Ayyavazhi mythology is the mythology of the South Indian
Hindu denomination religious faith known as
Ayyavazhi, which is officially considered a
Hindu sect
Hindu denominations, '' sampradayas'', traditions, movements, and sects are traditions and sub-traditions within Hinduism centered on one or more gods or goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and so on. The term ''sampradaya'' is used for bra ...
. The main source of Ayyavazhi mythology is the Ayyavazhi
scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
,
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 ...
, and its supplement,
Arul Nool
Arul may refer to:
People Given name
* Arul Chinnaiyan
* Arul Kanda Kandasamy
* Arul Kumar Jambunathan, Malaysian politician
* Arul Pragasam
* Arul Ramadas, Indian politician
* Arul Shankar, Indian mathematician
* Arul Suppiah (born 1983), M ...
.
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 ...
is a recitation by ''
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
'' (the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
name for
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, or
Lord Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
) to his consort
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
. It is divided into three sections:
Early Avatars,
incarnational events and
post-incarnational events.
Early Avatars
The early avatars are all those that occurred prior to the earthly incarnation of
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
.
The first six Yugas
The first ''
Yuga
A ''yuga'', in Hinduism, is generally used to indicate an age of time.
In the ''Rigveda'', a ''yuga'' refers to generations, a long period, a very brief period, or a yoke (joining of two things). In the ''Mahabharata'', the words ''yuga'' and ...
'' ("aeon" or "era") was called Neetiya Yuga. During this time, divine, human and all other virtues flourished without hindrance. They did not fear
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
s, and there was perfect harmony among the creatures of the Universe, as well as among those who lived in the
Fourteen Worlds. In this yuga, the king was righteous and did not oppress his people through taxes or other means.
During this peaceful time,
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 ...
was born. Kroni, who is analogous to
Satan
Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
in the
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
tradition, is a primordial personification of
evil
Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...
. Though Kroni is said to have been born with multitudinous limbs, each the size of a mountain, he nevertheless assumes different forms in different yugas: as
Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He a ...
or
Duryodhana
Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...
, for example. Likewise, Mayon also incarnates in different yugas as different ''
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 ...
s'': for example
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
or
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
.
In order to quell the ravenous hunger in his stomach, Kroni drank all of the waters of the sea. With these waters being insufficient, he swallowed ''
Kailayam'', the abode of ''Sivan'' (the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
name for
Shiva
Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...
), and then proceeded to devour the entire universe.
Akilam one: 440-446. (
text available at Wikisource)
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
, residing with
Sivan in ''Kailayam'', escaped to undertake ''
tavam
Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and se ...
'' (''
tapas
A tapa () is an appetizer or snack in Spanish cuisine. Tapas can be combined to make a full meal, and can be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot (such as ''chopitos'', which are battered, fried baby squid, or patatas bravas). In so ...
'', meaning "austerity") and to receive permission from Sivan to destroy Kroni. Isvaran granted this permission, but made Mayon aware of the necessity to appear in different forms in the successive six yukams in order to destroy the
Six Fragments of Kroni. Following this advice, Mayon sliced Kroni into six fragments and saved the universe. The first yuga thus came to an end.
In the second yuga, called ''
Chathura Yuga'', one of the six pieces of Kroni was formed into a creature named
Kuntomasali. It had the shape and size of a mammoth
leech
Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodie ...
, and when it disturbed the tavam of those in
Tava lokam (the land of austerity), Mayon destroyed the leech by catching it with a hook.
In the third yuga, called
Netu Yuga, another fragment of Kroni created two wicked individuals called
Thillaimallalan and
Mallosivahanan. They ruled over the people by extracting ''Uliyam'' and ''Iraikal'' (
taxes
A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or ...
) from them. When this exploitation became unbearable, the
Devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
(celestial beings) complained to Sivan, who, in turn, commissioned Mayon to carry out the destruction of the wicked rulers, which he did.
The fourth yuga was called
Kretha Yuga. The third fragment of
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 ...
was, again, made into two siblings, called
Suraparppan and
Sinhamuka Asuran, and they were given responsibility to rule the Earth. The wicked rulers began to crush the Devas, who reported it to Mayon. Mayon took the form of
Arumugan, the Tamil name for
Kartikeya
Kartikeya ( sa, कार्त्तिकेय, Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha (), and Murugan ( ta, முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Parvati and Shiva, the brother of Ganesha ...
, and advised the rulers to desist from their wickedness. However, when they arrogantly spurned his advice, Arumugan eliminated them. During the same
Yuga
A ''yuga'', in Hinduism, is generally used to indicate an age of time.
In the ''Rigveda'', a ''yuga'' refers to generations, a long period, a very brief period, or a yoke (joining of two things). In the ''Mahabharata'', the words ''yuga'' and ...
, Suraparppan was created, this time as
Iraniyan. Mayon, incarnated as the son of Iraniyan (
Prahlada), challenged his authority and finally took on the
therianthropic
Therianthropy is the mythological ability of human beings to metamorphose into animals or hybrids by means of shapeshifting. It is possible that cave drawings found at Les Trois Frères, in France, depict ancient beliefs in the concept.
The bes ...
form of man and lion (
Narasimha
Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...
) by piercing his stomach. On his deathbed, Mayon asked him to repent, but he replied arrogantly: "You cannot kill me. Only by placing ten mountains as ten nails might you kill me. Otherwise you can't."
In the ensuing yuga, called
Thretha Yuga, Sivan, as per the request of Mayon, created the fourth piece of the primordial Kroni as a
ten-headed mighty warrior, with the ten mountains as ten heads, naming him as
Ravana
Ravana (; , , ) is a rakshasa king of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana'' and its adaptations.
In the ''Ramayana'', Ravana is described to be the eldest son of sage Vishrava and rakshasi Kaikesi. He a ...
n. He oppressed all those living on Earth by extracting Uliyam from them. He subdued all the earthly kings and made them pay tributes to him. Suffering under his oppression, the
Devas
Devas may refer to:
* Devas Club, a club in south London
* Anthony Devas (1911–1958), British portrait painter
* Charles Stanton Devas (1848–1906), political economist
* Jocelyn Devas (died 1886), founder of the Devas Club
* Devas (band), ...
sought the help of Mayon who, for the purpose of destroying him, took birth as
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
n. On his death-bed, he repented, saying: "Only with the help of my brother were you able to destroy me." With this episode of killing Ravanan, Thretha Yuga came to an end.
