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Ayyappan

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"Ayyappa" redirects here. For other uses, seeAyyappa (disambiguation).

Ayyappan
God of truth and righteousness
Ayyappa(n) seated on a tiger
AffiliationHinduism
AbodeSabarimala
MantraSvāmiye Śaraṇam Ayyappa[1]
WeaponBow and arrow,sword
SymbolsBell,bow and arrow
DaySaturday
MountTiger
TextsBrahmanda Purana
GenderMale
FestivalsMakaravilakku
Genealogy
Born
Manikandan
Parents

Ayyappan,also known asDharmasasthaandManikandan,is theHindudeity of truth and righteousness. According to Hindu theology, he is described as the son ofShivaandVishnuin the form ofMohini,thus representing a bridge betweenShaivismandVaishnavism.

Ayyappan is a warrior deity and is revered for his ascetic devotion toDharma,the ethical and right way of living. He is usually depicted as a youthful man riding or near aBengal tigerand holding abow and arrow.In some representations, he is seen holding a sword and riding anIndian elephantor ahorse.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 toMalayalamlore, Ayyappan is presented as a warrior prince ofPandala 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 andTamilfolk deityAyyanarare considered to be the same with similar characteristics.

Although Ayyappan worship has been prevalent earlier inKerala,his popularity spread in the 20th century to most ofSouthern India.His abodeSabarimalais located on the banks of riverPambain the forests of theWestern 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 anirumudi(a bag with offerings) on the head.

Names and etymology

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The name Ayyappan is a combination of two wordsayyanandappan.[2][3]AyyaninTamiland the similarMalayalamwordacchanmeans "father".[4][5]Appanis also used to denote "father"; inTamilboth words are also used ashonorifictitles.[2][6]He is described as the son ofMohini(the female form ofVishnu) andShivawith the name Ayyappan connoting as "lord-father".[7][8]The name could have also been derived from the combination ofaryanandappanwith the former meaning "revered".[9]

In theHindu scripturessuch asVishnu PuranaandSrimad Bhagavatham,he is referenced asDharmasasthaandSastha,meaning "ruler of the realm".[8][10][11]The wordSasthacould have also be derived fromBuddhismas Ayyappan is seen as an incarnation ofBuddhaand Buddha was known by the same name, meaning teacher.[8][11][12]He is also known asHariharasudhan,meaning the "son ofHarihara"as a fusion ofHariandHara,the names given to Vishnu and Shiva respectively.[10]He is also calledManikandawithmanimeaning bell andkandameaning neck inSanskrit,translating to the wearer of a bell on the neck.[10][13]

Iconography and depictions

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A painting of Ayyapppan in a seated yogic position

Ayyappan is a warrior deity and is revered for his ascetic devotion toDharma,the ethical and right way of living, to deploy his military genius and daring yogic war abilities to destroy those who are powerful but unethical, abusive and arbitrary.[14]He is usually represented as acelibateyoung man with abow and arrow,riding abengal tiger.[15]In some representations, he is seen holding an upraised bow in his left hand, while holding either an arrow or sword in his right hand placed diagonally across his left thigh.[16]Other iconography generally shows him in a yogic posture wearing a bell around his neck.[17]In some representations, such as inSri Lanka,he is shown riding anIndian elephantor ahorse.[9]

Theology and historical development

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The legend and mythology of Ayyappan varies across regions, reflecting a tradition that evolved over time.[18]According to thePuranas,he is mentioned as an incarnation of Hariharaputra, the son of Shiva and Mohini.[8][10][17]While this interaction between Shiva and Mohini is mentioned in theBhagavata Purana,he is not mentioned by the name of Ayyappa.[19]

