Sri Ayyappa Katha : How much do we know about him ?

[Guest guest]

!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

Dear All,

 

Thought to share the below given information, which I received from my friend today. Hopefully, not all are unaware of this !

 

 

- How did King Rajashekhara of Pandalam earned the supreme status to become the father of Sri Ayyappa swami ?

 

King Rajasekhara of Pandalam was a Brahmin by name Vijaya in his previous birth. Vijaya had no issues. So he went to sage after sage and prayed to bless him with progeny. At last he went to Sabari, the disciple of Sage Mathanga, of Ramayana fame. Sabari gave him a pot, asked him to go north from her ashram and when he reached a particular spot on a hill side asked him to go west, down the slope of the hill until he came to a rivulet and when reached there to fill the pot with water and pour it on his own head. He did as directed, as he poured the water on his head the pot slipped down from his hand and broke to pieces. As he stood there wondering what to do, a boy appeared before him and asked him what he wanted. Vijaya by intuition knew that the boy who stood before him was none other than the Lord himself. So he told the boy. "You should be my son" the Lord said "be it so". In due course Vijaya was born as king Rajasekharan of Pandalam.

 

- How did Ayyappa slayed Mahishi ?

 

Mahishi was perpetrating atrocities in heaven. The Lord went there, caught Mahishi by the herbs and flung her down on earth. Her body fell on the bank of the River Alasa, now called Azutha. The Lord came down and started dancing on the body. It is said that Lord Shiva and Parvathi came on their riding bull and halted at a place called Kalaikatti, from there to witness "Mahishi Mardhanam" destruction of evil in this world.

 

- What is the symbolism in Ayyappa swami's posture ?

 

At Sabarimalai Lord Dharmasastha is seated on Padmasana (a thousand petalled Lotus) HE is sitting on his feet, the legs and body being tethered together by a Yoga pattai. The left arm resting on the left knee has the hand pointing down to the left foot. The right arm resting on the right knee has the hand raised up with the tips of the thump and the pointing finger joined together, showing thereby that the Lord merges the Jeevathma in the Paramathma. [The thumb is the paramathma and the pointing finger is the Jeevathma].

 

- What is the history of Pandalam ?

 

Both in puranic and legendary versions of the story of Ayyappan the king of Pandalam plays an important role. The history of the royal family of Pandalam clearly reveals the fact that the Ayyappa episode connected with the families cannot be placed before the 12th Century A.D. The principality of Pandalam came to existence only in the 12th century. It happened definitely during or after the hundred years war waged between Cholas and Pandyas. It is recorded in the family history of Pandalam that it is an off-shoot of Pandyan royal family, settled in the forest area of the Western Ghats, that later founded a Pandalam.

 

- How did Sastha worship develop in Kerala ?

 

It is again interesting and revealing a fact to know that the Tamil Brahmins settled in Kerala have Sasta as their village deity. It is the custom among them to conduct a propitiation ceremony to this deity annually. In congregation the Tamil Brahmins settled in Kerala have their residence (or Matan as they call it) in `cluster' as against the Kerala style of compound houses. These Brahminical residences are called `Samuham Mathams'. Literally `the collective houses', which system they have imported from Tamilnad where they live in adjacent street houses forming themselves into a separate group in a village. Naturally every village will have its guardian deity, Ayyanar, as we have seen. And this Ayyanar is termed by Brahmins as Sastha.

Today Sastha has become a synonym to Ayyanar or Ayyappan, and both these names find no difference in their implication.

 

 

Sri Ayyappa Stuthi

 

 

 

Srimat Sankara Nandanam Harisutham Kaumara Maraarajam Chapam Pushpa Charanwitham Mata Gajarudham Surakthambaram Bhootha Pretha Pishacha Vandita Padam Smashru Swayalamkritam Parshewa Pushpa kala Poorna Kaminiyudham Shastharameesham Bhaje "Swamiye Saranamayyappa"

 

 

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama