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own. The councillors asked Sundaramurthy to verify if the handwriting in the deed was his grandfather's.
The man pretending to be a brahmin said, “Sir! This is a mere boy. How can he identify his grandfather's writing? If there is any other paper available containing his grandfather's writing, please send for it and compare.” They all agreed, and the relatives of Sundaramurthy searched, and produced a paper containing his grandfather's handwriting. The councillors compared the two papers and confirmed that the writings in the two papers were identical. They told Sundaramurthy, “Boy! There is no way of escape for you. You have lost. It is your duty to do service according to this old man's orders.” Sundaramurthy was stupefied at this and said that he would obey the order, if fate had decreed that way.
They had compassion on the boy, and had still some doubts about the brahmin, and questioned him, “Sir! This deed says that you belong to this very village. Can you show us where your ancestral house and property and all that are?” The brahmin pretended surprise, and said, “What! You are all of this village, so learned, so intelligent, so elderly – does not even one among you know my house? How surprising are your words! Come with me then!” So saying, he led the way, and they all followed. They saw the brahmin enter Siva's temple called “Thiruvarul Thurai', and they were stupefied.
Sundaramurthy thought, “The brahmin who made me his servant has entered the temple of my God Parameswara! What a wonder!” So thinking, he followed alone eagerly the footsteps of the brahmin and entered the temple with great desire and shouted, “Oh brahmin!" At once Lord Siva appeared in the company of Goddess Parvathi, seated on the sacred bull, and said, “My son! You are Aalaala Sundara, one of my pramatha ganas (chief attendants). You were born here as a result of a curse. You requested me to have you as My own, wherever you