In the sixth
yuga
A ''yuga'', in Hinduism, is generally used to indicate an age of time.
In the ''Rigveda'', a ''yuga'' refers to generations, a long period, a very brief period, or a yoke (joining of two things). In the ''Mahabharata'', the words ''yuga'' and ...
, called
Dwapara Yuga, the fifth fragment of Kroni was portioned into a hundred pieces, and made into
Duriyodhanan and
ninety-nine brothers to support him. The
three brothers of Raman, along with
Vibushanan and
Sampoovan of the preceding epoch, were created as
Pancha Pandavas in this aeon. The wicked Duriyodhanan was killed by the Pancha Pandavas, with the support of Mayon, who came in the form of
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. Even at the brink of death, Duriyodhanan refused to repent, saying that "only with your cunning mind were you able to defeat me, and otherwise not." Mayon then told him: "You will be created with
knowledge
Knowledge can be defined as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also refer to familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinc ...
,
intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. More generally, it can b ...
, and
artist
An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...
ic skill in the next Yukam, and if you do not repent in that age, that will be your eternal annihilation." Having said this, Mayon went to
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
and dwelt there.
The Santror
Towards the end of
Dvapara Yuga
''Dvapara Yuga'' ( Dwapara Yuga), in Hinduism, is the third and third best of the four ''yugas'' (world ages) in a ''Yuga Cycle'', preceded by ''Treta Yuga'' and followed by ''Kali Yuga''. ''Dvapara Yuga'' lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine y ...
,
Thirumal
Perumal ( ta, பெருமாள் , translit=Perumāl) or Tirumal ( ta, திருமால், translit=Tirumāl) is a Hindu deity. Perumal is worshipped mainly among Tamil Hindus in South India, Sri Lanka, and the Tamil diaspora, who ...
(Mayon), with the aid of Seven Virgins (
Saptha Kanniyar
Matrikas (Sanskrit: मातृका (singular), IAST: mātṝkās, lit. "divine mothers") also called Matar or Matri, are a group of mother goddesses who are always depicted together in Hinduism. The Matrikas are often depicted in a group ...
), had begotten seven sons, known as the
Santror Makkal
The Santror are the seven boys who were brought to life by using the seven seeds from seven upper worlds, by Thirumal, to the Seven Virgins through their instrumentality, according to Ayyavazhi mythology. It also represents their descendants. Ac ...
(see
Santror Pirappu), in order to accomplish the task of destroying the
Kalineesan and
Kali mayai (
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 ...
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
) that were to be countered in the following
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 ...
.
After the birth of Santror, they were all named by conducting a naming ceremony (see
The Naming ceremony of Santror
The Santror are the seven boys who were brought to life by using the seven seeds from seven upper worlds, by Thirumal, to the Seven Virgins through their instrumentality, according to Ayyavazhi mythology. It also represents their descendants. Ac ...
) and fed with celestial nectar (see
Feeding the children with Celestial Nectar). The Santror were raised by Bhadrakali and married to the daughters of Nirupathirajan (see
Fostered by the acclaimed Deity Patrakali).
Kalineesan, Kali Yuga, and Kalimayai
The sixth fragment of the primordial
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 ...
was
Neesan, the epitome of wickedness ((Tamil ''neesa'' meaning "wickedness"). Neesan was created in the form of a male
human being
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedality, bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex Human brain, brain. This has enabled the development of ad ...
who was wise, beautiful and intelligent. Neesan pushed himself out of the earth in an inverted form. Upon seeing his appearance, the celestial diviners predicted that he, being without normal human parentage, would have an undefined and rude physique, and that his intelligence and five senses would be rooted in falsehood. They further predicted that he would have a life as fragile as that of a bird, but he would unleash wickedness on people with arrogance.
Having obtained innumerable boons (see
Boons), including the
Chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
of Mayon and invincibility, Neesan proceeded to earth to rule over the people. On his way, he was accosted by
Thirumal
Perumal ( ta, பெருமாள் , translit=Perumāl) or Tirumal ( ta, திருமால், translit=Tirumāl) is a Hindu deity. Perumal is worshipped mainly among Tamil Hindus in South India, Sri Lanka, and the Tamil diaspora, who ...
, who appeared as a
Pantaram (an
itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels habitually. Itinerant may refer to:
*"Travellers" or itinerant groups in Europe
* Itinerant preacher, also known as itinerant minister
*Travelling salespeople, see door-to-door, hawker, and peddler
*Travelli ...
mendicant
A mendicant (from la, mendicans, "begging") is one who practices mendicancy, relying chiefly or exclusively on alms to survive. In principle, mendicant religious orders own little property, either individually or collectively, and in many inst ...
), with long flowing unkempt hair and torn clothes. Thirumal challenged him to a duel which Neesan refused, considering it beneath his dignity to fight with a Pantaram coming in such an attire without any weapon. Taking the opportune moment, Thirumal shrewdly made Neesan promise to forfeit all his boons if any of his lies caused trouble to any Pantaram on earth in the future. Then, he bought the Chakra from Kaliyan and cursed it as money. The money asked Thirumal when this curse would leave it, to which Thirumal replied: "It will leave you when Kali is defeated".
The Neesan was thenceforth called
Kalineesan because the
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 ...
had dawned along with his birth. Along with him was born an evil force called
Kali Mayai (Kali Yuga
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
). The ''Kali'' here refers to the evil spirit behind ''Kali Yuga'' and not ''
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 ...
'', the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
deity).
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 ...
Maya engulfed the whole world and consequently, deceit and illusion began to contaminate the minds of the people. Age-old traditions and conventions, based on
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 '' ...
m, were unduly overthrown. Kalineesan introduced the discrimination of
caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
among the people. The powerless people were crushed with brute might. People, caught in the Kalimayai, began to be inimical towards one another - men against women, children against parents, and so forth. People used demonic force to harm one another. Kalimayai captured the king of
Thiruvitankur and began to rule over the people as their king.
