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The Hindus worship as God Lord 'Ayyappan',
Malayalam അയ്യപ്പന്, one of
southern India’s most revered deities. He is also known as 'Dharmasastha', 'Hariharasuthan', 'Manikantan'(also knowns as manikanta), 'Manikandha','Saathanar','Saasthan', 'Chathan' (from
Sanskrit 'Sastha') ,'Ayyanar' and 'Bhoothnathan'. Lord Ayyappan is worshipped in a number of shrines across
India: at
Kulathupuzha, in
Kerala, he is worshipped as a child; at
Achenkovil in conjunction with his consorts,
Pushkala and
Poorna; and at
Sabarimala as an
ascetic, a celibate meditating in solitude for the benefit of all mankind.
The word Ayyappa is derived from two words Ayya - meaning
Vishnu and Appa -meaning
Shiva.
The Sabarimala Ayyappa temple preaches the principle of
Tat Tvam Asi. The temple is unique in all India, in that there is no distinction of caste or religion in determining who can enter it. Non-Hindus are equally welcome, though their number is small given the issues the Semitic faiths have when they see what they mistakenly perceive to be an idol. It might be more instructive to talk about the mythic origins of Ayyapan first, before we explore the history, as the mythic story always has a deeper resonance as well as more significant spiritual truth in India. Every year according to the government statistics, at least 5 crore devotees come to visit Ayyappan in Sabarimala and it provides ten thousand crores of rupees to the state.
Background
Ayyapan was born out of a crisis that overtook the gods. The asura princess Mahishi was burning up with anger at the dirty trick the gods had pulled on her brother the asura king Mahisasura. Blessed with invulnerability to all men, the gods had sent a woman, the goddess Durga, to fight and kill him. (See our section on Durga for the full story.) Mahishi therefore began performing a fearsome set of austerities, and so surpassed all records in that grim tapasya or askesis, that Brahma The Creator had really no option but to give her what she wanted. Her boon was to rule the universe and to be invulnerable except to a being that had the combined strength of both Shiva and Vishnu. Since such a person did not exist, she thought she was safe and began the usual asura career of conquest and plunder. In passing let it be said that Mahishi strikes a note in mythology that was last seen only in Mesopotamia, that of the Cosmic Villainess, like Tiamat, the Mother-Serpent.
The gods implore Shiva and Vishnu to save them from this catastrophe. The two great gods really do not know what to do until from the ever-active mind of the great Vishnu comes a possible solution. When Vishnu had taken on the Coorma Avatar, he also had to manifest himself as Mohini, the enchantress, to save the nectar of immortality from the demons who were not willing to share it with the gods. If he became Mohini again, then the female Mohini and the male Shiva could have the divine child who would combine their powers and beat Mahishi.
Early Childhood
Lord Ayyappan had His human sojourn as the son of the Raja (King) of
Pandalam. At that time,
Raja Rajasekhara ruled the kingdom of Pandalam (circa 1200 AD). During one of his hunting expeditions, the Raja was puzzled to hear the wails of a child on the banks of the
river Pampa. He moved in the direction of the voice to find a resplendent infant there. The beautiful baby with radiant face wore a gemstone (precious stone) around his neck, hence the name 'Manikantan' ("Mani", means gemstone (many mistake this as bell - the word 'Mani' has two meanings - gemstone and bell) and "kantan" means wearer around the neck) Manikantan was born of Hari (Lord Vishnu) and Hara (Lord Shiva), with Hari assuming the form of a female (Mohini). The King, though pious, charitable, just, and God-fearing had no children. He accepted the child as God's gracious response to his fervent prayer for an heir to his throne. Manikantan was given proper education and training and he grew into a boy well versed in academic lore and martial arts of the time (
Kalaripayattu). The
Cheerappanchira kalari at
Muhamma, in
Alappuzha District was responsible for his training in the martial arts. Meanwhile the Rani (Queen) gave birth to a son, however the King regarded Manikantan as his elder son and decided to crown him as the ''Yuvaraja'' (heir).
Attempts by others
However the Raja had a corrupt Minister, who had a deep dislike for Manikantan, and hoped to become King himself. The Minister made the innocent Queen believe that adverse consequences would befall her if Manikantan was crowned ''Yuvaraja'' and that the kingdom actually belonged to her son.
