Aadhi Maha Sastha ’ is the source of all other Sastha s, including Lord Ayyappan, also called Dharma Sastha of Sabarimala.
It is not an easy work finding information of the Kaliyuga Vardhan Ayyappa. The myths surrounding the story of Sabari, Sabarimala and the Buddha has always left me in wonder. Not to add the different myths and interpretation. Curiosity always got the better of me. Wanting to unfold the real myth is impossible. Studying and researching was interesting in itself. Whatever be the case his divinity is undeniable. Every incarnation reveals spiritual knowledge as well as rules of righteousness, so here lies within the jungles of Sabari the divine spirit of Sabarigirisha.
Ancient deity
Sastha was an ancient deity worshipped thousands of years ago across the globe. There are references to Sastha worship in the submerged Lemuria, Vietnam and Africa. There is a Sastha Hill in California, the U.S.
The Tamil word ‘Aadhi’ means source. ‘Aadhi Boodha Naadhar’ or ‘ Aadhi Maha Sastha ’ is the source of all other Sastha s, including Lord Ayyappan, also called Dharma Sastha of Sabarimala.
Adhi Maha Sastha is worshipped with two consorts – Poorna and Pushkala. He is worshipped in many villages of South, as a protector of their houses and cities. He is also offered prayers to help find missing/lost items. His grace helps us receive rainfall on time, makes our water and land resources fertile and thereby enhancing crop cultivation. It is believed that Karikaala Chozhan, an ardent devotee of this Sastha , won many battles after worshipping Sastha in Kanchi Kamakshi Amman temple.
Dharma Sastha disseminates knowledge and peace. He is said to break the barrier of caste and creed and guides us towards righteousness and salvation. Saturn effect? He is believed to provide solace. Sri Dharma Sastha was a Brahmachari. However, in previous avatars, Sastha dwelt at Kantha Mala with two consorts Poorna and Pushkala. A distinct line therefore should be drawn between Sastha and Manikanta.
Gnana Sastha , as the name implies showers intellect and wisdom. He plays the Manikka Veena and sits under a banyan tree. There are references of this Sastha in “Aakasa Bhairava Kalpam.” Sree Dharma Sastha temple in Thiruvullakavu is considered the Abode of Wisdom. There is an idol of Sri Vidhya Sastha in Veda Nayaga Sastha temple at Vedikarampalayam, Salem.
Kalyana Varadha Sastha is worshipped for the removal of hurdles to marriage. He is worshipped with Poorna and Pushkala. There are references of Kalyana Varadha Sastha in verses such as Guhyia Rathna Chinthamani and Boodha Naadha Charitham.Mythology has it that Kalyana Varada Sastha resides in Kanthamalai.
Sastha is worshipped as Kalyana murthy in Ganapathy Agraharam,
Tirunellai, a village in Palakkad. Gajaarooda Sastha or Kaala Sastha or Maha Sastha is annihilator of enemies. Since one of his devotees won over Yamadharma Raja - Maha Kaalan, He is called as Kaala Sastha.Although there is no temple for Kaala Sastha , we can find Sastha sitting on an elephant, one of his Vahana, in Thriyambakapuram.
Sammohana Sastha A great enchanter is Sammohana Sastha , who stands for conjugal bliss and harmony.He is worshipped with Poorna and Pushkala. His grace is compared with Amudha Surabhi. There are references to Sammohana Sastha in Skanda Puranam. There is a temple for Sammohana Sastha in Sirkazhi, Kaivilanchery. The deity is called Kaividael Appan.
Santhana Prapthi Sastha represents Planet Venus and is worshipped for progeny. His consort Prabhavati has a Maanikka Veenai and hence he is also called Brahma Sastha . This Sastha is different from other incarnations as he is seen with his child Satyagan.
Brahma Sastha An interesting piece culled from mythology is that it was Brahma Sastha who offered the Divine Payasam to King Dasaratha when he performed Puthrakameshti Yaaga. There are references of this Sastha in ‘Thantra Samuchayam” and ‘Silparathnam.’
Veda Sastha also goes by the name Simharooda Sastha and is synonymous with the Vedas and the knowledge they represent.
Even now, Ayyanar in Vedikarampalayam, Salem, is worshipped as Veda Nayaga Sastha , surrounded by four Neem trees representing the four Vedas. According to Sthala Purana, this Sastha was born to Siva and Vishnu (Mohini).
Veera Sastha is a great warrior, visualised on a horse with weapons. Also called ‘Aswarooda Sastha ,’ he is considered a son of Lord Siva and is worshipped to destroy evil and to protect humanity.There are references to this Sastha in ‘Adi Sankara Vicharitham’ which has Adi Sankara worshipping Veera Sastha in a place called Kudhiran.
