Lord Ayyappa is one of the most revered Gods in Southern Bharat, especially Kerala. He is often depicted as a young man, riding a tiger and holding a bow and arrow. He is also called ‘Manikandan’ which means ‘one with a golden neck’. In the Puranas, he is called Dharmsastha and Sastha.
There is a very interesting story surrounding the birth of Shri Ayyappa. Maa Durga had killed the demon Mahishasur, in an intense battle. His sister Mahishi, decided to avenge her slain brother. She performed severe penance and got a boon from Lord Brahma that no one except the offspring of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Haran) could slay her.
Thinking that she was now all powerful, she started harassing the Devas. The Devas prayed to Lord Vishnu for help. Shri Vishnu assumed the female avatar of Mohini. A child was born out of the union of Mohini and Shiva. This child was Shri Ayyappa.
Raja Rajashekhara, the king of Pandalam was a devotee of Shiva. He had gone for one of his hunting expeditions near Pampa river. A just king who was respected and loved by his subjects, Raja Rajashekhara and his wife were childless. They were praying to Lord Shiva for a child. The king found this child, Shri Ayyappa near the river banks.
While the king beheld this child, a sadhu (sage) appeared and told the king to take this child to the palace. The sadhu also told him that the child would lessen his dynasty’s sufferings and that when the boy turned twelve, Rajashekhara would be aware of his divinity. As the child was wearing a gold chain, the sadhu directed the King to name him ‘Manikandan’ – one with a golden neck.
An overjoyed, Rajashekhara took Manikandan home and narrated the event to his queen. They both felt that they had been blessed by Shiva himself. Manikandan was a very intelligent child and had superhuman talents. He excelled in martial arts and shastras and soon completed his training. As guru dakshina, Manikandan bestowed vision and speech upon his guru’s son, who was both blind and dumb.
In the meantime, the queen had given birth to a male child named Raja Rajan. Raja Rajashekhara decided to crown Manikandan as king. The king’s Diwan hated Manikandan and had planned many plots to kill him. Manikandan had escaped all his treachery but he was injured once. No one could cure the injury and Shiva himself disguised as a healer cured the young boy.
The Diwan had kingly ambitions and was super dejected with Rajashekhara’s decision. The Diwan told the Queen that it was not acceptable for Manikandan to succeed Rajashekhara, as her own son was alive. He hatched a plan wherein the Queen was to pretend that she was unwell. The Diwan’s physician would announce that the Queen could be cured only by applying a tigress’ milk. Manikandan would have to go to the forest to fetch the milk, where he would fall prey to wild animals. This would clear the way for Raja Rajan to become king after Rajashekhara. Blinded by her devotion to her own son, the Queen decided to help the Diwan.
The Queen pretended to fall ill. The Diwan’s accomplice declared that she would be cured only if the milk of a lactating tigress was made available. The team of soldiers sent by Rajashekhara with the sole purpose of getting the milk returned empty-handed.
Manikandan offered to help, but the King would not allow him to go given his young age and the impending coronation. Then Manikandan requested his father to do him a favour. Rajashekhara, immediately accepted. He then asked the king to let him go and get the tigress milk. Outwitted by Manikandan’s tact, Rajashekhara bid farewell reluctantly.
As Manikandan entered the forest, the Panchabuthas of Shiva closely followed him. On the way he saw the atrocities of demoness Mahishi in Devlok. Angry at her behaviour, Manikandan hurled Mahishi onto the earth below. She fell on the banks of the Azhutha River. A bloody battle began and at the end, Manikandan mounted Mahishi’s chest and commenced a violent dance that reverberated within the earth and the Devlok. The Devas were frightened. Mahishi realized that the divine being standing on her was the son of Hari and Haran. Humbled, she prostrated before the young boy and died.
This dance was witnessed by Shiva and Vishnu from a place called Kalakatti. Then Manikandan entered the forest for tigress’ milk. He had a darshan of Shiva who informed him that the divine plan was fulfilled. Now Manikandan had to return to the palace with the tigress milk. Devraj Indra disguised as a tiger and Manikandan went back to the royal palace seated on him. They were accompanied by female devas in the guise of tigresses and male devas as tigers.
The people of Pandalam panicked on seeing the boy and the tigers and ran helter skelter. The Sadhu who had appeared before the king in the forest appeared again. He now revealed Manikandan’s true identity to Raja Rajashekhara. Manikandan got down from the tiger’s back and informed the King that he had got the milk of a tigress to cure the Queen.
Overcome with emotion, Raja Rajashekhara fell at the boy’s feet and asked for forgiveness. He had finally seen through the entire plan. The Queen was all fine and well the moment Manikandan had left for the forest. Manikandan turned twelve years old, the day he returned from the forest.
Raja Rajashekhara decided to punish the vile Diwan and the Queen. Manikandan advised restraint. He told him that all the events had unfolded as per God’s will. He also told Raja Rajashekhara that as he had achieved the purpose for which he was born, it was time for him to leave. So at the tender age of twelve, Manikandan left his earthly abode and went to Devlok.
Image credits: https://ayyappa.tripod.com/history.html , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayyappan#/media/File:Ayyappa_Swamy_bazaar_art,_c.1950’s.jpg
