Symbolism Behind the Puranic Story of Hariharaputra

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Symbolism Behind the Puranic Story of Hariharaputra

 

The episode of Ayyappa is described in "Brahmananda Purana," and also

in "Skandapurana." The focus is on the symbolism of Lord Ayyappa and a

summary of the story is presented. Ayyappa or Hari-haraPutra is the

divine avatar as a consequence of the union of Lord Mahavishnu's Mohini

avatar and Lord Siva. This avatar of Hariharaputra was necessary to

destroy the evil demon Mahishi. Baby Ayyappa was found on the shores of

the holy Pamba river by the heirless king of Pandhalam, Rajasekara, when

he was out on a hunting trip. As the divine child was wearing a golden

bell around his neck, the king named him Manikanta, and adopted him as

his son. Soon the queen had her own child. As the children grew up,

young Manikanta was loved and admired by all, and the queen started

feeling jealous and wanted her own child to ascend to the throne. The

queen feigned a strange ailment which required tiger's milk, and

Manikanta took up the task of getting it for his mother. He ventured

boldly into the forests, caught up with Mahishi and fulfilled the

purpose of the avatar by killing the demon. The divine child returned

home triumphantly riding a tigress and the queen realized the Divine

nature of her foster son. Prince Manikanta explained his divine

mission to his foster parents and helped them to install his younger

brother on the throne and went to the crest of Sabari Hills to be there

eternally as the Meditating Divine Yogi. It is not important whether

the story is true or false. The ideals reflected in the heroic and

unselfish actions (bringing tiger-milk and killing the demon) are more

significant.

Where and when this story took place is anybody's guess. Great number

of temples in south India were built during the thousand years between

600 and 1600 A.D. Lord Buddha had great influence in the down south,

especially part of the present Tamil Nad and Kerala. At the same time,

both Siva worship (Shiva Siddhanta) and Vishnu worship (Vaishnavam) was

also popular. There is historical evidence for intense rivalry between

the Siva and Vishnu worshipers and also between Siva and Jain

worshipers. The dramatization of Ayyappa is a typical Puranic story.

However, the associated rituals reflect the strong influence of the

traditions from Shivam, Vaishnavam, Buddhism and Jainism. The name,

Dharma Shastha and the prayer song "Swamiye Saranam" strongly indicate

the influence of Buddhism in Ayyappa worship. The Vrath and strict code

of conduct including the dietary restrictions (Vegetarian) can possibly

due to the influence of Jainism in the deep south.

The seeker undertakes the pilgrimage to liberate the human soul

from the worldly possessions with great determination, devotion and

dedication. During the journey to Sabari Hills the devotees recite

"Swamye Saranam; Ayyappa Saranam" (Thou protect me and I surrender). The

minds of the devotees are filled with the thought of Ayyappa and

devotees call and recognize each other by the name of Ayyappa! Everyone

seems to dress alike, look alike, talk alike and think alike! Every

devotee becomes a Karma Yogi, Jnana Yogi and also a Bhakti Yogi! The

only Karma (action) left for the Devotee is to reach the Sanctum

Sanctorum of the Sabari Hill Ayyappa. The Devotee has the wisdom to

dissolve the identity of Jeeva (Ego) by filling up the mind with the

name and form of Ayyappa. The Devotee purifies the mind through total

dedication and surrender to Swami Ayyappa. The perfect culmination of

Karma, Jnana and Bhakti Yogas is visible and the devotees don't care

which of the three is dominant over the other two. Their level of

experience has already gone beyond intellectual perception and

limitation. Suddenly all plurality starts dissolve and the ego starts

melt like the butter on the frying pan. Devotees experience the taste

of Bliss and all of them merge to become ONE. What they see, hear,

touch, smell and taste is Ayyappa and only Ayyappa.

 

All their desires totally merged into only one desire to reach

and surrender to Ayyappa. The sound of "Swamiye Saranam! Ayyappa

Saranam!" fills the air giving the feeling their journey is eternal and

they have the great determination to find and merge with the Truth.

When the human perception reaches the higher levels beyond the physical

limitation, inner peace emerges with the protection by the recitation

sound of Ayyappa. The devotees of the land of Sri. Sankara are able

to realize perfect harmony between the Karma (body), Jnana (mind) and

Bhakti (spirit). The Sabari Hills becomes a Concert Hall filled with

the musical haromony of Karma, Jnana and Bhakti. The performers, the

performance, and listeners become unified and experience the taste of

Bliss.

 

During this eternal journey, on the night before the Makara Sankranthi

day (Middle of Januray - Full Moon Day) hundreds of thousands of those

pilgrims go to foot of the Sabari Hills to get a glimpse of the Divine

Jyothi, a brilliant light that raises over the Kantha hill (adjacent to

the Sabari Hill). Devotees consider this Jyothi to be a symbol of

eternal Brahman in the form of Lord Ayyappa, the highest spiritual

consciousness. Nobody can either confirm or deny that this is true and

such Divine incidents are unexplainable and are beyond human

perception!

