The

Akilathirattu Ammanai Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...

the scripture of Ayyavazhi teaches

Dharma Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...

on two different perspectives. One in

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

as charity and truth (in behavior) and another under

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

to attain the stage of

Oneness Oneness may refer to: Economy * Law of one price (LoP), an economic concept which posits that "a good must sell for the same price in all locations". Religious philosophy * Oneness Pentecostalism, a movement of nontrinitarian denominations * Nond ...

, unified into Lord Vaikundar. This state of ultimate oneness is called as

Dharma Yukam Dharma Yukam is the state of absolute bliss as per Ayyavazhi mythology. Dharma Yukam is described in the Akilam seventeen in Akilathirattu Ammanai. It is related to Dharmic moksha and to Abrahamic heaven. Vaikundar on throne As soon as Vai ...

or ''Dharma Pathi''. Akilam also says that, Dharma is the only living wheel. The sociological way is asked to be followed by every one to attain the spiritual state of

Sociological conception

The sociological definition to Dharma is generated as a concrete activity of charity or almsgiving. The principle of Dharma was considered as the mission of ''"protecting or salvaging the lowly, the oppressed"''. The disparity among the people is to be reduced and eradicated by this act of charity. A quote in

Vinchai In the literature of Hinduism, Vinchai are proclamations and instructions to the newly born child Vaikundar, by his father Lord Narayana, also known as Vishnu, one of the three godheads in Akilathirattu Ammanai, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology. ...

reads, ''"To uplift the lowely is dharmam"''. In this way, people were specially exhorted to undertake charity on material goods, and do it without discriminating among the beneficiaries. The Indian saint,

Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intro ...

applied this principle of 'Social-Dharma' concept in practice and this may lead support to the people who claim that he was influenced by the

religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...

Spiritual conception

Transposed to the spiritual plane, the concept of

is propounded as '' 'principle of righteousness' ''. Ayyavazhi asserts that the prime motive of the

Avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

Vaikundar Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lor ...

was to establish Dharma in this world by destroying the evil force of

Kaliyan Kali (Kaliyan in Tamil) was the sixth fragment of the primordial manifestation of Kroni (evil) according to Akilathirattu, the source of Ayyavazhi mythology and the holy book of Ayyavazhi religion. Unlike other previous manifestations, Kali ...

. The definition of Kali in Ayyavazhi is focused as the materialized life. So spiritual understanding of Dharma in Ayyavazhi is the life in ultimate harmony with nature or unbounded by space and time. The narration of the concept '

Ekam Ekam is the Sanskrit for "one, single, solitary" (neuter gender), as a noun meaning "unity". ⠀⠀Ayyavazhi⠀⠀ and ⠀⠀Hinduism⠀⠀refers to a monism conceptAyyavazhi and Hinduism, it refers to a concept of monism akin to that of Brahman ...

', 'the ultimate oneness' in

Akilam Akilathirattu Ammanai ( ta, அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை; ''akilam'' ("world"), ''thirattu'' ("collection"), ''ammanai'' ("ballad")), also called Thiru Edu ("venerable book"), is the main religious text of the T ...

right from the beginning points out it clearly. And after ending the

Kali Yukam ''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...

, the 'world of righteousness', is said to be ruled over by Vaikundar as an ever lasting King. There will be only on religion and only one race. All the people there will be with supreme bliss and knowledge. But on the way, it detached the caste identities by stating that it was not suited for the present Kali Yukam.

Yuga Dharma

As per Ayyavazhi ideology, Lord Vaikundar incarnated in the world for destroying the evil force of Kali, which is the sixth foremost and the most serious manifestation of the evil

Kroni Kroni ( ta, குறோணி) is a figure in Ayyavazhi mythology. He is the primordial manifestation of evil, and manifests in various forms of evil, such as Ravana and Duryodhana, in different ages or yugas. To counteract and destroy the evil ...

. Because of the serious nature of Kaliyan and the boons claimed by him. So the power of the 'Supreme

' was given birth as son of Lord Narayana in the Name of

. Hence Vaikundar is not only a unique avatar but also the only able power to destroy the evil Kali. Hence it's necessary for oneself to follow Vaikundar, who is not influenced by Kali to overcome the aspect of Kali. Vaikundar was the only eligible figure to forgive the sin of

Kali Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...

since he was the only figure gets unaffected to

. So Vaikundar and his teachings are important to be spread. And this spreading the gospel of Vaikundar is told as the Yuga dharma for this ''

Kali Yuga ''Kali Yuga'', in Hinduism, is the fourth and worst of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. It is believed to be the present age, which is ...

''. So the spread of teachings of Vaikundar is taught to be nessaccery for the fast destruction of

. It was also considered that Vaikundar too ordered his followeres to propagate his teachings. The five Citars of Vaikundar and the Thuvayal Pandarams are seemingly the first among the propagators of the teachings of Vaikundar. It also seems that Vaikundar's teachings are spread even before

is written down.

Dharma for other beings

After teaching the

for Human beings Vaikundar also taught Dharma also for

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

s etc. He ordered the animals to live in harmony to each other and do not quarrel with others. He also ordered them to take only

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

foods (to eat only plants). They all were also ordered to drink water from same place. They were also asked only to obey Vaikundar and to remain with forbearance. Then he ordered the birds to live with harmony with one another and not to quarrel in the name of being large and small. Treat great, only the strong and bold faith over Lord Vaikundar. The plants are also ordered to maintain patience and forbearance and to remain humble. As a whole from human beings to plants, all are ordered to maintain forbearance and to live in harmony with one another.

References

* G.Patrick, 2003, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', University of Madras. * A. Ari Sundara Mani, 2002, ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayan Urai'', Ayya Vaikunda Thirukkudumbam. * N. Vivekanandan, 2003, ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Moolamum Uraiyum'', Vivekananda Pathippakam. * R. Ponnu, 2000, ''Sri Vaikunda Swamigal and Struggle for Social Equality in South India'', Ram Publishers. * R. Ponnu, 2002, ''Ayya Vaikunda Swamigal Ore Avataram'', Ram Publishers. {{Ayyavazhi large Ayyavazhi

Sociological conception

Spiritual conception

Yuga Dharma

Dharma for other beings

See also

References