Thirumal in Thiruvananthapuram
Thirumal, dwelling at
Sri Rangam hitherto, found it unworthy of his abode because of the misdeeds of the priests there. He shifted his tent to
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
. When he reached there, a
Pulayar
The Pulayar (also Pulaya, Pulayas, Cherumar, Cheramar, and Cheraman) is a caste group mostly found in the southern part of India, forming one of the main social groups in modern-day Kerala, Karnataka and historically in Tamil Nadu.
Tradition ...
woman saw him and spread the news to one and all. Hearing of this, Kalineesan constructed a temple of fine granite at the site where the Pulayar woman spotted Tirumal, and decorated the temple with gold and pearls. The king instituted scores of rituals and ceremonies at the temple to be performed by
Namboothiri
The Nambudiri (), also transliterated as Nampoothiri, Nambūdiri, Namboodiri, Nampoothiri, and Nampūtiri, are a Malayali Brahmin caste, native to what is now the state of Kerala, India, where they constituted part of the traditional feudal el ...
Brahmins
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru o ...
. The lights of the temple were, however, lit daily from a torch brought from the home of the Pulayar woman.
Venneesan
Kalineesan had no children, so he went on a pilgrimage to
Kasi
KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format.
The station was assigned the KASI call letters b ...
, a holy place, and stood in ''
tavam
Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and se ...
'' (spiritual suffering) for a son. While performing the ''tavam'', he was distracted by the scene of a cleric embracing a woman. Because of this,
Kalineesan's semen
Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is an organic bodily fluid created to contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize the female ovum. Semen i ...
came out and fell into the water. A white crane came and swallowed the semen, became pregnant, and delivered a baby boy in the water. A sage,
Punal Rhishi, took the baby, which was white in appearance, and looked after it.
Kalineesan, his ''tavam'' being defective, returned to his country in despair, resigned to a prediction that even if he were to have a son, it would be only the sons of his sister who would rule the country.
The baby, delivered by the white crane, grew up and came of age, and was married in the land of
Chenkomatti. He prospered there with his progeny, who later emerged as a powerful people by learning the skills of ship-travel, trading in gold and silver, and diplomacy. This people, called Venneesa kulam, propagated a religion of their own, and through the lure of money gained many new members. Venneesan (the name comes from two words, ''venmai'' meaning "white," and ''neesan,'' meaning "wicked person") introduced a new calendar.
Santror in Kali Yuga
Kalineesan, coming to know about the valour and loyalty of the Santror people, appointed them as his bodyguards. It so happened that one day, while guarding the entrance of the king’s room, the body-guards happened to fall asleep, during which time, the enemies of the king, hailing from the king’s own race, entered the room and assassinated the king. The Kalineesan, while succumbing to the murderous attack, mistaking it to be a betrayal by the body-guards, cursed them that they and their progeny would be oppressed with oozhiyam (
coolie
A coolie (also spelled koelie, kuli, khuli, khulie, cooli, cooly, or quli) is a term for a low-wage labourer, typically of South Asian or East Asian descent.
The word ''coolie'' was first popularized in the 16th century by European traders acros ...
service) and
regressive taxation
A regressive tax is a tax imposed in such a manner that the tax rate decreases as the amount subject to taxation increases. "Regressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from high ...
as long as the king’s dynasty ruled the country.
The curse of the king began to take effect on the Santror. The Kalineesan, the successor of the previous king, imposed innumerable taxes on every article used by the Santror for their day to day living. Their occupational implements, the
palmyra trees that supported them, and every item of the produce of these trees were punitively taxed. The produce of the palmyra trees was to be given to the high castes, failing which the Santror were tortured with
corporal punishments. There were many arbitrary taxes imposed on them. The Santror found no favour with the rules, in spite of paying these cruel taxes.
Thirumal deserting Kalineesan
Having witnessed the woes of the Santror, Mayon admonished the king to desist from oppressing them. He reminded the king that it was his seventh birth, coming in the lineage of the primordial Kroni, and if he failed to repent during this opportunity, then it would be his eternal damnation. He exhorted him to revoke the cruel taxes and the exploitative system of uliyam, imposed on the Santror, the people born of Mayon's seeds.
The king retorted, saying:
:"How dare you advise me to revoke the taxes and the oozhiyam imposed on the low caste
Chanar? If I do so, how else do I earn gold coins - a hundred of them needed to perform puja for you every morning and evening, a thousand of them needed to take care of all the temples and me, and a ten thousand of them needed to pay my staff? Do I not get these gold coins by squeezing the labour of these Chanar? Even if you desert me and go to one of the Chanar places, I will never revoke the taxes and oozhiyam imposed on them."
Responding to the king, Mayon said:
:"Did I ever ask you to offer me
puja by exploiting the people? You offer puja not to me, but to the Namboothiri Brahmins. The whole world knows that the only thing that I receive whole-heartedly is the light brought by the
Pulayar
The Pulayar (also Pulaya, Pulayas, Cherumar, Cheramar, and Cheraman) is a caste group mostly found in the southern part of India, forming one of the main social groups in modern-day Kerala, Karnataka and historically in Tamil Nadu.
Tradition ...
woman."
Peeved at the response of Mayon, the king mockingly said: "If you have not tasted any of my offerings, what then have you to do with me? Go wherever you want to..." Listening to the impenitent and brute words of the king, divine rage overcame Mayon and he said: "You have mocked at me and ill-treated me as you do to the Chanar. Lo, I am going away from your place to
Thiruchendur
Tiruchendur is a municipality located in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India. It is home to the Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, which is one of the Six Abodes of Murugan.
Etymology
Tiruchendur, a temple town like many towns in the st ...
. I will take on you in another form. Then, I will perform a
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 '' ...
m that you and the world will acknowledge as the greatest. I will destroy the pervasive demonic cult and crown the Chanar".
Having said these things, Mayon deserted
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
. He told the people: "Henceforth, let all castes united as one people, come to the place where I am going to dwell". Having said this, he proceeded to Thiruchendur. It happened then that the fortress of the Kalineesan crashed into pieces. The earth was covered with darkness of slumber, the sea engulfed the land, and all the palatial buildings of the king were effaced. Seeing these calamities, the Brahmins lamented and the priests wailed.
