Lord Shiva’s play

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Lord Shiva's play

By Upili Chakrapani

 

Madurai, a city of beautiful temples is in Tamil Nadu. It was the

capital of Pandya kingdom. Pandya Kings were good administrators and

great patrons of literature, art and architecture. During their

reign many public facilities like temples, lakes, dharmshalas etc.,

were created by voluntary service of the community.

 

Madurai is located on the banks of river Vaigai. During the reign of

Sundara Pandya the river breached banks and flooded Madurai. The

King decided to strengthen the banks of the river and gave a call

that every family in the city would send one member at least to

participate in the construction work. In his kingdom evasion of

public service with excuses was seen as a shame and sin. Responding

to the call, people started to pour in for the construction work.

 

There was an old lady who had nobody in her family who could be sent

for the work. Though willing, she was too weak to do any work of

worth. She prayed with all her heart to Lord Shiva and wept over her

helplessness. The scriptures say that Lord Shiva considered the

Pandya kingdom and its people as His own and He visited them very

often in many forms. The Lord took the form of a labourer and

knocked the door of the old lady. He asked the lady for some work so

that he could feed himself. The lady fed him with sweetened rice

flour called Pittu. She struck a deal with him that she would give

him a basketful of the delicacy if he could do the community service

at the river banks on her behalf. The labourer agreed (true to the

saying that Lord Shiva gets easily pleased with earnest prayers and

readily grants any wish of his devotees).

 

He reached the river bank and hectic work was going on there. After

some time of hard labour he decided to play a prank! He started

singing a folk song sitting by the riverside. His song attracted the

attention of others and the work started slowing down. The King was

rushed to the place of construction. A soldier supervising the work

struck the singing labourer with a cane. The blow immediately caused

real pain to everybody on the site including the King!!

 

The King immediately realised that the labourer was no mean person.

He immediately knelt before him. Lord Shiva appeared before the King

in his true form, blessed him, the people and their service. He told

the King that He was moved by the sincerity of an old woman to the

public cause and that brought Him over.

 

>From then on, the people of Madurai celebrate the day with the faith

that Lord Shiva visits the city on that day.