappeared.
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