Worshipping Lord Sastha with His consorts has been in vogue in Tamil Nadu and Kerala from time immemorial. Ayyappan is not a part of any classical “Hindu” scripture in spite of the traditional Hindu belief is that Ayyappan was born out the union between Vishnu and Shiva. It is also possible that myth was created as a form of a compromise or even as a kind of cease fire between the two rival beliefs that existed those days namely the Shaivaite tradition and the Vaishnava tradition.
These theories has a strong foot hold because it was around this period that the Vaishanavites were destroying the Shaivaite temples and the vice versa. To this day we can see the result of that in the temples in and around Tamil Nadu.
Ayyappan’s living period dates back by 950 years i.e. around 1125 to 1150 A.D. in Kerala.
Successors of Pandalam dynasty, Poonjar palace and some other living generation add credence to this story.
WHO IS DHARMA SASTHA
Etymology Sastha—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.
In countryside temples spread over Tamil Nadu, Sastha is called Ayyanar and is worshipped with His two consorts Poorna and Pushkala. Sastha’s Vahana (mode of conveyance) is depicted as a horse. He is portrayed as hunting in forests, seeking water to drink and surrounded by the bhutaganas. Along the same lines he is also linked to being Vettackorumakan. As both Vettackorumakan and Sastha have their conveyance as horse and depicted holding a long stick.
Sastha is shown to have lieutenants like Karuppan, Veeran, Madurai Veeran, Kathavarayan—Bhoothaganas as per Shilpa Sastra.
Though we do not see any similarity in Ayyappa and Sastha at the first sight, in actuality all the pujas performed in Sabarimala is in the name of Sastha. “Khrum hama paraya goptre” is said to be the mulamantra used in the pujas at Sabarimala.
Lord Dharma Sastha himself is said to have designed the shrine and the image and so also selected the spot for the shrine. The idol is said to have been installed by Parasurama in one version of the story. Agasthiya Rishi is said to have initiated the Poojas there too. The hill is named after Sabari who was a great devotee of Rama. In various puranas like Skandam, Lalithopakyanam, Bkahmanda Puranam etc, it is said that Lord Hariharaputhra was born to Shiva and Mohini. References of Sastha appears in various Puranas and Upa-Puranas spreading over the other three yugas, including Ramayana and Mahabaratha.
THE STORY OF MAHISHI
A Demoness Mahishi was perpetrating atrocities in this world and in the nether worlds. She got a boon from Brahma that she could be only by a child born of Hari and Hara that too after the child’s undergoing servitude to a human being for a period of 12 years. There are many stories behind the demoness Mahishi too.
Long before the churning of the ocean the Goddesses were in discussion as to who was the greatest “Pativrata.” Lord Vishnu insisted that it was undoubtedly the chaste wife of Maharishi Atri “Anasuya.” There Anasuya desired to bear a son who was the incarnation of the Trimurtis. To test Anasuya chastity the Goddesses sent the Trimurtis in absence of her husband with the condition that she should be naked while giving the alms. Anasuya true to her word transformed Trimurtis to infants and imparted to them the sweetness of motherhood as alms and thus fulfilled the condition. The goddesses on hearing what happened requested that their Lords be brought back to their normal state and blessed her with a child who would be the incarnation of the Trimurtis named as “Dattatreya.”
To Rishi Galava was born a daughter Leelavati with the combination of Trinity consort forces. And Dattatreya was born to Anasuya and Sage Atri. He went on to be a great scholar and was married to Leelavati. Dattathreya yearned attain Sayoojya but Leelavathi would not let him go. In the heat of the argument Dattatreya cursed Leelavati to be born as a demoness Mahishi and in turn Leelavathi cursed Dattathreya and said that he would be born as a Mahishan.
Leela took the birth of a Mahishi in the family of Asuras, as sister of Mahishasura, who was killed by Goddess Chandika. To avenge his death, Mahishi obtained the boon that she would rule over Devaloka and her end would not come except at the hands of one born of Hari and Hara and who had spent l2 years of servitude to a mortal. Armed with the boon she conquered the throne of Devaloka.
When evil prevailed in the world and Dharma was at low ebb, the Lord had to descend on earth as Dharma Sastha. The purpose of this Avatara was “Mahishi Mardanam.”
SASTHA AND HIS CONSORTS
The King of Nepal named Palinjan wanted to perform human sacrifice and offer his virgin daughter to Mahakali. Lord Sastha hears of it and stops the king from doing so. The king realizes his mistake in turn offers his daughter Pushkala in marriage to Sastha.
On the other side the kingdom of King Pinjaka is in deep waters of trouble from the Bhetala demons. Sashta rescues the Pinjakan kingdom and in return he offers him his daughter Poorna in marriage. This marriage angers Palinjan who couldn’t fathom the idea that Sastha married another women while he was still married to his daughter Pushkala and questions him as to how many more he would marry. Palinjan then curses Sastha to take rebirth on Earth and stay for 12 years as human. Sastha in turn curses him to be born as king of Pandala dynasty and be childless. The curse came in handy.
