Sangappalagai

 The rapidity with which Nammazvars hymns was gaining popularity among the people, the sangham poets demanded that the epithets adorn the Sangappalagai. meaning the test.

Sangappalagai was a sort of divine bench which would float on the potramarai tank  poets used to sit on it and render their compositions. The bench would expand or contract automatically to provide enough space for any no of poets. If there were no mistakes in their compositions the bench would support the poets. If there were mistakes it would tilt and push the poets into the water.

Madhurakavi then placed on the sacred bench the palm leaf containing the following hymn of Nammazhvar.

KANNAN KAZHALINAI NANNUM MANAMUDAIYIR

ENNUM TIRUNAMAM TINNAM NARANAME.

all the 300 poets sat on the bench along with the palm leaf and all of them were pushed off the bench except for the palm leaf. Thereafter the hymns of Nammazvar were accepted wholeheartedly, and even composed eulogistic poems like;

Semam kurugaiyo seyya tirupparkadalo

Namam parankusamo naranamo Daman

Tulavo vagulamo tolerance Mangum

Ulavo peruman unakku.

Iyaduvado garudarku edited iravikkedir min mini aduvado

Nay oduvado urumip Pullman nari kesari mun nadaiyaduvado

Pey aduvado azhagu urvasimun peruman vagulabharanan arul kurndu

Oduvadu urai ayiramamariyinoru sorpeumo ulagil kaviye.

Meaning

Like a small fly trying to fly in front of the king of birds Garuda, like a firefly trying to show its light in front of the rays of the sun, like a dog trying to bark in front of the fierce tiger, like a fox trying to walk in front of the lion, like a ghost trying to dance in front t of the beautiful celestial dancer urvasi, our songs too remain so in comparison with a word too of the vakulabaranar.