They conspired between them to get rid of Manikantan. First the Minister tried to poison Manikantan, however Manikantan was cured by a Shivan under the guise of a physician. Later, they bribed another royal physician into becoming an accomplice of theirs. The Rani pretended to be afflicted with severe pain in the stomach, and the physician prescribed the milk of a tigress as the only cure for the ache. The King was in an agonizing fix. He knew that none could be deputed for a mission that was so potently suicidal. However, the youthful and valiant Manikantan stepped forth and volunteered to fetch the milk. Despite the worried protestations of his foster-father, he set out for the forests.
Victory
Manikantan entered the forest to fulfill his divine duty, to rid the world of Mahishi (the demoness). Manikantan killed the beast, and released a beautiful woman who had been cursed to become Mahishi. The young woman asked Ayyappan for His hand in marriage, but he declined, being a celibate. However He promised that she would be visited by pilgrims and would be housed next to His temple, but promised that if the number of pilgrims visiting Him stopped, then he would marry her (however the number of pilgrims increases every year). Hence She is now worshiped as
Maalikapurathamma. There is also another version of this story. It is believed that
Maalikapurathamma was a young girl in
Cheerappanchira family where Ayyappan was trained for Kalari (martial arts). The later sounds realistic.
Days later Manikantan entered the palace precincts riding a fierce tigress and followed by a pack of its cubs. The schemers were frightened into confessing their plot. They were convinced of His divine origins, and prayed to Him to be with them for their own salvation and for the safety of the kingdom.
Filled with emotions of happiness, grief, fear, wonder and 'bhakti' (devotion to God) and self-surrender, the king stood praying for the mercy and blessings of Manikantan. He repented he could not fully visualize the truth of the divine powers of the Lord and repeatedly requested Him to forgive him for behaving as if He were his son only. The Lord lovingly embraced the King who prayed to bless him by freeing from ego and the worldly life of birth and rebirth and grant 'moksha’ (salvation).
Manikantan then enlightened the King on the path of attainment of 'moksha'. The Lord shot an arrow that fell at the top of
Sabrimala and told the King that he could construct a temple at
Sabarimala, north of the holy river
Pampa and install His deity there. Ayyappan also explained how the Sabarimala pilgrimage shall be undertaken, emphasizing the importance of
vratham and what the devotees can attain by His 'darshan'.
The Lord further consoled the King saying that the devotees who held him and his descendants in 'bhakti' shall happen to be devoted to Him as well. Manikantan then blessed the King and all others assembled there, and vanished. The King duly constructed the temple at
Sabarimala, dedicated to Him. The deity for installation was prepared by Parshurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and was installed by himself.
Prasadam
A strong liking for sweets is a common factor of all
Hindu Gods and Ayyappa is no exception. ''Appam'' and ''Aravana'' (
Payasam made of rice, ghee and jaggery) are the prasadams of the
Lord. There is an interesting story behind these prasadams also. The Raja of
Pandalam admitted Ayyappa to a famous
Kalari (gymnasium where traditional martial arts of
Kalaripayattu is taught) at
Cheerappanchira in
Cherthala in
Alappuzha district. The young daughter, Leela, of
Kalari Panicker fell in love with Ayyappa. But Ayyappa was so involved in his studies that he didn't notice the girl's infatuation. Its also believed that she later became
Maalikapurathamma who was dejected when Lord Ayyappa refused her marriage proposal, after offering her a seat in ''Saram kuthi'' near Sabari Mala Devasthanam.
Soon the girl started bringing him food to capture his attention. Time passed by and the girl reached her puberty. And her family, following the Hindu tradition, prepared special cuisines to celebrate the occasion. One mandatory item on the menu is ''Rthumathikanji'' (porridge made using rice and five times the quantity of jaggery). On that day she took this porridge to Ayyappa, who was practising payattu in the
Kalari. He liked it very much and requested the girl to bring only the porridge everyday. It is believed that the practice of offering Aravana as prasadam to the God was born from this incident.
Lore
There are various lores connected with Lord Ayyappan. These relate to discovery of the child at
Pampa, Manikantan's youthful days in the Pandalam palace, bestowing the power of hearing and speaking upon the deaf and dumb son of His teacher as Guru-dakshina, His friendship with
Vavar (a Muslim), bringing the tiger's milk, accomplishing His divinely destined mission of annihilation of the demoness Mahishi, eliminating the forest-thug
Udayanan, bestowing immortality on Sabari and blessing His foster-father with immortality.