Mayon took his abode at the seashore of Thiruchendur. During this time, the venneesan had spread his wicked rule over the country, trampling upon the traditions of the land. He flouted the principles of ''Dharma'', observed by the Santror and failed to give the dignity due to them.
Incarnational events
Incarnational events include preparations for incarnation, the event of incarnation, and the proclamations and instructions given to the newly incarnated god. Since
Mayon's incarnation, as
Lord Vaikundar, is the foremost power, this is considered to be the most important part in
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 ...
. Below is an elaboration of these events.
Preparing for incarnation
Seeing the degraded status of the Santror, the celestial gods made a plea to
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
as follows: "Our young brothers, the Santror, are suffering endlessly under the yoke of the centuries old oozhiyam and have lost dignity and respect on account of that. Have you not seen their iniquities?"
After listening to the plea,
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
prepared for the incarnation. He made all the celestial gods take birth in the world in order to assist in destroying the kali. He set out to create new
cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
,
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 ( ...
s,
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 ...
s,
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,
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s, and all other elements of nature that would befit the new age of
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 ...
because the Dharma Yukam was to be characterised by a new life, new people, and new thinking. In that new age
Shastra
''Shastra'' (, IAST: , ) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense.Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'zAstra'' The wo ...
s,
Veda
FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Co ...
s and all the religions would be the same; the Tamil language would permeate the world; people would live united as a single humanity; the people of Mayon would live with pristine glory and they would flourish with all prosperity; the earth would yield abundantly; diseases, calamities and the impact of the evil magical practices would not affect the people; the old Shastras would be turned untrue, and instead, a new code would be enshrined.
Mayon — on the identity of his people
Mayon then enunciated the attributes of his children who would be his collaborators in the world. He said:
:"The identity of my people is that they do not offer puja or sacrifices, do not have temples and priests, do not have offerings of flowers, do not offer
blood sacrifices of goat, bull and
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...
s, and do not worship cows and images made of clay. Instead, they are those who do
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 '' ...
m to all those who come in my name."
Final admonition through Thiruvasakam
Before the incarnation of Mayon could take place, the
three godheads decided to send a final admonition with the name of Thiruvasakam to
Kalineesan that he might amend''. (see :
Thiruvasakam (Ayyavazhi))''
Deciding to incarnate as Vaikundar
Kalineesan did not pay heed to the Thiruvasakam.
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
then decided to incarnate as Vaikundar and, to that effect, walked towards the seashore of Thiruchendur.
When the day came,
Lord Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
then instantly went into the sea, amidst the chanting of the celestial gods. Inside the sea, enveloping himself in a scorching flame, he approached
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
who was awaiting his arrival in the form of a Lotus pedestal. Afraid of the ball of flame approaching her,
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
worshipped it with reverence. Mayon revealed himself and took Lakshmi and told her of his intention to create a son. By that time,
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
had come into the sea. Then,
Lord Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
himself incarnated as Vaikundar during an encounter with a deity Goddess Lakshmi, he was beget inside the sea and arose from the sea of Tiruchendur on Kollam Year 1008 at 20th day of Tamil Month Masi (1 March 1833 CE, Friday).
![Ayya Vaikundar Avatar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Ayya_Vaikundar_Avatar.jpg)
I (Hari Gopalan) am writing these words of Akilattirattu Ammanai with the grace of God!
" ‘O’ Lord you took avatar for Pandavas and eliminated their enemies.
You attained the abode of Kailasa with anger due to birth of Kaliyan.
Came again to the world to protect santror (good people) and dharma"
"On Masi 1008, I (
Lord Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...
) myself appeared as Pantaram on the banks of sea, have taken residence in Theksanapuri as Vaikundar" – Akilattirattu
Akilattirattu says, Lord Narayana himself incarnated as Vaikundar and appeared as Pantaram on the banks of sea. This place became a holy place for the devotees of Ayya vazhi and they erected a temple there named
Avathara pathi.
God says this prophecy,
"I (Lord Narayana) took the avatar for yuga trail and became the praise child for Sita.
As a king of Dharma yuga, I am going to rule the world with single command" – Akilattirattu
He then imparted certain arcane knowledge in the form of proclamations and instructions, known as
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. ...
, to his newly niall son,
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 ...
. ''(see:
Vinchai to Vaikundar
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. ...
)''
Having given these exhortations, Mayon called his son intimately as
Narayana Vaikundar and told him that if these teachings were observed strictly, the illusory force of kali would be contained and when people learned to live with
self-respect
Self-esteem is confidence in one's own worth or abilities. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (for example, "I am loved", "I am worthy") as well as emotional states, such as triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Smith and Mackie (2007) d ...
,
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 ...
would destroy itself.
Then the whole array of celestial gods sang lullabies (See:
Thalattu
''Thalattu'' () is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language film directed by T. K. Rajendran and produced by P. Mohanraj. The film stars Arvind Swamy, Sukanya and Sivaranjini, while Goundamani, Senthil, Vijayakumar and Kovai Sarala play other supporting ...
,
Palli Unarthal,
Abayam.), praising the special attributes of the newly born child,
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 ...
. They praised him for having been born as the child of Mayon, in the race of Chanar, in order to teach the virtue of Dharmam to the world and to incinerate
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 ...
.
Lord Vaikundar, having received all the instructions from his father, walked out of the sea to go into the world. Mayon sent two celestial sages (Kalai Muni and Gnana Muni) with him as witnesses to his activities.
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 ...
took the human form as Pantaram at Tharuvaiyur near seashore. From the point of incarnation of Vaikundar, it is said that he will destroy Kaliyan and the evil in Kali Yuga. It is also said that he will take all righteous people along with him in the succeeding eighth yuga called as Dharma yuga.
Post-incarnational events
The various episodes, that are portrayed to be occurring after the event of incarnation, are called here as post-incarnational events. Given below is an elaboration of them.
