| When he met his two
disciples curiously engaged in watching the mysteries of nature, forgetting their duties,
Nandikeswara angrily cursed them, one to become a hunter and the other to turn into a cat. On hearing the curse they entreated their spiritual preceptor to lighten
the rigour of the curse and to show them the way to redemption. Nandikeswara was moved and
he ordained that if they proceeded to the village of Villivakkam about 50 miles southeast
of Kancheepuram and there took bath in the temple tank the curse would come to an end.
The curse being irrevocable, one disciple became a Kirata, hunter, and left that place
with bow and arrow in quest of Villivakkam village, while the other became theMarjara,
cat, and left for the same destination. After wandering a long while in forests, villages
and holy places, the cat could reach Villivakkam village and enter the Siva
temple and, inscrutable being the ways of God, the other disciple, the hunter, being
driven by the force of destiny, entered the Siva 'temple at the same time, both of them
without knowing each other's identity. |