According to Malayalam folklore, Ayyappan is presented as a warrior prince ofPandala kingdom.[20][21]As the royal family was childless, the king of Pandalam found a baby boy on the banks ofPamba River.[8][10][22]The king named the boy Manikantha and raised him his own son, on the advice of an ascetic. When Manikantha was 12 years old, the king wanted to formally anoit him as the heir. However, the queen objected to it, favoring her younger biological child.[8][20]The queen feigned an illness, asking for the milk of a tiger to cure her illness and demanded that Manikantha be sent to obtain the same. He volunteered and went into the forest and returned back riding a tigress. He confronted and defeated thedemonessMahishi.[10]Mahishi wanted to be his wife but Ayyappa being celibate, refused the offer and killed the demoness.[8][20]The king realised his special ability and recognised him to be a divine being and resolved to make a shrine for him. Manikantha transforms into Ayyappa and shoots an arrow to denote the place for the shrine.[23]

There are minor variations in the story in certain versions with Ayyappa renouncing the kingdom and becoming an ascetic yogi in a forested mountain.[24]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.[10]In some versions, he was raised by a childless royal couple RajashekaraPandianand Koperundevi, and grew up as a warrioryogi.[25][26][27]

According to Paul Younger, supplementary legends appeared in the late medieval times that linked other Hindu deities and mythologies to Ayyappan.[28]The divine beingsDattaand Leela came to earth as humans. Datta wanted to return to the divine realm, but Leela enjoyed her life on earth and wanted to stay on earth.[1]He became angry and cursed her to become a Mahishi (water buffalo demoness). Leela in turn cursed him to becomeMahisha,a water buffalo demon and they both plundered the earth with their evil acts. Mahishasura was later killed by goddessDurga,while Mahishi was killed by Ayyapan, ending the terror of evil and liberating Leela who was previously cursed.[29]These legends syncretically linked and combined various Hindu traditions aroundShaivism,VaishnavismandShaktism.[29]

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.[28]Histemplesand traditions inspired Hindu yogi mercenaries who protected the trade routes in South India from criminals and helped restore Dharmic trading practices.[28]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.[28]In a variation of the story, Ayyappan forms an alliance with theMuslimwarriorVavaragainst the outlaw Udayanan, which forms the basis for worshiping both in amosqueand then in the Hindu temple before starting a pilgrimage to Ayyappa shrine.[28]

According to Eliza Kent, the legends in the Ayyappa tradition seem to be "artificially mixed and assembled into a kind of collage".[30]Ruth Vanita suggests that Ayyappan probably emerged from the fusion of aDravidiangod of tribal provenance and the Puranic story of Shiva and Mohini's interaction.[31]In some regions, Ayyappan and Tamil folk deityAyyanarare considered to be the same with similar characteristics and is cited as a reason for his large following amongstTamils.[10][32][33]

Worship

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Dharma Sastha temple atSabarimala

Although Ayyappan worship has been prevalent earlier inKerala,his popularity spread in the 20th century to most ofSouthern India.[17][34][35]While there are many temples inSouth Indiawhose presiding deity is Ayyappan, the most prominent shrine is located atSabarimalaon the banks of river Pamba in the hills ofWestern GhatsinKerala.It is a major pilgrimage center, attracting millions of Hindus every year.[36][37][38]The temple is open only on select days of a year.[39]

Pilgrims carryingirumudiatSabarimala

Pilgrims often begin preparations weeks in advance by leading a simpler life, remaining celibate, eating a vegetarian diet or partially fasting and wearing a black or blue dress. These weeks of rituals are termed asVruthamwhich is signified by wearing aTulsiorRudrakshamala. The pilgrims do not recognize any form of social or economic discrimination and form a fraternity treating each other as equals.[8][36][40][38]The pilgrims call each other by the same nameSwamimeaning "God".[38][41]The pilgrims bath in the Pamba river and embark on a trek to the top of the hill on barefoot while carrying anirumudi(a bag with two compartments containing offerings) on the head.[36][37]Then they climb the 18 steps in front of the shrine, each representing a dharmic value.[36][37]The priests and devotees bring flowers and scatter them near the shrine while chanting variousshlokas.[42]As the deity is believed to be celibate, women in their fertile age are not allowed to enter the shrine.[25][36][37]The most significant festival linked to him is theMakaravilakku,observed around the winter solstice.[22][43]</ref>Harivarasanamis aManipravalamashtakamcomposed in praise of Shiva but sung as a lullaby for Ayyappan.[44]

