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Home > Temples of Kerala > Sabarimala Temple > Ayyappa and the Dharmasasta Ayyappa and the DharmasastaWhen we make an enquiry about the abode of eternal and emancipative Sabarimala, at the outset itself, it is curious for a person to think about the imagination behind the consecration of the Ayyappa and the Dharma Sastha. Most of the people keep doubts whether the Ayyappa and the Dharma Sastha are one and the same or different. Since it is a prime factor, the same may be depicted in the beginning of this book. The word Ayyappa is exactly south Indian. The name Ayyappa was derived in our language (Malayalam) from the word ‘Ayya’ means ‘the big man’ (the great man) in the Tamil. The name Dharma Sastha is exactly a Sanskrit one. In the traditional way the meaning of Ayyappa and Dharma Sastha are different. The incarnated Ayyappa who was pet named Manikanthan and the noble son of Lord Siva and Vishnu arises in the memory of every Indian. There is no need to explain the exemplary and exuberant wanton sports (lilas) of Ayyappa. Exactly the history of Ayyappa gives very high experience when he has finally reached the top of the Sabarigiris in the forehead of solitude ness, to merge into the contemplation. This is Sri Ayyappa who dwells in the minds of Malayalees. Having with long and uncut off hair, clad in barks of woods, in the state of a yogi holding his hands in Cinmudra, the incarnation of Ayyappa in this style; and in another style, the Dharma Sastha, adorns in the Excellency of a royal king and having two wives in both sides named purna and pushkala are though having differences, have certain equalities also. How this has happened? Why Manikanthan – Manikanthan is given pujas or offerings with Dharma Sastha’s contemplation (Dhyanam) spells (Mantras) and Gayatri in the imagination or samkalpa of Dharma Sastha while the Dharma Sastha himself is only revered rarely in the Mantrasastras (sciences of spells and offerings). This subject and its reasons should be known by al the Ayyappa devotees. There is a description in the authentic books like the Mantra Grandhas (like ‘Mantramahodadhi’) about a Sivite god in the name of Sastha. A hymn is seen in which the Sastha is depicted as the god who uses a horse as his conveyance, seeks bliss in hunting in forests, desires drinking water in the mid-days having three eyes and surrounded by the bhutaganas (generation). All the eight (bhuta) ganas including Gupta have covered him. Really, this is the godmorphic which is called the Sastha or Dharma Sastha. ( In the epics, there is a Sastha among the Siva Bhutaganas which is called in our language (Malayalam) (Satan). The spell which is considered as the Sastha Gayatri Mantra is this – “Aum bhutadhipaya vidmahe mahadevaya dhi mahim tanna Sastha prachodayat”. When we think about the meaning of this spell we can understand that Sastha is entirely a Sivite god. Moreover that there is a name among thousands of Siva as Sastha among the hymns of the thousand names of Lord Siva (Siva Sahasra Nama). There is a similarity in Sastha and Vettackorumakan (a son for hunting) a famous name in kerala. It is also a similarity among Vettackorumakan and Sastha that their conveyance is horse and holds a long stick (Dandh) in their hands. When we examine, we can find that the top of Dwaja (holy post for hoisting flag) in front of the Sabarimala Temple is consecrated with a horse as per the tantric laws. Since it is believed that Ayyappa as Manikanthan travels always over a leopard, it is difficult to believe (for a devotee) that Manikantha / Mahikanthan travels over a horse, (The conveyance of the almighty god who is conscreated in the sanctum sanctorum of a temple, is placed at the top of the Dwaja like a bullock for Siva, a vulture for Vishnu and a peacock for Murugan). We do not feel any similarity among Ayyappa and Sastha at the first sight. Khrum hama paraya goptre’ is the mulamantra (prime spell) which is used in the pujas at Sabarimala. The word ‘khrum’ represents ashwavaahana (the horse conveyance) and gooptre is one of the names of bhuutaganas. From all these aspects we can realize that in Sabarimala all the pujas are offered in the imagination of Sastha. How or why do these aspects have made related to Ayyappa or Manikantan? According to the mantrasaastra, the Dhyaanaruupa of the consecrated and its mantraruupa should be one and the same. If one thing is changed the other will also be. Since, we have to examine why the imaginative activities between Ayyappa and Sastha are co-related. The sound ‘S’as’ in the word Saasta denotes authority. The meaning of the word Sasta is the man who holds the power to ordain and entrust. When it is pronounced as Dharma Shasta, it means a man who has the power to make and implement dharmas or righteousness in the society. It has been said in the ancient histories of Ayyappa that he is the authority to control (S’ as) the men who practice