- 01
Once Ananthalvan was down with fever and could not attend to his daily chores. The Lord missed him. Arcakas and ekāṅgins came with physicians: the Lord had sent them to cure him. Ananthalvan mocked the errand. “Is it possible to engage a third person to do one’s own sandhyāvandanam? Is it fair for Srinivasa to send third parties to enquire of him? Ananthalvan is not in need of physicians. His sickness is not something they can cure. They may return.”
- 02
They carried the words back. The Lord in His mercy rushed to the tirumāḷigai Himself. Ananthalvan remained silent. The Lord asked whether the silence was the fever, or anger that He had not come at the first instance. Feeling the touch of the holy hasta and bathed by the grace of the lotus eyes, Ananthalvan rose. He was redeemed. Only the Lord could cure him of all sicknesses. He prayed to be forgiven for those few seconds of silence. “After all, this type of sin is not new to me, since I am given to frequent births. The Lord can condone, in a trice, even sins which cannot be washed away over a thousand years’ penance.” He fell at the feet. The Lord blessed him and disappeared into the garbhagṛha.