Story Of Swami Ayyappa 

Artwork courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
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Story Of Swami Ayyappa
Ayyappa is a very popular God, who is worshipped all over India, especially in the South and particularly in the state of Kerala. Also known as Sastha, Dharmasastha, Hariharan, etc., he has a unique origin, believed to be born out of the spiritual union of Lords Shiva and Vishnu.
Lord Ayyappa is usually depicted as a handsome, celibate god seated in a yogic posture with legs crossed and tied with a band and wearing a bell around his neck. Celebrated as a warrior deity, he is also shown riding a tiger. In other cases, he carries a bow and arrow in his left hand and holds a bow or a sword in his right hand.
Legends speak elaborately about the birth and life of Lord Ayyappa. There was once a female demon called Mahishi. She did severe penance and got from Lord Brahma the extraordinary boon that she can be killed only by someone who is born to Lords Shiva and Vishnu. As two males together, cannot produce an offspring, she began taking herself to be indestructible and started committing various atrocities. Somewhere else, Bhasmasura, another demon managed to obtain a deadly boon from Shiva to the effect that any person on whose head he places his hand, would turn into ashes the next moment. But no sooner he got the boon he wanted to test its efficacy on the Lord himself. Realizing the implication, Shiva rushed to Lord Vishnu and sought his help. The God of protection assumed the form of Mohini, a bewitching beauty and stood before the demon, who was in hot pursuit of the boon-giver. Smitten by Mohini’s charm, the demon fell for her guiles, began acting as she wanted and ultimately ended up placing his hand on his own head. And true to the boon, he burnt himself to ashes. The relieved Shiva himself then felt deeply impressed with the damsel’s charm, and the spiritual union of the two great Gods happened for the good of the world. The divine child Ayyappa was born to them, bearing the name Hariharan (Hari is Vishnu and Haran is Shiva), with his Nakshatra or birth star being Uttaram or Uttara Phalguni. This child was later found by king Raja Rajashekara Pandiyan of Pandalam and was brought up as the childless king’s own son. As there was a bead tied around the neck of the child, the king named the boy Manikantan, the one who has a bead in the neck.
Later a son was born to the king himself, but still considering only Manikantan as his elder son, the king started making arrangements for declaring him the crown prince. However, the queen had other ideas and wanted her son to ascend the throne after the king. She hatched a conspiracy to get rid of Manikantan and pretending to suffer from severe head ache, and she made the physician to prescribe the milk of tigress as its only cure. While none came forward to undertake this dangerous mission, Manikantan, on his own accord, ventured into the jungles, perhaps to fulfill the purpose of his advent on earth.
He encountered the female demon Mahishi in the forest, fought a fierce battle with her and destroyed her. But it was actually a blessing in disguise for the demon, as, in the process, she assumed her original form of a beautiful woman and is now worshipped in the Sabarimala temple of Ayyappa. Supremely pleased with the annihilation of the feared Mahishi, the Devas assumed the forms of tigers, riding on whom, Manikantan returned to the palace. Realizing the divinity and greatness of the young lad, the king and the others bowed to him with great respect.
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