unrighteous activities and having ill-human nature. (Dushtaanaam dharmahiinaanaam s’s’aasyataayastu bhuutale dharmas’aastiii ti prooktam) In all the ways the sound s’aastru’ reveals that the authority of scriptures in all the ancient saastras whether they are philosophical, epical or tantric. The man who knows all these things (Sciences) and makes to implement the laws (dharmas) or act as a man of laws can be called Sasta. At any and every time there had been an authority of laws. There had been kings in old days. The representatives of the people rule the country in recent times. Any establishment has an authority like a guardian in the home, a guru or master in the hermitages, priests in temples and judges in courts. But there is no one to be pointed out who has the will to protect the dharma in the society. In the ancient times there had been family masters (kulagurus), regional masters (Deesagurus), royal masters (Raajagurus) and world masters (Jagatgurus). That period was behind us , Those masters were men of wisdom at that era. The kings were implementing the propitious maxims of the masters as rules of their own kingdom. But, when a scarcity of noble masters or good kings occur in the society, their arise some problems. Wisdom and kingship do not concentrate in one man. It is a common truth. The eternal existence of the nature is also depended upon that. That is why there had been a secure social system called ‘Caaturvarnya’ (though it has been misunderstood) was established. Under that system the Brahmin became the worshiper of gods and a knower of dharmas, Kshatriya ruled the country seeking the advise of the Brahmin. This was the custom. If this custom prevails, then only the wisdom and power of the ruler will get its completion. What will happen when such situations arise in the society? Then there should be one person in whom the power and wisdom culminated since there is no one in this universe at whom these characteristics will culminate together? No doubt, it is the god the almighty. But it cannot reveal in any form since it is formless. Then how? Therefore, the God the almighty incarnates periodically whenever it desires. Every incarnation reveal spiritual knowledge as well as righteous rules. This is the main feature of an incarnation. If we listen we can understand that all the incarnations are the centers of higher personalities of wisdom and power. The incarnations as Rama and Sri Krishna are the real examples. The victorious rulers were killed by Parasurama and Kalki. Then the powers of those kings were also culminated into them. If Hiranyakasipu was murdered by Narasimha, if all the wealth was indebted to Vaamana in the two incidents, the powers were transmitted to the incarnations. This is the way through which the incarnations reveal their power and wisdom at times of doubtfulness. These incarnations may be called Dharma Sasthas. After the jnana dharmas protected or replaced by them, from that point, a series of aacharyas and kings will be emerged. Sometimes, at a time of dubious stage like this, a time at which the wisdom and power of south India was deviated from its path, an incarnation of a Dharma Sastha was needed. The essentiality was made by the time. It was ordained by the glory of Siva – Vishnu (The incarnations were always by Vishnu, rarely by Siva. But, here, both of them have joined together.) The offspring’s are placed in the name of their father. Sastha is the member of the family of Siva, since he was begotten by him, there is not any mistake to think about, Thus bhuutaganaa was born. We may further think more precisely and abruptly. A son of Shaiva samkalpa has become the authority of all the wise aspects of the world. That is Ganapati. The other son became a sovereign of all the bhuutaganas in this world. That is Dharmashasta who renamed thus Sribhuutanaatha. When this Dharmashasta who incarnated in the form of human being to do his deemed activities as a member of a royal family, we, with piety and love, called him mahikanthan and occasionally we forgot his history behind his birth. Since we called him Swaami Ayyappan means the great man or a grand father. (Guru is deemed to be placed on the position of the father and it bears the meaning of a great man. Ayyan means a great man or Appan – the father.) The wanton sports (Avataara leelas) of Manikanthan were in the nature of a king. All the vicious people were killed. All the powers of an emperor naturally emerged in Manikanthan. (It was early remarked that the emblems of power will also be seen in the incarnated). He had to make silent of the separatists in the palace without any retort since they were as the soldiers in the courtyard. He could win over this with his yoga power and could elucidate that power, by coming to the palace riding over the leopard. When he could will all the enemies, Manikanthan became a king as well as an incarnation. But he was not leading a life of a king. Since he was at the same time an emperor of a spiritual kingdom as well as of a mundane world. He was returning to the spiritual world relieving from the mundane. This is the way through which he transformed as Sabarisa and Swami Ayyappa, which is seen on the consecrated power on the idol. When we think about Hariharasutan, Sasta, Sabarinathan, Manikanthan, Dharmasasta, Sabarisan, Ayyan, these representations are seen as jewels on a thread and a unity in form or in meaning. Once more these names can be elucidated. HariharasutanThere should be incarnations in this world, for making the existence of dharma and spiritualism. And there should be a reason for incarnation. Thistime, this incarnation is to be from lord Siva. Siva is now a yogiswara. Naturally Siva does not incarnate himself, but send his disciples or produce a son for the purpose. If an incarnation is a must there should be enough reasons. This will be carried out only through the Vishnumaaya (the power of illusion latent in Vishnu). It was for this reason the Mohini was reincarnated and it was felt by Lord Siva to see the Mohini. The vision led him to a sensual aspirations and the result was the birth of a child. It resulted in the first state of this incarnation - Hariharasutan. SastaThe son of Siva should have the name of Siva and his possession. That is why Hariharasutan was proclaimed as Sastha, the servant of Siva. When he achieved the status of God the Shasta was awarded with Mantra Yantra, Dhyaanaruupa and Gaayatri. (These are used for the pooja offerings at Sabarimala) SribhutanathaThe direct sons (of Siva) are (Ganapati) appointed as the head of bhutaganas (Servants of Siva) and other (Subrahmanian) was as the head of soldiers. The Sasta was appointed as the head of all creations. Thus he was called bhuta natha. The bhuta natha Sastha, as his elder brothers, selected horse as his vehicle and kept a stick (Dand) always in his hand. ManikanthanTo fulfill the incarnated aim, the part of Siva and Sribhutanatha Sastha selected a royal family in this world, or he was directed to. (There is another aspect of the story that he was not only found by the king, but he was directed by Siva). From the time onwards he was called Manikanthan and it may be named by the king himself. Otherwise it may be a remembrance of the garlands of the Siva Bhutaganas, called Naagaratna or Naagahaara. Is it a bell (Khanda) producing sound? Manikanthanmay not have worn a khanda around his neck and it is unbelievable. Because the word mani which we say in manikantan is a Malayalam word and Kanta is a samskrut one. The mani (bell) which produces sound is called Khanda in Samskrut. If he wears this khanda in his childhood he should have surely been called Khanda Kanthan. There is a bhuutagana called Khanthakarnan, he was called alike because he had his ears open like a bell. Therefore we have to consider the word mani as a samskrut word from his name Manikanthan mani means jewel. Manikanthan might have worn any kind of jewel in his childhood. That is Manikandhara. This name also reveals that it is not any kantha. Ending the conspirators in the palace, the unrighteous in the jungles and the Rakshasas (giants), riding over the leopard and arriving at the palace with its milk all these statues are of a man who ordains dharma and thus called Dharmasastha. The Dharmasasta has two wives called Purna and Pushkala and a son Satyaka. This is a story sometimes, these stories imagining about the two wives and a son, may be metaphorically told about the protector of dharma and his endeavour in sustaining dharma. The aim of dharma is perfection (Purna) prosperity (Pushkalatva) is achieved by dharma and wisdom. Finally the adherence to dharma enables to achieve truthfulness (Satya) that is Satyaka. Swami AyyappaThe next is the jnanakanda of Dharmasasta and thus the guru (master). Though the consciousness of the self existence, he became the swami, and the enlightened. Guru means heavy and gross. The colloquial word Ayya has the same meaning of guru. Appan means father. Guru becomes father because he gives us a new birth by giving knowledge like the father who actually gives birth to us. Therefore, he was called Appan. Precisely Swami became the Ayyappan. Sri SabarisanManikanthan selected the Sabarimala as his resort for self sacrifice, to elucidate his dharma, the sciences of wisdom to the people of the world, to the gods and to the rishis. There he experienced his ahstasiddhis and rendered his spiritual knowledge to the sympathizers and devotees. Thus he was called Sri Sabarisan. If we think concentrately we will understand the divergent vibrations of Ayyappaswami whole heartedly, receive and make unity of his hidden halos extended to this era. May we pray for all these aspirations to become a footing to a new profound thirst for Ayyappa, and its carefulness and piety. Here, we may step upon the first truppati with this prayer.
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