Vaikundar's emergence out of the sea
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 ...
crossed over to the land from the sea and showing a human appearance as Narayana Pantaram to the mother of
Muthukutty (alias Sampoornadevan), told her: "Woman, you had been
Muthukutty mother before the year 1008 (AD 1833). I (Narayana) have been born as
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 ...
, the child of Mayon. I have received powers for redeeming the Santror. I am going to destroy the evilmongers and rule the world under a single command." Having said this,
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 ...
set out towards
Detchanam (Dakshin, the south).
Vaikundar's journey to Detchanam
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 ...
walked towards Detchanam, along the sea route. All along his path, the creatures of the sea and the animals of the forest greeted him, expressing their happiness, for they were to be freed from the clutches of Kali.
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 ...
, announcing the glad tidings to everyone, traversed the path towards
Manavaippathi (
Puvantantoppu) in Detchanam. The itinerant
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 ...
, reaching the temple of
Pakavathi at
Kanyakumari
Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...
, told her that he, the
Narayana Vaikundar, had come to uplift the lowly by ruling the world under the banner of Dharmam and therefore, she was to rescind from accepting any sacrifices or offerings.
Tavam
Making himself known to the people as
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 ...
, the great
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
took his abode under a tree at the entrance of Manavaippathi.
Burning of the demons
When a year and a half had passed after undertaking the Tavam, people complained to
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 ...
of the disturbances caused by the demons in the world.
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 ...
, intending to put an end to the misdeeds of the demons, thought of incinerating them totally. He then summoned a celestial sage and sought his counsel on this matter. The sage, after going through the
Akamankal (
Agamas
Religion
*Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts
*Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects
*Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism
Other uses
* ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...
), told
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 ...
:
:''From the moment
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
became
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 ...
and came to the world, the demons, the evil spirits and all other deceptions of the world are disappearing;
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 ...
Yukam is being destroyed, together with the old
Veda
FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Co ...
s.
Purana
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
s and
Agamas
Religion
*Āgama (Buddhism), a collection of Early Buddhist texts
*Āgama (Hinduism), scriptures of several Hindu sects
*Jain literature (Jain Āgamas), various canonical scriptures in Jainism
Other uses
* ''Agama'' (lizard), a genus of lizards ...
have lost their substance. As of now,
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 ...
is establishing a Dharma Yukam that he will rule eternally. So, now is the right time to destroy all that are to be destroyed.''
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 ...
then assembled all the demons in one place. He made some persons in the gathering, who were accustomed to ‘possession’, to get ‘possessed’ of the demons in the presence of the people. The demons that had ‘come on to these persons’ began to tremble with fear and, by making loud cries, bemoaned their end. Resigned to their fate, they requested
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 ...
to tell them the modalities to surrender. When the demons asked it themselves,
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 ...
ordered them to make an oath in front of the people that they had surrendered all their powers. Accordingly, the demons made a public oath that they had surrendered all their powers. Then they fled to the mountain and killed themselves by falling into fire. As this happened, those that were dancing due to the ‘possession’ of the demons got exhausted and fell flat on the grounds. As the crowd was witnessing all these happenings, a few shepherds, tending their flock in the mountain, came rushing and reported that they heard the loud cries of the demons as they were falling in the fire. When the crowd heard these, they appreciated the way the demons were destroyed and acknowledged that
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 really the Narayanar needed for the country.
Seizing the power of magic, witchcraft, sorcery, trickery, etc.
Having destroyed the demons,
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 ...
thought of incarcerating the powers of
Malaiyarasar, the people of the mountain who performed
black magic
Black magic, also known as dark magic, has traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes, specifically the seven magical arts prohibited by canon law, as expounded by Johannes Hartlieb in 145 ...
,
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
,
sorcery
Sorcery may refer to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities
* Magic in fiction, ...
, etc., with the aid of
evil spirits
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
. No sooner had he thought of it than the
wild animal
Wildlife refers to undomesticated animal species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wild in an area without being introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous to game: those birds and mammals that were hunted fo ...
s, being released from the clutches of the Malaiyaracar, went berserk and attacked the people ferociously. Horrified at the behaviour of the animals, the Malaiyaracar resorted to their usual black magic to contain the animals. But, alas, this time, their magic did not work. Disappointed and worried, they became panicky and sought the help of a Kuratti, the village
astrologer
Astrology is a range of divinatory practices, recognized as pseudoscientific since the 18th century, that claim to discern information about human affairs and terrestrial events by studying the apparent positions of celestial objects. Dif ...
, to make them known the cause of these events.
Kuratti, hearing their woes, told them that
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 ...
had incarnated to eradicate the sufferings of all and therefore, they would do well to meet him to get rid of their woes. Coming to know of
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 ...
, the Malaiyaracar came to him immediately and pleaded with him to solve their problems.
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 ...
told them it was time for the destruction of all the evil forces and therefore, they would do well to surrender the knowledge of black magic, witchcraft, sorcery, and trickery, the spells used to bind others, and all types of esoteric charms in their possession. If refused to comply, they were warned of severe consequences. Hearing the admonition from
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 ...
, and fearing the consequences of the refusal to surrender, they agreed to hand over all their powers to him. Since they had not brought with them the manuscript documents that contained the spells, they vowed in front of
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 ...
and the people that they would never again resort to these practices. When they did so,
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 ...
advised and blessed them to take to cultivation as an alternative profession. When this was done, the celestial Gods wrote it in the heavenly records that
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 ...
had done away with the evil forces and had made Dharmam to prosper in the world.
Exhortations
Having incinerated the demons and seized the powers of the Malaiyaracar,
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 ...
exhorted the people as follows:
:"''From this day on, repose your faith only in
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 ...
, and fear not any other powers. Do not give offerings to temples, do not cast away your hard-earned money into dump-boxes, and keep your wealth to yourself.''"
Listening to these exhortations, people of all castes realised that kalimayai was being destroyed and Dharmam was established.
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 ...
brought Dharmam also to the flora and fauna, exhorting them not to hurt or kill each other, and not to crush the weak, but to live in harmony as one family.
People came as one family and listened to the exhortations of Dharmam given by
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 ...
. They accepted him in their hearts as the undisputed God and lived happily.
