madurai meenakshi temple
The hymn therefore is a panacea for not only external well being but also internal well being of the soul, not only for king Nedumaaran but also for any one who recites it. Thirunaavukkarasar, a contemporary of Gnaanasambandhar also visited the temple. His Thevaaram songs with the divine influence of Lord Shiva offer a glimpse of the temple and throws light on the magnificence of the temple and its grandeur. It infused life into the kingdom and brought prosperity to the people of Madurai.
Sundarar, another contemporary of Thiru Gnaanasambandhar has many credits as a true devotee of Lord Shiva. In one instance Lord Shiva appears before him after he calls the Lord a mad man. When Sundarar realizes it the Lord asks him to compose a hymn with pithaa (madman) as the starting word. Maanickavaasagar, an eighth century poet and the last of the four Saivite Savants, was born in Thiruvaadavur and became a minister in the Court of Varaguna Varman II (860-880 AD). He was given a lot of money and sent on a mission to purchase horses and on the way God Himself came as an ascetic, became his Guru and blessed him with Shivagnanam.
Filled with gratitude and devotion to Shiva, he built a beautiful temple in Thiruperundurai with the money he brought for the horses. When the king learnt of the misdeed, he wanted to punish Maanickavaasagar. The Lord heeding the prayers of His devotee, turned foxes into horses to pacify the king, but when they turned back to foxes, the enraged king punished the Saint by roasting him in the Vaigai sand. The Lord once again intervened and caused floods in Vaigai to save the devotee. The king realized his mistake and became a disciple of the Saint Manickavasagar. For sheer love of the Supreme Lord there are no other poems to equal the Thiruvaasagam and Thirukkovaiyar of Saint Manickavasagar full of poignant outpouring of Jeevaatma in the yearning for the Paramaatma.