Mandalam Musings Day 33- Sree Dharma Sastha and Swamy Ayyappa-

 

Sree Dharma Sastha with consorts, Poorna and Pushkala

Mandalam Musings Day 33-

Sree Dharma Sastha and Swamy Ayyappa-

We have seen that deities are Devatas we conceive and consecrate to achieve certain results. Brahma, Vishnu and Siva form the Trimurtis who are at the top of the hierarchy of 330 million gods and goddesses (Devatas). Brahma oversees all creations and Vishnu sustains the created beings. Siva is the destructive force that ensures the timeliness of the cycle of birth, life, and death.

Lord Siva has three children: the older one is Ganapathi – He is the presiding deity of Scholars (Panditha ganas). The second one is Senapathi – the presiding deity of warriors. The war is not just outside; it is also the war within one’s own inner self, between the good and the bad - dharma and adharma. The third one is Sree Dharma Sastha – He is the Bhoothaadhipathi –the presiding deity of Siva bhoothas. Siva bhoothas are Siva’s assistants who help the master to control the universe. Bhoothas are the five elements – Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Bhoothas are also 'created beings'. So, Dharma Sastha governs all that is to be governed, i.e., created being.

Although the Devata concept is the same, the deities of Sree Dharma Sastha and Ayyappa have distinct characteristics as listed below:

Deity Attributes	Sree Dharma Sastha  Temples (various)	Swamy Ayyappa at Sabarimala temple
Abode	Kailasa hill / Other places	Sabarimala hilltop only
Legends	Vedas & Itihasa	Local legends in South India
Incarnation	Divine	Human
Animal - Vehicle	Horse	Tiger
Time -Importance	Trans- Yugas	Kali- Yuga
Appearance	Saguna Moorthy	Saguna-Nirguna
Headgear	Golden Crown	Tied hair lock
Seat	Royal throne	Yoga podium
Attire	Blue	Black
Posture	Worldly and Agile	Yoga asana - Meditative
Number of Eyes	Three eyes	Two eyes
Forehead marking	Lines with ash	Gopi with Sandal paste
Bhava / Posture	Royal	Yogic
Hand-gesture	Boon & Protection	Gyan mudra
Stage in Life	All four stages	Sanyasi
Status	With Children	Celibate
Importance	Prosperity (Bhukthi)	Liberation (Mukthi)
Followers	All devotees	Devotees with Vratham*
Specialty	Regular Pooja	18 Steps, Ghee Abhishekam
Priest	Regular Priest	Resident at Sabarimala
Religiosity	Devotees of Hindu dharma	Devotees from all dharmas

*Vratham means 41 days of uninterrupted ascetic life. Women between the ages of 10 and 50 are deemed not able to fulfill these requirements and women devotees wait until their menopause to visit Sabarimala Swamy Ayyappa Temple. There are no restrictions to visit any of the Sree Dharma Sastha temples.