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before them to the effect that the boy Nambiyarurar tore up the service deed in his favour. The councillors said, “We have not heard anywhere in this world that brahmins become servants of brahmins.” The brahmin replied, “No. Mine is not a false claim. The deed that this boy tore up is the deed of service executed by his grandfather to be my servants.” The councillors asked Sundaramurthy, “Can you win your case by merely tearing up the deed executed by your grandfather? What do you say?" He replied, “Oh virtuous men, learned in all the vedic lore! You all know that I am an Adi Saiva. Even if this old brahmin is able to establish that I am his servant, you must please consider it a piece of magic beyond the reach of mental reasoning. What can I say of such a claim?” The councillors told the brahmin, “You must first prove to us that he is your servant. To decide an affair of this nature, three things are needed - custom, written evidence and oral evidence. Should you not produce at least one of these three items?” The brahmin replied, “Sir! What he tore up is only the duplicate copy; the original deed is with me.” The councillors demanded the production of the original deed, and gave him an assurance that it would not be torn up by Sundaramurthy. The old man took out the original deed from the folds of the cloth around his waist, and showed it to them. The village Karnam who happened to come there unexpectedly then, was asked to read it. He bowed before the councillors, opened the folds of the original document and so as to be heard by all, he read it out aloud as follows: 'I, Adi Saiva by caste and Arurar by name, residing in Thiruvennainallur village have executed this deed of service gladly and out of my own free will, undertaking to do service by me and by my successive descendants, to Pitthan (mad man) residing in Thiruvennainallur village. (Sd.) Arurar.”
The witness to the deed were those very councillors and they all identified and confirmed that the signatures were their
