Bhoothanatha Sadananda Sarvabhootha dayapara
Raksha Raksha Mahabaho Saasthe Thubhyam Namo Namah
‘Sastha Worship’ is unique for many reasons. Sri Dharma Sastha symbolizes the unity of Saivite and Vaishnavite philosophies. Among the many forms of Sastha worship, the foremost one is visiting the sacred Sabari Hill while reciting the Mantra, “Swami Saranam”. The words ‘Swami Saranam’ signify surrender (Saranagati). Saranagati was the advice Lord Krishna gave to Arjuna: “Abandon all varieties of dharmas and simply surrender unto Me” (Sarva Dharman… BG 18-66). Saranagati forms the basis of Vaishnavite tradition propounded by Sri Ramanujacharya. The essential teaching of Buddhism is “take refuge unto Buddha, take refuge unto Dharma and take refuge unto Sangham”. According to Sri Ramana Maharshi, surrender means rejecting everything that relates to the ‘I-notion’ and accepting whatever that is the will of God. Sastha worship which takes refuge unto God, calls for qualities like dispassion (Vairagya) and detachment. Another unique feature of Sastha worship is the tradition of venerating the Guru and adhering to his advice. It is the Guru who initiates the pilgrim by garlanding him with the chain of sacred beads. Once the initiation is done, the devotee is transformed into a different and divine personality. An Ayyappa devotee is easily identified by the blue or dark clothes he wears, the chain of Rudraksha beads around his neck and the sacred ashes of Vibhuti smeared over his forehead. He views every other person as the manifestation of Dharma Sastha. Observing strict disciplines, austerities and fast, visiting temples and attending Satsang form his daily routine. Devotion, dispassion and detachment constitute his qualities. He loses his individual identity. He is ever conscious of Sastha’s presence within. The people address him therefore as “Swami”.
Apart from temples, another venue the devotee visits is where Sastha Preeti is held. Sastha Preeti, literally means pleasing, appeasing or praising the Lord Dharma Saastha. All devotees sit together before the image of Lord Ayyappa, jointly recite the different names of Sastha like Veera Manikanthan, Hari Hara Suthan, Anatha Rakshakan, Ananda Chithan etc. and sing different Bhajan songs. It is said: “Take refuge unto Sangham” and Sastha Preeti is the best Satsangam. ‘Sastha Preeti’ has a glorious tradition which is traced back to a village called Kallidaikurichi in Tirunelveli District in Tamil Nadu. This village having 18 Agraharams, is noted for the Sastha temple there. According to legend, centuries ago, Lord Manikantan descended to this village during his human incarnation and called on a family which was known as Kambankudi family. Lord was pleased with the love and affection shown by this family and blessed the whole village. The villagers then started worshipping Lord Dharma Sastha. It is at Kulathoor, the practice of Sastha Preeti originated. Over the years, Kambankudi family and other residents of the village moved towards Kerala for better livelihood. Though during the relocation, they did not have much luggage to carry, they carried one thing close to their heart: the tradition of Sastha Preeti. Sastha Preeti became an integral practice wherever they have settled. Thus, Sastha Preeti became a divine event all over Kerala.
‘Sastha Preeti’ starts by invoking the blessings of Lord Ganapati, chanting of Veda Mantras and followed by an elaborate form of Bhajan. The Bhajan begins with Stotram, Virutham and songs hailing the glory of Sastha. It consists of an elaborate Paddhati (prescribed practice) by which Lord Sri Dharma Sastha is invited to the venue (Sastha Varavu and Avesa paattu). The Viruthams say “we do Tapas with a view to realize God” (Adhi thavam Seikirom…). It continues with an emphasis “Sastha is ever with us” (Sastha Namakkundu). It addresses Sastha as the Lord of infinite compassion (Karunakara Kadavul). These traditional Sastha songs were composed by a devotee called Manidasar who is considered as the eternal Guru of all Ayyappa devotees. Sri Dharma Sastha responds to the invitation, manifests through a devotee, dances in trance, accords his blessings and hands over the bundle of plantain leaves to the organizer of the event to mark the beginning of the feast. A Sastha Preeti is never complete without a grand feast. It may not be possible for all devotees to undertake a visit to Sabari Hill these days because of health reasons, ever increasing number of pilgrims and long waiting hours at Sannidhanam. There is a belief that aged devotees, ladies and others get the blessings of Lord Dharma Saastha just by participating in the unique function, Sastha Preeti. Participation in Sastha Preeti is regarded as equally effective as participation in Sabari Hill visit.
The Sabari Hill – bound ‘Swami’ who has gone through the period of austerities and discipline is now ready to undertake the visit. Accompanied by the Guru, he embarks on his journey towards Sabari Hill with Irumudi on his head. “Irumudi’, the twin bag, consists of ghee filled coconuts and puja articles. With pleasant memories of Sastha Preeti, the pilgrim travels and comes near his destination. Arriving at Pamba, he takes a bath and gets refreshed. Trekking through difficult terrains and forest, he reaches the sacred 18 steps that lead to the deity atop. The number 18 represents the 18 chapters of the Bhagawad Gita and 18 Puranas. In no other temples, steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum are so much venerated as in Sabari Mala. After climbing the 18 steps, on reaching the top, the devotee notices the prominent words inscribed atop the temple; “Tatwamasi” (You are That). When the coconut carried by the devotee is consigned to flames, it signifies that he discards his bodily attachments. When the ghee is offered to the Lord, it symbolizes his merger with God. He now joins the multitude of devotees and gets the glimpse of Sri Dharma Sastha. Lord Sri Dharma Sastha appears in the posture of Siva Yoga. The Jnanamudra sign where the tips of the thumb and index fingers join together symbolizes the individual’s union with eternal reality (Jeeva Brahma Aikyam) while the other three fingers representing mind, body and intellect remain apart.
The devotee gets the message: “You are not a mere individual in the realm of body, mind and senses. You are the Self, shining as the reflection of Brahman. You are That”. He now returns with great spiritual fulfillment. Even after his return, while carrying out his duties, he observes the same discipline and ever remains conscious of Sastha’s presence within as Self.