Vaikundar's trial
At this time round, the king of
Thiruvithankur, the Kalineesan came to
Suchindrum
Suchindram is a panchayat town in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu with Indian postal code as 629704. It is an important pilgrim centre and the site of the famous Thanumalayan Temple. There is an Anjaneya, (or Hanuman), st ...
for his routine visit. He was an agitated man. With his powers already been curtailed by the foreigners, he wanted to know whether there was any one else in his kingdom that could challenge his authority. The ministers told him as follows:
:''"From the race of the Chanar who perform the menial uliyam for us, someone, claiming to be the incarnation of
Vishnu
Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism.
Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...
, is making pronouncements that he is going to rule the land under his one undisputed command. He has gathered people of all castes into one place around him. He has also claimed that he would destroy all his enemies and establish a rule of Dharmam. It looks the Chanar people are having a great day".''
Listening to this, the king grew weary. He summoned a seer to know whether the news was true. The seer confirmed it, saying it was time the great Vishnu incarnated as Vaikundar. The king retorted to the seer saying:
"''"Even if the great Vishnu wanted to incarnate, would he, leaving aside the honourable Namboothiri and other Brahmin caste, come into this untouchable Chanar people? It looks to be a cheating".''
Listening to the king, an elderly person from a shepherd caste, who was in the assembly, advised the king saying:
"''"If Vishnu wants, he will take birth in any race and in any form. He may come as a
Panan
Pan'an County () is a county of central Zhejiang province, China. It is under the administration of the Jinhua city.
Administrative divisions
Towns:
* Anwen (安文镇), Shanghu (尚湖镇), Fangqian (方前镇), Xinwo (新渥镇), Jiansha ...
or a
Pariyan. So better not to disturb this person".''
The king was infuriated and was not ready to listen to anyone's counsel. He ordered one of the chiefs of the army to bring Vaikuntar to him. Accordingly, a squad of soldiers came and surrounded
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 ...
who was sitting on a cot, performing his tavam. As the troops prepared to seize him, the Santror, standing near
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 ...
, got enraged and readied to attack the troops. Sensing trouble,
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 ...
prevented the Santror saying:
:''"My children, it is those who contain the instant rage that will become great. You are people of love. Keep restraint, I will make you rule the earth".''
The army personnel, then, took hold of
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 ...
, tied him with a rope, and tortured him ruthlessly. They questioned him with spite:
:"''"Whether he became a deity for the Chanars? Whether he disguised himself as a deity in order to amass wealth?"''
He was then led along the streets to the king. The wicked people threw stones at him, pulled his long hair and teased him, calling him demoniac. Some people from the low castes accused him of bringing disgrace to their race.
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 ...
did not utter a word in response. He reached Suchindram and was brought in front of the king.
The king wanted to test
Vaikundar's powers. He hid a ring in the palm of his hand and asked him to name it.
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 ...
, being aware of the fact that showing his powers would not aid his mission in any way but that it would only precipitate matters unduly, remained reticent. The king, being hurt by his silence, ordered him to be tortured more. Five kinds of poison were mixed in an
arrack
Arrack is a distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon the country of origin ...
and given to him to drink.
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 ...
drank it as if he were drinking milk and remained unaffected. Seeing that the poison had not worked,
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 confined in a stinking prison, infested with worms and leeches.
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 ...
took upon himself all these sufferings for the sake of his poor Chanar.
Then Vaikundar was led through
Kottar
Kottar is a locality and a bazaar area of Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu state, in the southernmost part of Peninsular India ; though a part of Nagercoil today, it is the original town around which the city of Nagercoil grew. It was an ancient trade centre ...
,
Chunkankadai,
Thuckalay
Thuckalay or Thakkalai is a town in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Thuckalay comes under the Padmanabhapuram Municipality, and is the administrative headquarters of Kalkulam Taluk. The Revenue Divisional Office is located in Mettuka ...
,
Padmanabhapuram
Padmanabhapuram is a town and a municipality near Thuckalay in Kanyakumari district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 21,342.
History
Padmanabhapuram was the erstwhile capital of the Kingdom of Travan ...
,
Balaramapuram, and brought to
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
where he was detained in an open prison. While in the prison, many people came and worshipped him.
The Kalineesan did not relent from torturing Vaikundar. He ordered him to be thrown to a starving
tiger
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...
. In that,
Ayya 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 Lord ...
proves to the world, his Power (see
Katuvai Sothanai
{{Religion of Ayyavazhi
Katuvai Sothanai, in Tamil means, Trial with Tiger. This is an important event in Ayyavazhi mythology tells us about the happenings that took place when Lord Vaikundar was thrown before a three-days-starving tiger.
As pe ...
).
After that event, a person known as Poovandar went up to the king, and testifying to the genuineness of
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 ...
, pleaded for his release. The king, considering the request, wanted Vaikundar to sign a document as a condition for the release. The condition was that he would not any more gather the different castes, except his own, into one place. Vaikundar tore the piece of material that contained the condition into pieces and threw it on to the ground. However, the king did not wish to retain him in the prison anymore.
Vaikundar chose the nineteenth of the Tamil month Masi (February/March) to be the day of his release. His devotees, the Santror, carried him on a cradle through Balaramapuram,
Parvathipuram, Kottar, Suchindram and reached back to Thamaraippathi.
Thuvayal Thavasu
Back in
Tamaraipathi,
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 ...
continued according to the instructions of his Father. He instructed the people to undertake a tavam called thuvayal thavam (''thuvay'' means ''to wash'') which was also called Thuvayal Thavasu, an act of
ritual washing of one's physique and clothes along with practice of
self-abnegation and
self-restraint.
Marriage with the Seven Virgins
Even as
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 continuing to instruct and serve the people, he intended to marry the seven virgins. He made some people of
Chanar, young and old, male and female, get into a trance and dance. He made some of them narrate the accounts of the world, and of the story of the seven virgins carrying the seeds of
Mayon
Mayon ( bcl, Bulkan Mayon; tl, Bulkang Mayon, ), also known as Mount Mayon and Mayon Volcano ( es, Monte Mayón, Volcán Mayón), is an active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol, Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renown ...
and delivering the seven sons of the Chanar.
