Lord Murugan & Avvaiyaar

Once Saint Avvaiyaar was traveling by foot. Then she got tired and sat under a java plum (Naaval) tree. She had written many poems and had developed a huge ego. Lord Murugan wanted to challenge her and appeared as a shepherd sitting on top of the tree.

He then addressed her as Grandma and said that she looked very tired! Saying so he offered her some Naaval fruits. When she said yes, he asked her whether she wanted any 'Sutta pazham' or 'Sudatha pazham(Sutta has two meanings: one cooked and the other hot).

 Avvaiyar thought that the kid was blabbering something as she considered him to be illiterate and told him that she wanted "Sudatha Pazham" (fruit that is not hot/cooked).

When the boy shook the tree, the fruits fell all over the ground. Avvaiyar started picking those fruits. She started to blow away the sand in the fruit before eating it. The boy then exclaimed that whether the fruit was hot or not!

The gesture of blowing the sand in the fruit appeared as if the fruit was hot! It also meant that the fruit that fell to the ground is heated up by the earth's heat and the one that is caught before it falls to the ground is not!

Avvaiyar had a realisation and she thought that the boy was illiterate, but he has taught her a big lesson!

Moreover, she had a momentary pride and neglect in her mind thinking that the boy is illiterate and she was more knowledgeable. This incident made her realise that nobody should be underestimated. She also felt that this should be the act of the divine and requested the boy to reveal his true self. Then, the boy revealed that he was Lord Murugan and she worshipped him with joy!