Padikkasu Sastha - The Lord who gave Gold coin everyday

This is a real story which depicts the value of Bhakthi and how to retain the "Unshaken Faith"... 

Aravind Subramanyam

Lord Sastha is Kshipra Prasadi - who grants all our desires immediately  - but beware....  whatever be our position - unshaken faith is something that is going to get us eternal happiness.... 

This temple is located exactly in the town area of Thirunelveli near Junction Area. Our Lord Sastha is called Erichamudayar here. (Wherever i visit Tirunelveli i don't miss darshanam at this place - 
Aravind Subramanyam)

Few centuries ago there was a severe drought in the land with rivers drying down, fields going bare and sky deprived of clouds. In the city resided a brahmana who was poverty-stricken but innocent and not dissatisfied.  He was so much devoted to the Lord Erichamudayar and was worshiping Lord Sastha who was all alone here. He would wash the temple and do the puja as much as he can - beginning from bathing the Deity and ending with offering arati. Thus he felt great happiness. Everybody started praising his devotion and attachment towards Lord Sastha. 

Padikkasu Sastha

Lord Sastha began smiling; In his dream the God appeared to say that He was pleased with his service and He would give one gold coin everyday in the temple entrance step. Hailing the Peak of grace, the next day he rushed to the temple and completed his puja and to his surprise found a golden coin at the entrance. The devotee can't believe his good fortune and becomes even more incredulous the following day when he discovers another golden coin. Day after day, upon awakening, he rushes to the temple, completes his puja to find another golden coin on the entrance step. He becomes richer soon. 

After many days had passed in this way, the devotee slowly underwent a transformation which he would have not even dreamt of. Along with the anugraha of the Lord comes a hidden thing called His pariksha. And the devotee slowly became greedy. His attachment towards the Lord slowly started diminishing and the very puja which he did with so much involvement, became mechanical. Most of the time his mind was fixed with the gold coin that the Lord. With the increasing wealth came impatience.

When impatience and greediness came inside, innocence was lost. Very soon the "faith" was also shaken. He believed that the temple steps had some a great lump of gold in its inside. Unable to wait day after day for the gold coins, he decided to break open the steps and dig out all the gold coins at once. But when he opened the steps, he founds it full empty. There are no gold coins! 

Again that day the God appeared in his dream to warn that he had failed to pass His test - now its his duty to continue the regular puja. Lord Sastha smiled again;

Now there is no way to get any more. Once the faith is lost, the grace is also lost. 

This temple is still located in the Junction Area of Thiruneveli town. Lord Erichamudayar Sastha is popularly known as "Padikkasu Sastha" after the above incident.