Why Lord Dharma Sastha descended on earth?
by
--Bhakta Dasan Sri V.
NILAKANTA IYER, Trivandrum
Lord Parasurama reclaimed
the fair land of Kerala Western Ghats on the eastern side. The
most famous of the Sasthashrines is the one at Sabari Malai. In many places
Sastha is being installed as
a guardian angel.
Why did Dharma Sastha
descend on earth?
The three Trinity forces
combined and Dattathreya was born. The three Trinity consort forces combined
and was born as daughter to Rishi Galava. She was named Leelavathi. Dattathreya
and Leelavathi joined in wed-lock and they lived happily for a good length of
time.
As time went on Dattathreya
yearned to go back and merge in Trinity. Leelavathi would not let him go. There
was an altercation, at the end of which Dattathreya cursed Leelavathi. He said
that she would be born a Mahishi (She-buffolow). Leelavathi cursed Dattathreya
in return and said that he would be born as a
Mahishan (He-buffalow). The two curses took effect, Leelavathi becoming a
Mahishi and Dhattatreya becoming a Mahishan. The two (Dattathreva and
Leelavathi) were reveling together for sometime. Dhattatreya again yearning for
his merge with Divinity left Mahishi and had a merge. Mahishi started
perpetrating atrocities in this world and in the nether worlds. So, Mahishi is
depicted as the incarnation of evil. When evil prevailed in the world and
Dharma was at low ebb, the Lord had to descend on earth as Dharma Sastha. One
of the purposes of this Avtar was " Mahishi Mardanam" (The
destruction of evil).
King Rajasekhara of Pandalam
was a Brahmin by name Vijaya in his previous birth. Vijaya had no issues. So he
went to sage after sage and prayed to bless him with progeny. At last he went
to Sabari of Ramayana fame. Sabari gave him a pot, asked him to go north from
her ashram and when he reached a particular spot on a hill side asked him to go
west, down the slope of the hill until he came to a rivulet and when reached
there to fill the pot with water and pour it on his own head. He did as
directed, as he poured the water on his head the pot slipped down from his hand
and broke to pieces. As he stood there wondering what to do, a boy appeared
before him and asked him what he wanted. Vijaya by intuition knew that the boy
who stood before him was none other than the Lord himself. So he told the boy.
"You should be my son" the Lord said "be it so". In due
course Vijaya was born as king Rajasekharan of
Pandalam.
Lord
Dharma Sastha had a curse that he should undergo human sensitude for a period
of twelve years. So after obtaining Lord Shiva's permission Dharma Sastha lay
on a sand bank in the river Pamba with a bell tied around his neck. When king
Rajasekhara of Pandalam; went to that spot for hunting, the king picked up the
child and handed him over to his queen on his return from hunt. He was named
Manikantan. The child was in Pandalam for a period of 12 years in human
sensitude.
Having served at Pandalam
for 12 years it was time for the Lord to fulfill the other purpose of HIS
Avatar. So, by HIS wish, the queen, HIS foster mother had an illusory
head-ache. By HIS wish he made the King's Minister call in a physician. By HIS
wish HE made the physician suggest the cure of the queen's head-ache, a
medicine should be prepared for which an ingredient should be the milk of a
live leopardess. So, on the minister's suggestion King Rajasekhara sent
Manikantan to the forest to fetch a live leapordes's milk. The boy (Manikanta)
prayed to Lord Shiva I and started for the forest. Rajasekhara who was a
worshipper of Shiva gave Manikanta a coconut (symbolizing Shiva) for HIS
protection, before HE left.
Manikantan reached the
forest. All the Bhoodaganams of Shiva appeared before Him as Leapords and
Leapordesses. Indira himself appeared before him as huge Tiger. Manikantan rode
on the Tiger's back to Pandalam bringing with HIM the entire band of
leapordesses. On seeing this return of Manikanta on the Tiger followed by herds
of Leapords and Leapordesses, the people of Pandalam were in panic and ran
helter-skelter. Then Manikanta revealed his identity and initiated king
Rajasekhara into Gnana Yoga and the minister, the queen and the physician into
Karma Yoga. HE taught the jealous queen, the ambitions minister and the wicked
physician that the only Karma they had to do was to seek refuge in HIM.
The Guru taught Manikanta
and initiated HIM into all Abhyasams was one named Vijaya. Vijaya had a deaf
and dumb child. At the request of the Guru's wife, that Manikanta should set
right his child; HE sprinkled some water over the child and anointed it. The
child started hearing and talking. This incident perhaps shows that the Lord
descended on earth to cure mankind of physical maladies also. Leaving Pandalam
He went to the forest where he was joined by HIS parivarams such as Dwaparan
and Kaduvaran (Vavar and Caduthai) It was the month of panguni, the day on
which the Uthram star was ascendant.
Mahishi was perpetrating
atrocities in heaven. The Lord went there, caught Mahishi by the herbs and
flung her down on earth. Her body fell on the bank of the River Alasa, now
called Azutha. The Lord came down and started dancing on the body. It is said
that Lord Shiva and Parvathi came on their riding bull and halted at a place
called Kalaikatti, from there to witness " Mahishi Mardhanam"
destruction of evil in this world.
Having initiated king
Rajasekhara into Gnana Yoga, the Lord shot an arrow to show him the spot where
to construct the shrine, to install HIM. The king could follow the course of
the arrow with his mental eyes. The arrow flew past Sabari Peedam and struck
against a peepal tree.
Sabari was a huntress who
reached dizzy heights in the spiritual plane by Guru Bakthi and service of Guru
along. Poet Valmiki has assigned to hear a very exalted position in the
Ramayana. Lord Dharma Sastha is said to have raised her to the state of
Nirvana.
So, the Lord descended on
earth to destroy evil, to undergo human servitude for 12 years, teach Gnana
Yoga to people like king Rajasekhara, to fulfill his promise to the Brahmin
Vijaya to be his son, to teach erring mankind, that the only Dharma they had to
do was to seek refuge in HIM and to raise Sabari to the state of Nirvana.
At Sabarimalai Lord
Dharmasastha is seated on Padmasana (a thousand petalled Lotus) HE is sitting
on his feet, the legs and body being tethered together by a Yoga pattai. The
left arm resting on the left knee has the hand pointing down to the left foot.
The right arm resting on the right knee has the hand raised up with the tips of
the thump and the pointing finger joined together, showing thereby that the
Lord merges the Jeevathma in the Paramathma. [The thumb is the paramathma and
the pointing finger is the Jeevathma].
SWAMIYE SARANAM AYYAPPA
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