Manikantan was the incarnation of Lord Dharmasastha. Raja Rajasekhara was in his previous birth a rich and pious 'Brahmin ' by name Vijayan who was a very strong believer and devotee of Lord Dharmasastha. Such was Vijayan's ' bhakti' towards the Lord that He blessed the Brahmin by granting his wish to be born as his son in his next birth when the Lord would offer him "moksha'.
Pilgrimage
The Pandala Raja constructed a small temple, 18 steps above the ground (to avoid forest animals from coming in, since the temple is in the heart of the forest). The 18 steps and the temple have in recent times been coated in gold. The vigraham (idol) is also coated in gold, and was inaugurated by
Parashuram (incarnation of
Maha Vishnu.
The common cry heard during the pilgrimages to his shrine is "Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa!" ("Oh Swami, we take refuge in you").
Pilgrimage to
Sabarimala begins from the 1st of
Vrichikam, a Malayalam month coming in the middle of November (probably between 14-16). The most important day for Ayyappan is
Makarasankranti Day, which is the 1st of
Makara (a month of the Malayalam calendar). This day will fall between January 14-16. Currently millions of devotees come from all parts of
India to Sabarimala for a glimpse of Lord Ayyappan, having undertaken 41 days of
Vratham (austerities). In 2005, at least 50 million devotees made the pilgrimage to Sabarimala (from 1st Vrichikam to the 1st Makaram).
On
Makarasankranti, every year without fail, miraculous events occur. Firstly as the jewels (
Thiruvaabaranam) of the Lord are transported from the Old Pandalam Palace to Sabarimala, a
Krishnaparanth (holy eagle) circles above the precious cargo, like a protector. This rare eagle is rarely seen in the midst of people for a long period of time, yet the auspicious bird follows the Thiruvaabaranam procession, finally circling above
Sanithanam at Shabarimala nine times as it pays its respects to Lord Ayyappan. During this time, there is not a single star in the sky except for a special
Nakshatram. As the beautiful jewels are placed on the golden body of the Lord within the temple, the several hundred thousand devotees outside, crammed into any available free space, chant "Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa". When the jewels are finally all adorned on the Lord, the Nakshatram in the sky miraculously disappears, as all the Devas and Celestial beings leave the sky to get a glimpse of the Lord in all his splendor. Within moments of the Lord being adorned with the Thiruvabaranam, an effulgence appears in the opposite hills of Shabarimala, appearing 3 times. It is firmly believed that Lord Indra himself lights the divine efflugence. The entire hillside reverberates with the chant "Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa" as the devotees witness this auspicious sight, as the ''devas'' and celestial ''rishis'' arrive at Sabarimala as an effulgence. These auspicious sights are different forms of the Lord Himself appearing. The devotees then climb the 18 holy gold steps to arrive at the ''sanidhanam'' where they finally get a glimpse of the Lord as Himself, in all beauty, Manikanta Shri Dharmasastha, adorned with jewels. It is believed that if one witnesses these events after having undertaken 41 days of severe austerities (
Vratham), one can attain
Moksha.
This is why Ayyappan is also known as Kaliyugavaradhana, since He can help us attain Moksha in this difficult age of
Kaliyuga, the age of hypocrisy and violence.
The Austerities
The life of the man can be improved and re-energized by performing tapas or austerity. Tapas may be performed in body, speech and mind as per the
Bhagvad Gita. When man applies himself to these three components, he changes for the better.
Given below are the austerities and regulations that has to be strictly followed for taking pilgrimage to Shri Sabarimala:
The ''
vratham'' has to be undertaken after getting permission from parents. Then one has to get the permission of the ''guru''. After this the date is fixed to commence the ''vratham''. The previous day before the said date one has to offer prayers to ones family deity and make a holy knot with yellow cloth with 1.25 currency units within and present it to the family deity, thereby taking Her/His permission to commence the ''vratham''.
