Ayyappan, also known as Dharmasastha and Manikandan, is the Hindu deity of
truth and righteousness. According to Hindu theology, he is described as
the son of Shiva and Vishnu in the form of Mohini, thus representing a
bridge between Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
Ayyappan is a warrior deity and is revered for his ascetic devotion to
Dharma, the ethical and right way of living. He is usually depicted as a
youthful man riding or near a Bengal tiger and holding a bow and arrow. In
some representations, he is seen holding a sword and riding an Indian
elephant or a horse. Other iconography generally shows him in a yogic
posture wearing a bell around his neck.
The legend and mythology of Ayyappan varies across regions, reflecting a
tradition that evolved over time. According to Malayalam lore, Ayyappan is
presented as a warrior prince of Pandala kingdom. In the later years, the
stories of Ayyappan expanded with various versions describing him as a
warrior who protected people from evil doers while helping restore Dharmic
practices and he evolved to be a deity. In some regions, Ayyappan and Tamil
folk deity Ayyanar are considered to be the same with similar
characteristics.
Although Ayyappan worship has been prevalent earlier in Kerala, his
popularity spread in the 20th century to most of Southern India. His abode
Sabarimala is located on the banks of river Pamba in the forests of the
Western Ghats, and is a major pilgrimage destination, attracting millions
annually. Pilgrims often engage in weeks of preparations in advance by
leading a simpler life, remaining celibate, and trekking to the hill on
barefoot while carrying an irumudi (a bag with offerings) on the head.
The name Ayyappan is a combination of two words ayyan and appan. Ayyan in
Tamil and the similar Malayalam word acchan means "father" Appan is also
used to denote "father"; in Tamil both words are also used as honorific
titles. He is described as the son of Mohini (the female form of Vishnu)
and Shiva with the name Ayyappan connoting as "lord-father". The name could
have also been derived from the combination of aryan and appan with the
former meaning "revered".
In the Hindu scriptures such as Vishnu Purana and Srimad Bhagavatham, he is
referenced as Dharmasastha and Sastha, meaning "ruler of the realm". The
word Sastha could have also be derived from Buddhism as Ayyappan is seen as
an incarnation of Buddha and Buddha was known by the same name, meaning
teacher He is also known as Hariharasudhan, meaning the "son of Harihara"
as a fusion of Hari and Hara, the names given to Vishnu and Shiva
respectively. He is also called Manikanda with mani meaning bell and kanda
meaning neck in Sanskrit, translating to the wearer of a bell on the neck.
The legend and mythology of Ayyappan varies across regions, reflecting a
tradition that evolved over time. According to the Puranas, he is
mentioned as an incarnation of Hariharaputra, the son of Shiva and Mohini.
While this interaction between Shiva and Mohini is mentioned in the
Bhagavata Purana, he is not mentioned by the name of Ayyappa.
According to Malayalam folklore, Ayyappan is presented as a warrior prince
of Pandala kingdom.
[KR Early Tamil Epigraphy from the Earliest Times to the Sixth Century
A.D.By Iravatham Mahadevan · 2003 Page count:719 Original from: the
University of Michigan Language: English Author: Iravatham Mahadevan This
book presents the earliest South Indian inscriptions (ca. second century
B.C.E. to sixth century A.D.), written in Tamil in local derivations of the
Ashokan Brahmi script. They are the earliest known Dravidian documents
available and show some overlap with the early Cera and Pandya dynasties.
Their language is Archaic Tamil, with a few borrowings from Prakrit and
influences of old Kannada, both resulting from the early presence of
northern Jainism. The widespread occurrence of pottery inscriptions
indicates that the Tamil-Brahmi script had taken deep roots all over the
countryside, leading to the cultured society visible in the classical Tamil
poetry of the Cankam (Sangam) texts of the early centuries C.E. The work
includes texts, transliteration, translation, detailed commentary,
inscriptional glossary, and indexes.]