The Makarasankaranthi is an auspicious day correspond to the time

period when sun passes the winter solstice (one of the two points on the

ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest

and which is reached by the sun each year). The pilgrims visiting on

this occasion undertake strict and rigorous preparations. They start

with a 'Vrath' (pledge for religious observance) lasting for forty-one

days, starting from the middle of November. All wear black or saffron

clothes and thulasi beads, and strictly observe their daily rituals.

The devotees observe austerities and self-control on those days. They

eat pious vegetarian food, drink non-alcoholic beverages, and pray

Swamiye Saranam. Before starting the pilgrimage to Sabari Hills, each

devotee prepares an Irumudi (A bag with two separate compartments, and

with two knots) for the long and strenuous journey through jungles. The

front compartment contains the ghee-filled coconut and the other one

includes food and personal belongings. The devotee walks by foot all

the eight miles from the shore of the Pampa river to Swami Sannidhanam

(the open hall in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum), crosses the eighteen

steps and pours the ghee over the idol of the Lord.

 

The Eighteen Steps to the Path of Liberation:

The eighteen steps of the temple Sanctorum represent the

necessary Spiritual Sadhana to go Beyond human perception. In an

earlier posting to answer a question from Sri. Greg Goode, Sri.

Sadananda gave an interesting interpretation to the significance of

"Eighteen." This is the symbolic path of the Realization of Truth and

potentially, there are infinite explanations. The eighteen chapters of

Gita appear to be the most pertinent explanation of the eighteen steps

of Sabari Hill Temple. While crossing each of the eighteen steps to the

Ayyappa Swami Sannidhanam, the Seeker expresses great determination to

relinquish the sensual perceptions one by one. The necessary Sadhana to

prepare the mind, body and intellect to remove the sensory perceptions

are beautifully described in the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad Gita.

The crossing of the eighteen steps symbolic completion of Sadhanas

stated in the eighteen chapters of Gita.

 

Chapter 1 : The Seeker's status of mind - Confusion, Fear and

Illusion -

Arjun takes the first step of getting help from a

Guru (Lord Krishna)

Chapter 2: The Seeker asks the Guru to explain the Truth of Human

Life

The famous dialog between Arjun and Sri. Krishna

(SthiTaPrajnA Yagna)

Chapter 3: The Guru explains the path of Karma Yoga.

Chapter 4: The Seeker learns the principles behind the Sanyasa Yoga.

Chapter 5: The Seeker understands the importance of renunciation of

selfish desires.

Chapter 6: The Seeker learns the Sadhana of Meditation to control the

mind.

Chapter 7: The Guru teaches the Seeker the ways and means of living

without desires.

Chapter 8: The Guru illustrates the importance of restraining the

nine-gated city of human body.

Chapter 9: The seeker learns to diverts the attention away from the

ego-centered consciousness

to the Divine Plane. (Yoga Sadhana of Sovereign

Mystery or Devotion).

Chapter 10: The Guru teaches the Buddhi Yoga Sadhana to control the

Mind and the senses.

Chapter 11: The seeker understands the essence of Bhakti Yoga Sadhana

and direct complete

attention to God while carrying out the duties.

Chapter 12: The seeker learns to Devote and Contemplate and gets the

qualities of a True Devotee.

Chapter 13: The Guru describes the qualities of a True Jnanai with

Total Wisdom.

Chapter 14: The seeker learns the Sadhana of Perfection and the

qualities of a Perfect Yogi.

Chapter 15: The Guru teaches the Yoga of Supreme Person to the Seeker.

Chapter 16: The Seeker learns to acquire the True Human Nature with the

presence of Divinity.

Chapter 17: The Guru teaches the fundamentals of the Yoga of the

Threefold Division of Faith.

Chapter 18: The Seeker regains the memory and renounces the egocentric

desires.

 

I owe an explanation to those who may have doubts about the connection

between the eighteen chapters of Gita and the eighteen steps of the

Ayyappa temple. The devotees of Sri Ayyappa believe that the Gita verse

66 in Chapter 18 is a direct reference to Dharma Shasta.

 

Sarvadharman Parityajya Mamekam Saranam Vraja;

Aham Twaam Sarve Papebhyo Mokshayishayami Ma Sucha

 

(Abandon Worldly Dharmas and Surrender to Me; I Shall Rescue You From

Sins and Sorrows).

 

The two lines of this verse is commonly present in all Ayyappa temples

and the devotees consider the two lines as commandments of Dharma

Shasta.

