Ayyappan by bbbeto on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Ayyappan, also known as Dharmasastha and Manikandan, is the Hindu deity of truth and righteousness. His worship is more prevalant in South India. Although devotion to Ayyappan has been prevalent earlier, his popularity rose in the late 20th century. According to Hindu theology, he is the son of Vishnu in the form of Mohini and Shiva thus representing a bridge between Shaivism and Vaishnavism. Ayyappan is depicted as a youthful man, riding or near a Bengal tiger, carrying a bow and arrow.

According to Sribhutanatha Purana, Ayyappan is mentioned as an incarnation of Hariharaputra, the son of Shiva and Mohini. While this interaction between Shiva and Mohini is mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana, Ayyappan is not mentioned by name.

According to Malayalam folk songs, Ayyappa is presented as a warrior hero of Pandala kingdom. As the royal family was childless, the king of Pandalam found a baby boy in a forest. 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. 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. Manikantha volunteers and goes into the forest, where he confronts the demoness Mahishi, whom he kills and returns back riding a tigress. The king realizing Manikantha's special ability recognizes him to be a divine being and resolves to make a shrine for him. Manikantha transforms into Ayyappan and shoots an arrow to denote the place for the shrine. There are minor variations in the story in certain versions with Ayyappan renouncing the kingdom and becoming an ascetic yogi in a forested mountain. In some versions, he was raised by a childless royal couple Rajashekara Pandian and Koperundevi, and grew up as a warrior yogi.

In the later years, the stories of Ayyappan expanded. One such version has roots between the 1st and 3rd century CE, where Ayyappan evolves to be a deity who also protects traders and merchants from enemies such as robbers and plundering outlaws. His temple and tradition inspired Hindu yogi mercenaries who protected the trade routes in South India from criminals and looters, restoring Dharmic trading practices. In another version, Ayyappan is portrayed as a child of a priest whose father was murdered by a fearsome outlaw. The outlaw kidnaps a princess and Ayyappan makes a daring rescue, while killing the outlaw in the process. In a later variation of the story, written down for political reasons as is always the attempt of conquerors to "assimilate" to later extinguish other cultures, Ayyappan forms an alliance with the Muslim warrior Vavar against the outlaw Udayanan, which forms the basis for worshiping both in a mosque and then in the Hindu temple before starting a pilgrimage to Ayyappan shrine. More than anything though, this story shows the importance of Ayyappan's religious influence that even foreign conquerors felt the need to "do something about it".

His origins goes as such: In the Brahmanda Purana when the wandering sage Narada tells Shiva about Vishnu's Mohini form that deluded demons, Shiva dismisses him. Shiva and his wife Parvati then go to Vishnu's home. Shiva asks him to take on the Mohini form again so he can see the actual transformation for himself. Vishnu smiles, again meditates on the Goddess and transforms himself into Mohini. Overcome by desire, Shiva chases Mohini as Parvati hangs her head in shame and envy. Shiva grabs Mohini's hand and embraces her, but Mohini frees herself and runs further. Finally, Shiva grabs her and their coupling leads to the discharge of Shiva's seed which falls on the ground and the god Maha-Shasta ("The Great Chastiser") is born. Mohini disappears, while Shiva returns home with Parvati.

Shasta is identified with Ayyappan and the Tamil Aiyanar. In the later story of the origin of Ayyappa, Shiva impregnates Mohini, who gives birth to Ayyappa. They abandon Ayyappa, who is born to kill Mahishi, and the child was found by a king who raised him. The legend highlights Vishnu's protests to be Mohini again and also notes that Ayyappa is born of Vishnu's thigh as Mohini does not have a real womb. Another variant says that instead of a biological origin, Ayyappa sprang from Shiva's semen, which he ejaculated upon embracing Mohini. Ayyappa is referred to as Hariharaputra, "the son of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Hara)", and grows up to be a great hero. Another tale says after Surpanaka's destruction, Shiva wishes to see Mohini and mesmerized by her looks, has union with her resulting in the birth of Ayyappa.