[Jones, Constance; Ryan, James D. (2006). "Ayyappan". Encyclopedia of
Hinduism.]
There are minor variations in the story in certain versions with
Ayyappa renouncing the kingdom and becoming an ascetic yogi in a forested
mountain. In another version, he is described as the son of the king's
sister, who was born in the forest and sent to his uncle later. When the
shrine of Sastha at Sabarimala was destroyed by the king's enemies, he
defeated them, re-installed the statue and disappeared into it. In some
versions, he was raised by a childless royal couple Rajashekara Pandian and
Koperundevi, and grew up as a warrior yogi.
*In the later years, the stories of Ayyappan expanded*. One such
version has roots between *the 1st and 3rd century CE*, where he evolved to
be a deity who protected traders and merchants from enemies such as robbers
and plundering outlaws. His temples and traditions inspired Hindu yogi
mercenaries who protected the trade routes in South India from criminals
and helped restore Dharmic trading practices. In another version, he is
portrayed as a child of a priest whose father was murdered by a fearsome
outlaw. The outlaw kidnaps a princess and he makes a daring rescue killing
the outlaw in the process. In a variation of the story, Ayyappan forms an
alliance with the Muslim warrior Vavar against the outlaw Udayanan, which
forms the basis for worshiping both in a mosque and then in the Hindu
temple before starting a pilgrimage to Ayyappa shrine. According to Eliza
Kent, the legends in the Ayyappa tradition seem to be *"artificially mixed
and assembled into a kind of collage".[* Ruth Vanita suggests that Ayyappan
probably emerged from the fusion of a Dravidian god of tribal provenance
and the Puranic story of Shiva and Mohini's interaction In some regions,
Ayyappan and Tamil folk deity Ayyanar are considered to be the same with
similar characteristics and is cited as a reason for his large following
amongst Tamils.
Hence as a deity we have no difference to worship any god in any form;
but Ayyappan worship came out much later while Sastha @ Maha sastha worship
existed even from Puranas which is older than the Pandalam story. In short
the facts are presented; when samayapuram Mariyamman was discussed , I
still , remember the mockery of a person when Mr G did not quote and
defended as he is trying now, AS FAR AS GOD IS CONCERNED EVERY GOD HAS A
BACK GROUND; BUT ALWAYS A ROSE IS A EROSE IS A ROSE BY WHATEVER NAME
CALLED.
K RAJARAM IRS 121224
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: 'gopala krishnan' via iyer123 <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2024 at 16:34
Subject: [iyer123] DHARMA SASTHA AND AYYAPPA
To: Iyer <[email protected]>
DHARMA SASTHA AND AYYAPPA
Dear friends,
Today I could watch an interview by “Puthiya Thalamurai” TV Channel with Dr
MG Sashibhooshan, who is a researcher and Historian. Some of the
information told by him with evidence attracted my attention more. I
thought of sharing them with some of my additional points.
Those who knew already these things may simply ignore this posting.
Gopalakrishnan 12-12-2024.
In the copper plates kept in the SreeVallabha temple at Tiruvalla, in
between Kottayam and Pandalam, Sri Dharmasastha is mentioned as Ayyappan
sastha. In the cave temples at Kanyakumari also the palm leaves reads
Dharma sastha as Ayyappan sastha.
The name of the adopted son of Pandalam King Rajasekara was Mani kantan.
At Sabarimalai after the mission of his birth is completed, Sri
Manikankatam had his Jeeva Samadhi( absorption to sastha/Ayyappa.
The most common saranam is “Swamiye, Ayyappo” . In the prayer to
sabarimalai sastha is also “ Sabarimala vazhum sri Ayyan, ayyappa swamiyae
saranam ayyappa.
During sastha poojas before commencing journey to Sabariamalai till the
comphoor deepam diminish our prayer is
“Bhootha Natha sadaananda, sarva bhootha dayapara,
Raksha raksha Mahabhago sasthredhabyam Namonama.
So as per research and records sastha and ayyappa are one and the same.
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