First commandment: Abandon worldly Dharmas. Dharmas refer to rules,

standards and laws imposed by society to guide material life. The root

cause of material life is desires. Sorrows, Sins and Attachments are

illusions of lower ignorant consciousness of mind. Dharmas in essence

are the barriers of our liberation from Sorrows and Sins.

Second Commandment: Surrender unto Me, I Will Rescue You From Sins and

Sorrows and Help you to reach the Highest Spiritual Consciousness.

Divine life is Real, Eternal and free from illusions of Sins and

Sorrows! Liberation is impossible without Total Surrender to His feet.

He only can release us from the worldly ties. The Lord assures His

Grace to liberate and ultimately to realize Brahman. Dharma Shastha has

established this Eternal Dharma of realizing the Highest Spiritual

Consciousness.

 

Symbolic Unification of Atman and Brahman:

The devotee is reminded eighteen times that worldly possessions hinder

the progress of liberation and finally reaches the sanctum Sanctorum of

Ayyappa Swami. The forty-one days of Vrath is to force the mind to

withdraw from attachments to worldly possessions and to direct it toward

the Absolute Truth. The walk by foot through the jungle symbolizes that

the path to spirituality requires greater efforts. The coconut

represents the human body, the outer shell of the coconut symbolizes

ego, and the ghee is the Atman (human soul). Coconuts have three eyes:

two eyes represent the intellect and the third eye is the spiritual

eye. The Meditating Yogic posture of Sri Ayyappa represents the

Brahman. The rear compartment of the Irumudi symbolizes 'Praarabdha

Karma' (accumulated worldly possessions). The devotee exhausts all the

worldly possessions during the journey. The devotee opens the spiritual

eye of the coconut, breaks the coconut and pours the ghee (Atman) onto

the idol (Brahman). At this time, the devotee has detached the ego and

worldly possessions. He or she has developed an attitude of total

surrender to the Lord (infinite love for the Lord). The devotee begs

Him to grant the total Unity with the Lord. This liberation of Atman

from Ego and Wordily Possessions is the Message of Vedanta in Symbolic

Language. This Symbolism is flawless and complete. What a beautiful

demonstration of the Artistic Perfection of Symbolism in the great land

of Sankara!

 

Conclusion:

One of the main objectives of this article is to illustrate the hidden

treasures underneath the Hindu rituals, customs and traditions. If we

take time and efforts to understand the spirit behind those beliefs and

traditions it is possible to appreciate and understand the philosophical

significance. The devotees with great faith have neither questions nor

they seek explanations. Those who question the customs, beliefs and

traditions have the responsibility to take time to look and contemplate

for the answers. When a westerner wants to know the connection between

the scriptures, philosophies, customs, beliefs and traditions, we should

also take time to explain to clear their doubts. Such explanations with

contemplation can clear our doubts and doubts of our energetic and

enthusiastic children who were born and live outside India. This moral

responsibility was visualized by the sages and Seers of the Upanishads

and they have provided the answers to almost all questions related to

human life. The land of Sankara practices mystic festivals, pilgrimages

and rituals to explain the Vedantic Philosophy of Human Life to the

common folks of rural India. Sankara understood the unity from such

diversities and Sankara's Advaita represents this total integration of

thoughts, beliefs, customs and traditions. This integration is the

purest form of human experience and it can neither be explained nor

could be understood!

 

REFERENCES

 

1. "Essentials of Hinduism", by V. Krishnamurthy, Narosa publishing

House, New Delhi, 1989.

2. "The Gazetteer of India, Volume 1: Country and people." CHAPTER Vlll:

Religion by Dr. C.P.Ramaswami Aiyar, Dr.Nalinaksha Dutt, Prof.

A.R.Wadia, Prof.M.Mujeeb, Dr.Dharm Pal and Fr. Jerome D'Souza. Delhi,

Publications Division, Government of India, 1965.

3. Swami Harshananda "All About Hindu Temples." Book, Sri.Ramakrishna

Math, Mylapore, Madras, 1991.

4. A Parthasarathy, "The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals." Book,

Shailesh Printers, Bombay, 1983.

5. Pampa Sangamam 90, "Ayyappa darshanam - A Souvenir"Travancore

Devaswom Board, Trivandrum, Kerala, 1991.

6. Vaidyanathan, K. R. "Pilgrimage to Sabari." Book, 1st ed. Bombay:

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1978.

7. "Lord Ayyappan; the Dharma Shasta." Book, 2d ed. Bombay, Bharatiya

Vidya Bhavan, 1966.

[Guest guest]

Dear Ram Chandran

 

That was beautiful. I am being a ardent devotee of Aiyappa. I was able to

understand the concepts even better.

 

thanks

Swamiye Saranam Aiyappa

 

Ganesh