Other temples includeAchankovil Sastha Temple,Aryankavu Sastha Temple,Erumely Sree Dharmasastha Temple,andKulathupuzha Sastha Templein Kerala.[45]Temples at Tamil Nadu are located inAnna Nagar,[46]Mahalingapuram,[47]Perambur,[48]andRajah AnnamalaipuraminChennai,[49]andCoimbatore.[50]While Ayyappa temples typically show him as a celibate yogi, a few temples such as the one at Achankovil Sastha Temple depict him as a married man with two wives Poorna and Pushkala, as well as a son Satyaka.[51][52]Some of Ayyappa temples are believed to have been established byParashurama.[53]InPonnambalameduhillock in the Western Ghats, a ritual lighting of a large flame is carried out duringMakaravilakku.[54]

Vavar's mosque on the way to Sabarimala

Ayyappan remains one of the few deities in Hindu tradition, who is respected by other religious communities, including Muslims, and Christians.[25]As perGovernment of Kerala,there is a theory that the temple of Sabarimala was of Buddhist origin.[55]Ayyappan is also revered byMuslims in Keraladue to his association with Vavar.[17][8]In this mythology, Ayyappa confronts the plunder-driven pirate robber Vavar in the jungle with Ayyappa defeating Vavar, who then becomes Ayyappa's trusted lieutenant helping fight other pirates and robbers.[56]In another version, Vavar is stated to be a Muslim saint from Arabia, who works with him.[57]A mosque dedicated to Vavar stands next to the Kadutha swami shrine at the foot of the pilgrimage path, both as a form of guardian deities. Pilgrims offer a prayer to both, before beginning the trek towards Sabarimala.[56]According to Kent, the mosque does not contain mortal remains of Vavar though the mosque near Sabarimala includes a grave, and no one can date Vavar nor provide when and where he lived, so he may be a myth. The Vavar legend andpallishrines may reflect the Hindu approach to accepting and co-opting legendary figures or saints of other religions within its fold.[58]

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A number of Indian films have been made about Ayyappan. These include:Sabarimala Ayyappan(1961) byS. M. Sriramulu Naidu,Swami Ayyappan(1975) byP. Subramaniam,Saranam Ayyappa(1980) by Dasarathan,Arul Tharum Ayyappan(1987) by Dasarathan,Shiv Putra Swami Ayappa(1990) by P.S. Mani,Sabarimala Sri Ayyappan(1990) by Renuka Sharma,Engal Swamy Ayyappan(1990) by Dasarathan,Ayyappa Swamy Mahatyam(1991),Ayyappa Deeksha Mahimalu(1992) by Guda Rama Krishna,Swami Ayappa Shabarimalai(1993) byK. Shankar,Jai Hari Hara Putra Ayyappa(1995),Bhagwaan Ayyappa(2007) by Irajaral Bhakhta and V. Swaminathan,Swami Ayyappan(2012) by Chetan Sharma and Mahesh Vettiyar,Om Sharanam Ayyappa(2015) by K. Sharath,Sri Omkara Ayyappane(2016) bySai Prakash,Ayyappa Kataksham(2019) by Rudrapatla Venugopal andMalikappuram(2023) by Vishnu Mohan.[59][60]

Asianetlaunched a Malayalam series namedSwami Ayyappanin 2006. Other series includeSwami Ayyappan Saram(2010),Sabarimala Shri Dharmashasta(2012),Sabarimala Swami Ayappan(2019) andMalikappuram: Apathbandhavan Ayyappan(2023). The story of Ayyappa is dictated byParvatitoGaneshain the Indian TV showVighnaharta Ganesha.[61]The story of Ayyappan was adapted as a comic in the673rd issueof the Indian comic book series,Amar Chitra Katha.[62][63]

See also

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References

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Bibliography

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