Mandalam Musings Day 11 - Bhavanam Sannidhaanam

Mandalam Musings Day 11

Bhavanam Sannidhaanam - Home of a devotee is the abode of Lord Ayyappa

Once a devotee decides to take up the 41 days of Vratham, the whole family is fully engaged in making it the best possible experience for all of them, even though only one person may be taking part in the pilgrimage to Sabarimala Sannidhanam, the abode of Lord Ayyappa. That is why families try to make their homes an abode of the Lord. This is done by making the premises of the house as clean and sacred as a temple. The Sannidhanam (abode of Swami Ayyappa at Sabarimala) is so pious that all devotees get transformed into the bhava of Lord Ayyappa there.  So, our homes (bhavanam) should become the Sannidhanam, so that the Mandalam period makes an abode of the Lord at every devotee household.

The family takes up a vow to maintain a life of simplicity with purity in thoughts, actions, and in the materials used – be it for day-to-day use, or for religious rituals. Lord’s presence is said to be Sachidananda – Sat- Chit- Ananda. That is existence – consciousness- bliss.

All that exists has the dharma – quality- of existence. That is the first characteristic of God-li-ness. That means, everything that exists is God. With that logic, there can not be anything other than God. Entities with no discernible life force fall under this category and as soon as an entity is conscious of its own existence, it has the second dharma – consciousness. Living entities are in this category with the dharma of existence and consciousness. Plants and animals including humans are part of this group whose level of consciousness varies widely. It is said that humans are capable of finding bliss (Ananda) in life and that makes him close to a complete being. At least, there is a potential for each one of us to be a ‘complete being’ with the three dharmas integrated into one living entity, i.e., Sat-Chit-Ananda.  That is the Adwaita state all human beings should strive to attain. 

In the 41 days of Vratham prior to the pilgrimage, one tries to make his existence pure and his consciousness pious. He seeks to attain bliss in the process, and the process makes an indelible imprint in his psyche. The whole family helps him in the process, and they get ample rewards in return as the devotee returns from the Vratham and pilgrimage with a renewed attitude and behaviour. Effects of the annual ‘41 day’s Ayyappa therapy’ helps society in various ways. Daily practices of religious rituals, meditation, and good deeds would hasten the process and the habit stays for a lifetime. As per Sanatana Dharma, the effects continue to guide the life entity even after the physical body perishes.