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 ...
then, putting on the appearance of
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
, made the Santror, who stood around him, to walk in the four directions and call out to their mothers, the
Seven Virgins. The seven divine mothers, listening to the call of their sons, came out and paid respect to
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 ...
who had come to marry them and give them back their children as it was promised to them in their previous birth.
Once the divine mothers came, after confirming their desire to get married and to get back their children,
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 ...
announced to the world the news of the marriage of the Seven Virgins with
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 ...
.
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 ...
then asked the Santror what they would give as gift to the bridegroom. (see:
Thirukkalyana Ekanai).
The Santror, the kith and kin of the brides, answered that all their wealth, even their very lives could be given as gift to him.
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 ...
then requested the Santror to take and give the hands of the seven virgins to him in marriage. When they did it ceremoniously,
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 ...
placed a glittering golden chain around the necks of the seven divine women.
The celestial saints then praised the special attributes of the marriage partners, and the race in which they hailed from. Then, singing the praises of
Narayana
Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...
and praying that he might fulfil his mission of ushering in the
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 ...
, the brides and the bridegroom circumambulated the ‘Pathi’ in their ceremonial attire. The supplications of the brides were that
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 ...
should destroy the evil age, usher in the age of
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 '' ...
, and make his people rule the Dharma Yukam .
When the marriage had taken place as per the earlier promise, the Santror realised that all the curses incurred by them had been erased and there was no curse anymore on their race. People came from all directions to pay homage to
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 ...
and presented him with various gifts.
Festivals and celebrations
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 ...
thought of organising festivals and celebrations with the people who garnered around him. He fixed Sunday, the day of his birth in the sea, to be the day in every week for celebrations. People gathered there on every Sunday, bringing him gifts. They decorated the vicinity with flowers and festoons. Amidst crackers of fireworks and music of joy, the seven virgins, dressing themselves in
saffron
Saffron () is a spice derived from the flower of ''Crocus sativus'', commonly known as the "saffron crocus". The vivid crimson stigma and styles, called threads, are collected and dried for use mainly as a seasoning and colouring agent i ...
and sporting the
Namam (sacred symbol on the forehead), came in grand procession on the streets alone with Vaikundar.
Ayya 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 Lord ...
, as a
Pantaram, had donned himself in squalid rags, smeared the white mark on the body, tied a turf on his hair, and carried a cane. Besides his disciples, a large number of Santror came in procession along with him. Those who had participated in the thuvayal thavam also accompanied him by chanting the prayer, "Siva Siva" Those men and women, that were ‘taken hold of by divine power’, sang the praises of
Narayaya and accompanied the procession.
During the procession,
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 carried in a golden cradle. A conch shell was blown, womenfolk made
kuravai, and the celestial gods were showering flowers from above. People held these festivals in high esteem.
Vaikundar as the Reigning King
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 ...
, being instructed through a dream that occurred to one of his followers, came to
Moolakuntappati (
Ambalappathi) with his kith and kin. Here he enthroned himself like a reigning king on a grand seat in a mansion built with pearls, designed with a pedestal for conducting the
Ukattheerppu (the judgment). He vested himself in white silk, wore a golden cap on the head, and arbitrated for the people. People celebrated his presence there.
Marriage with the Deities
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 ...
then decided to marry deities such as
Pakavathi (Bhagavati),
Valli
Vaḷḷi ( ta, வள்ளி) ("Creeper, Sweet potato plant") is a Hindu goddess, and the second consort of the deity Murugan. An incarnation of the goddess Sundaravalli, daughter of Vishnu, Valli is born on earth as the daughter of a chiefta ...
,
Theivanai,
Mantaikattal,
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
,
Parvathi
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...
and
Poomadanthai. He took on different forms and told the deities that they were to be united with him in order to destroy
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 ...
and establish the
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 ...
. Then, compelling each deity to seduce a woman in the gathering, he married them in a grand manner.
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 ...
, having married these deities, continued his activities among his people. People flocked to him in large numbers. They were pleased to invite him to their houses. They took him in chariots, arranged grand feasts in his honour, and presented him with very valuable gifts.
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 ...
laid the foundation for
Nizhal Thangals in some villages that he visited.
Ascending to Vaikundam, the abode of Thirumal
Having accomplished whatever he intended doing, Vaikundar thought of attaining Vaikundam, i.e., leaving this world and going to the world of
Vaikundam
Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil language, Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the Brahman, supreme deity in the Vaishnavism, Vaishnava ...
. He prayed to
Thirumal
Perumal ( ta, பெருமாள் , translit=Perumāl) or Tirumal ( ta, திருமால், translit=Tirumāl) is a Hindu deity. Perumal is worshipped mainly among Tamil Hindus in South India, Sri Lanka, and the Tamil diaspora, who ...
to take him back as he had accomplished his mission. Thirumal, too, had thought of calling his son back, and so he commanded his sages to decorate the house for his son in Vaikundam.
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 ...
then began contemplating on Vaikundam alone. As he was preparing, he instructed his
Santror not to be afraid, and to live united in love. He gave them a white mark on their forehead. Then he began his journey to Vaikundam on 1126, Itabam 21, at noon. As he reached Vaikundam, Thirumal and
Isvaran
''Sivan'' (Hebrew: סִיוָן, Standard ''Sīvan'', Tiberian ''Sīwān''; from Akkadian ''simānu'', meaning "Season; time") is the ninth month of the civil year and the third month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew calendar. It is a ...
received him warmly. The
Deva
Deva may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Deva'' (1989 film), a 1989 Kannada film
* ''Deva'' (1995 film), a 1995 Tamil film
* ''Deva'' (2002 film), a 2002 Bengali film
* Deva (2007 Telugu film)
* ''Deva'' (2017 film), a 2017 Marathi film
* Deva ...
s praised him for his singular, unsurpassable achievement of the
tavam
Tapas (Sanskrit: तपस्) is a variety of austere spiritual meditation practices in Indian religions. In Jainism, it means asceticism (austerities, body mortification); in Buddhism, it denotes spiritual practices including meditation and se ...
that he had undertaken for the sake of destroying the
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 ...
.
When he was received in the celestial abode, his women and children on earth interned his
golden body, erected a temple and conducted celebrations regularly.