Previous day before starting the ''vratham'', the devotee will cleanly shave, clip his nails, trim his hair and make himself physically clean. The holy ''mala'' / garland made of ''
tulsi'' or ''
rudraksha'' beads should be cleaned and smeared with sandal paste and placed before the portrait of Lord Ayyappa. The devotee should also buy a new pair of coloured (black, blue, saffron) dhoti and towel/shawl.
On the day of starting the ''vratham'' the devotee shall rise early, bath and offer prayers to family deity, Navagrahas and perform ''pooja'' to the holy ''mala''. Then he shall go to the temple with his ''guru''. The ''mala'' has to be received from the ''guru'' amidst chanting of ''Saranam''. After wearing the ''mala'' the devotee becomes Lord Ayyappa himself and starts the demands of pious life.
The devotee shall withdraw from all social activities and spend his time by taking part in praying, ''poojas'', ''bhajans'', visiting temples, cleaning temples, feeding the poor, helping the poor/sick and attending religious discourses.
He shall take only satvic foods and refrain from taking meat, intoxicating drinks / drugs, chewing betel leaves and from smoking. Only vegetarian food, instantly cooked, and fresh fruits are to be eaten.
He shall wake up daily at ''Brahma Muhurta'' (before sunrise), bathe and perform pooja.
He shall bathe twice, if possible thrice, daily and perform pooja by at least chanting 108 Ayyappan Saranam. He shall continuously chant Saranam Ayyappa in mind, both at work and at home.
He shall not hurt anybody verbally or physically.
He shall treat all co-devotees as Lord Ayyappan himself and serve them in all the ways.
He shall not feel proud of the respect and privileges he gets when he is wearing the holy ''mala''.
When others prostrate themselves on his feet he shall not feel proud but dedicate the same to Lord Ayyappan and say aloud 'Lord Save everybody for their faith in you'.
He shall not cause inconvenience to his family members on account on observing the ''vratham''.
As he starts his ''vratham'' every year, he shall think that he is doing the same for first time and follow all the rules of the ''vratham'' strictly.
He shall strictly follow ''brahmacharya'' (continence), refrain from sex, thinking of sex and treat all women including his wife with motherly/sisterly feeling.
He shall avoid proximity of women in period and refrain from taking food prepared by them.
He can attend social functions like birthdays, engagements, and weddings, but should avoid food prepared by women.
He shall avoid being in the proximity of a dead body.
He shall sleep only on matresses avoiding pillows. Some people abstain from using footwear in order to prepare the soles of their feet to climb the Sabarimala hills barefooted.
He shall not shave his face, cut hair or nails during the vratham period.
He shall not eat leftover food or food possibly contaminated by the saliva of others (like eating from same plate, spoon or sharing by bite).
He shall totally surrender himself to Lord Ayyappa.
One should remember that the grace and power of Sabarimala increases and reflects back by observing the above rules strictly.
But apart from all the above, the most important is cleanliness of mind and thought.
The Guru (Called as Guruswamy or Periaswamy)
It is said that chanting the name of the Guru is equivalent to chanting the name of Lord Shiva, Guru's abode is Kashi Shetram and water used to wash Guru's feet is Ganga.
The role of the Guru is significant in the Ayyappa cult. The Guruswamy is usually an elderly person who has undertaken pilgrimage to Sabarimala not less than seven consecutive years in the traditional long route and had darshan of Makara Jothi. The devotees treat the Guruswamy as Ayyappan himself. It is important that pilgrims gain knowledge from the Guru on all the aspect of the Pilgrimage. One should serve the Guru physically, mentally and verbally.
The pilgrims should give the due respect and reverence the Guru deserves. All instructions of the Guru should be carried out without fail. The Guru will enlighten the Shisyas the austerities to be followed. He will teach them the slokas and way to perform pooja and bhajans. He shall prepare them for the pilgrimage mentally and physically. He will lead the pilgrims safely and comfortably to Sabarimala
" Swamiye Saranam Aiyappa"...
See also
#
Makara Jyothi
#
Maalikapurathamma
#
Sabarimala
#
Ayyanar
External links
★
More mythological detail about Lord Ayyapan
★
Official page of Pandalam Royal Family
★
Ayyappan Stories, Pictures, Songs & Download books
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Official page of Akhila Bharata Ayyappa Seva Sangham
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Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa
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Official wesite on Sabarimala by Travancore Devasowm board
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Sabarimala pages in Malayalam
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Aravana Prasadam
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