Purna and Pushkala were his wives and he had a son Satyaka. The aim of dharma is perfection (Purna) and prosperity (Pushkalatva) is achieved by dharma and wisdom. Finally, the adherence to dharma enables to achieve truthfulness (Satya) that is Satyaka. The two devis is also aid to represent two margas to reach Him. Poorna represents Bhakthi Marga and Pushkala Ghana Marga.
Meanwhile Mahishi gets the boon from Lord Brahma that she cannot be killed by Hara or Hari and be killed only by their child, which is beyond nature’s aspect. And that she be killed only by that child be in human form and be 12 years of age.
THE MYTH AND THE POPULAR STORY OF AYYAPPA
Bhasmasura was booned to turn anyone into ashes if he places his hand on them. This power had made him uncontrollable. During the churning of the ocean, Lord Vishnu takes the Mohini avataara to take care of the situation, whose atrocities had gone beyond control. Luring him into a dance sequence Mohini makes Bhasmasura touch his own head and thus turning his own physical self to ash.
To annihilate Hiranyakasipu, the Lord appeared in the form of Nara-Hari roopa. To fall in line with the nature of law for begetting a child, one must be a Pumsha and the other must be Prakrithi. This was scrupulously followed by Lord Vishnu taking the form of Mohini, the energy emanated from the unification resulted in the birth of Ayyappa, the Lord for Pancha Bhoothas. His miracle was such that he said to have healed the deaf and dumb son of his Guru, gone to the dense forests as per evil designs of his stepmother, slained Demoness Mahishi, brought leopard milk for his step-mother, and took to yoga at Sabari Hills.
King Rajasekhara of Pandalam was a Brahmin by name Vijaya in his previous birth. Vijaya had no children, so he went to Sabari who gave him a pot, asked him to follow her given direction towards a river and when he reached there he was to fill the pot with water and pour it on his own head. As he poured the water on his head the pot slipped down from his hand and broke to pieces. As he stood uncertain as to what was to be done, the Lord in the form of a boy appeared before him. Vijaya recognized the Lord and asked him that he be born to him as his son and the Lord agreed.
In due course Vijaya was born as king Rajasekharan of Pandalam. Lord Dharma Sastha had a curse that he should undergo human sensitude for a period of 12 years; he thus took the form of an infant boy and lay on a sand bank in the river Pamba. When king Rajasekhara was on a hunting expedition, he found the abandoned child and took him to his queen and took care of him as his own child. A Celestial voice had told the king that when the child completes 12 years, the King would know his divine destiny/history. Meanwhile the queen had her own son named RajaRajan. When he came of age that is 12 years, it was time for the Lord to fulfill the other purpose of his Avatar.
Unlike his father, his foster mother had her apprehensions and wanted her son RajaRajan to be proclaimed as the king and not Manikanttan, whom the king had desire to crown. His step mother created an illusory head-ache to rid of Manikanttan. She summoned the physician and physician as per the queen’s instruction suggested the cure of the queen’s head-ache could be prepared only with the milk of a live leopardess.
Manikanttan set out to the forest to fulfill his mother’s wishes and so to capture a live Leopardess. Meanwhile all the Bhoodaganams of Shiva appeared before Him as leopards and leopardesses. Indira himself is said to have appeared before him as huge Tiger. Manikantan rode on the Tiger’s back to Pandalam bringing with him the entire band of leopardesses.
It was during the month of Panguni day when the Uthram star was ascendant that Manikanttan was said to have accomplished this mission. Mahishi was perpetrating atrocities in heaven. The Lord went there, caught Mahishi and flung her down on earth. Her physical body fell on the banks of the River Alasa, now called Azutha. Lord Shiva and Parvathi came on their riding bull to a place called Kalaikatti to witness this Mahishi Mardhanam.
Having initiated king Rajasekhara into Gnana Yoga, the Lord shot an arrow to show him the spot as to where to construct the shrine, which flew past Sabari Peedam and struck against a peepal tree.
The temple was constructed and they were ready to install the idol of Sastha. Ayyappa stood in silence and in meditation and amidst chants of Saranam, Ayyappa merged himself and got absorbed into the idol of Dharma Sastha, which is symbolically now being shown as Makara Jyothi from Ponnambalamedu, where Ayyappa was born (as one of the version says). The king was very depressed at the separation that he refused to eat or drink unless Manikanttan came back. The Lord appeared in his dreams and is said to have imparted the knowledge of Gnanam and Bhakti.
The posture of the idol which was installed is thus: The lord is shown as sitting on his feet, the legs and body being bound together by a Yoga pattai. The left arm rests on the left knee has the hand pointing down. The right arm rests on the right knee has the hand raised up Chin Mudra.
