| Gunaseelan besought
the Sage to take back his curse in lieu of his entire domain and wealth, but the words of
the Sage who had already attained Vak Siddhi were irrevocable. But seeing the humility,
distress and penitence of the King, Sage Kusasanan condescended to lighten the kill rigour
of the curse by saying that in due course of time, he would come across a holy place where
he would regain his original form after a bath. In
the form of a mongrel the King had to roam round the earth, how long none could say. Once,
during his wanderings, a juggler came before him and finding him quite healthy and plump,
utilised his services for showing sleight-of-hand in teats of jugglery. Time passed, the
mongrel in the company of the juggler roamed round the earth and at last reached
Nanguneri. Before starting
his show the juggler took his bath in the temple tank and bathed the mongrel too. But to
his surprise the mongrel stood
transformed as a king after the holy dip. People thronged round the juggler to see the
wonderful jugglery of God. Such is the
power of the holy waters of the sacred tank at Nanguneri. |