Dharma Yukam he final victory
In Vaikundam, Thirumal asked his son whether he had fulfilled, without any flaw, all that had been told to him earlier.
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 ...
, in response, told him about the six-year tavam and other activities. The sages who had been sent to accompany him vouched for the flawlessness of the tavam he undertook.
Being satisfied at the performance of
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 ...
, Thirumal and Isvaran crowned him gloriously, gave him a sceptre and other divine paraphernalia, and seated him on the throne. While on the throne in Vaikundam, he was worshipped by his people on earth. All those who stood by him and served him when he undertook the tavam were granted happiness on earth, besides the assurance of a life with him in Vaikundam. Those
Neesakulam that opposed and tortured him were condemned to
hell
In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...
.
Once
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 crowned as the king, everything belonging to
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 ...
appeared as per the wish of
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 ...
. People worthy of Dharma Yukam, including his children and women, appeared instantly. A whole lot of new creatures, animals, plants and trees appeared. A new earth, new moon, new sky, new wind, etc. emerged. The wicked people disappeared and the people, worthy of Dharma Yukam, appeared. All those living beings, that had been ordered to come up at the coronation of
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 ...
, awoke to the new age. All those unworthy of Dharma Yukam were engulfed by the sea.
Then, Thirumal brought up the life of
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 ...
for judgment.
Thirumal interrogated him as follows:
:''"I had come as a
Pantaram in the
kaliyukam and had burned the
demons
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, anime, ...
, healed the people with water, solicited
Dharmam
''Dharmam'' () is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language film directed by R. Thyagarajan, starring Sathyaraj, Saritha and Sudha Chandran. The film was released on 4 July 1986.
Plot
Karthik is in jail awaiting his final court hearing. He was arrested ...
, prevented offerings, and gathered the people in one place and taught them. You caught me and tortured me cruelly due to your wickedness. You did these things, contrary to your own promise given me earlier that you wouldn’t torture any Pantaram. You have violated your promise, and therefore, you yourself have brought ruins upon you. Have you any response to this?"''
Kalineesan, then, without having anything to say, surrendered all his powers and boons. The force of illusion took hold of him and put him into the flames of the abyss where the devils resided. All the evil forces of the
kalimayai were also destroyed likewise. And then,
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 ...
blew a
conch shell
Conch () is a common name of a number of different medium-to-large-sized sea snails. Conch shells typically have a high spire and a noticeable siphonal canal (in other words, the shell comes to a noticeable point at both ends).
In North Ame ...
to announce his victory.
Hearing the sound of the conch-shell, all that befitted Dharma Yukam - the virtues, the
Sastirankal, the plants and trees, the reptiles and the birds, the divine women and their children - all gathered around
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 ...
. He gave them blessings, and instructed them to live fearlessly. He enjoined upon them to assemble in one place, to drink from the same well, and live happily as per the values of Dharma Yukam.
Notes
See also
*
List of Ayyavazhi-related articles
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
*
Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...
*
Ayya 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 Lord ...
*
Ayyavazhi Trinity
*
Ayyavazhi
*
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
*
Hindu reform movements
Contemporary groups, collectively termed Hindu reform movements, reform Hinduism, Neo-Hinduism, or Hindu revivalism, strive to introduce regeneration and reform to Hinduism, both in a religious or spiritual and in a societal sense. The movement ...
*
Hindu Renaissance
The Bengal Renaissance (Bengali: বাংলার নবজাগরণ — ''Banglar Navajagaran''), also known as the Bengali Renaissance, was a cultural, social, intellectual, and artistic movement that took place in the Bengal region of ...
* www.marunthuvazhmalai.com - Marutwa mala Hills, marunthuva malai, marunthuvazh malai]
References
* T. Krishnanathan (2000), ''Ayya Vaikundarin Vazhvum Sinthanaiyum'',
Madurai Kamaraj University
Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU) is a public state university located in Madurai city, in southern Tamil Nadu, India, established in 1966. MKU is one of the 15 universities in India with the University with Potential for Excellence status, wh ...
, Thinai Publications,
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...
.
* N. Vivekanandan (2003), ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Moolamum Uraiyum'' (Part 1&2), Vivekananda Publications,
Nagercoil
Nagercoil, also spelt as Nagarkovil ("Temple of the Nāgas", or Nagaraja-Temple), is a city and the administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District in Tamil Nadu state, India. Situated close to the tip of the Indian peninsula, it lies on an ...
.
* A. Arisundara Mani (2002), ''Akilathirattu Ammanai Parayana Urai'', Ayya Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam Publications, Nagercoil.
* A. Manibharathi (2003), ''Akilathirattu Vilakka urai'', Thirunamappukazh Publications,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
* N. Elango and Vijaya Shanthi Elango (1997), ''Ayya Vaikuntar – The Light of the World'', (Published by the authors).
* Thechanathu Thuvaraga pathi, ''Akilathirattu Akakkorvai'', Published by Thechanathu Thuvaraga pathi.
* P. Sundaram Swamigal and K. Ponnumani (2001), ''Ayyavaikundanathar Jeevacharithram'' (Biography of Ayya Vaikunta Nathar), Ayyavaikuntanathar Siddasramam Publications, Pothaiyadi.
* ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' (1989), (published by T. Palaramachandran Nadar), 9th impression.
* N. Amalan (2000), ''Ayya Vaikundar Punitha Varalaru'', Akilam Publications, Swamithoppu.
* Vaikundar Seva Sangam (2002), (An organisation) ''Ayya Vaikundar 170th Avathar-Special Edition'', Attoor.
* G. Patrick (2003), ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Department of Christian Studies,
University of Madras
The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigiou ...
,
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
.
* N. Vivekanandan (1988), ''Akilathirattu Ammanaiyil Vaikunda Suvami Sampooranathevana?'', Vivekananda Pathippakam, Nagercoil.
* Pon. T. Dharmarasan (1996), ''Akilathirattu'', Pon Publications, Chennai.
External links
kanya kumari online- Ayya Vaikundar - The Spiritual light
vaikunt.org- The Vaikuntha
Ayyavazhi{{Ayyavazhi large