My Special article given for Journal of Indological Studies
Appeasing
Sastha :
Theory Text And Practice Of
Sastha Preethi In South India
Shri Maha Sasthru Priya Dasan
V. Aravind
Subramanyam, (Sastha Aravind)
President, Shri Maha Sasthru Seva Sangam
Thejovathy, 94 B, Third Street, Tatabad, Coimbatore 641012
Ph:(0)99946 41801
Email: aravindsai@gmail.com
Sabarimalai
Yatra, Ayyappa Pooja and Sasthapreethi are the three, most well known events
that please the Kaliyuga Varadha Swami Shree Dharma Sastha. For a Ayyappa
devotee the chanting of the celebrated three words is everything - "
Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa" – Oh
Lord Ayyappa, I come to Thee for refuge. The high and low meet on equal terms
in the presence of the Lord who is known as Dharmasastha – one who teaches and
upholds dharma.
Sasthapreethi is
a time tested mode of worshipping Lord Dharmasastha in a very religious way by
various samoohams and organizations in and around Kerala, and now in all parts
of the country and abroad. The religious
pooja is given more importance followed by Annadhanam.
One should not
confuse Sastha Preethi with Ayyappa puja or Sabarimalai Yatra; Sastha Preethi
in a unique and different form of worship which has its own methods and
procedures.
Origin :
The spreading of
Sastha Preethi as a cult (other than Kallidaikurichi) dates back to three
centuries.
Over 300 years
ago a handful of enterprising men, started from a village called
Kallidaikurichi,(Tirunelveli district). Their aim was to establish some
business and improve their material prospects.
The Karandhaiyar
palayam Samooham (of Kallidaikurichi) situated on the banks of river
Thamirabarani, was the origin of a concept called Sastha Preethi. Consisting of
18 Agraharams, Kallidaikurichi was in the western ghat region, it was the
border of Chera and Pandya Kingdoms
in yester years. Sastha was the beloved deity on both sides of hills.
Kallidakuruchi had a temple for Sastha.
Lord
‘Manikandan’ (during his human incarnation) had come to this village and had
called at the house of an old couple for some food. The Lord felt very happy
with their hospitality and became "Kambankudi Daasan". People started
celebrating the Lord and thus began the glorious Sastha Preethi through the
Kambankudi family who hailed from Kallidakuruchi.
When the people
of Karanthaiyar palaya samooham, moved out from Kallidaikurichi towards Kerala
in search of a new life, Lord Sastha promised that He would accompany them.
Passing through
hills and forests they underwent many hardships, but could overcome everything
by the grace of Lord Dharma Sastha. They understood that the divine blessing of
Lord Hariharaputra was following them. First they settled in a place between
the present Mavelikkara and Kayamkulam. But they were not happy and were
suffering with a sense of insecurity there… From there few groups settled at Kochi,
Few at Paravoor and another pocket at Trivandrum.
Vanji paattu
Those days the
geographical setup and main transport was water way. When the first Brahmin
settlement went to Kochi, Vanchi
Pattu (the boatmans song) was developed on the rivers and backwaters, sung by
boatman on voyages to keep up their spirit. So selected few Sastha Preethis
have Vanji Paattu as a part of their ritual. Singing on a typical folk tune,
the glory of their Saviour - Lord Sastha
is praised.
From
Kallidaikurichi, Kochi and
Paravoor, the concept of Sastha Preethi got widespread among the Brahmins who
settled in and around Kerala. Sastha is praised as “Paradesi Kavalan” - one who protects a person of a foreign
land in short Helper to the
helpless. This system further spread to Palakkad, Trichur , Ernakulam
districts of Kerala and Tirunelveli, Kanyakumari and Nagarcoil districts of
Tamilnadu.
The meaning of
the name Sastha Preethi is ‘appeasing Lord Dharma Sastha’ by pooja, songs and
mainly by offering sumptuous feast to His devotees.
Though there is
no standard written text for the procedure and methods, it is a customary
practice that is being followed in all the places.
There may be
slight variations on the pooja and procedures followed at various places of
Sastha Preethi by different persons, but the underlying principle is same.
Generally the
pooja on Sasthapreethi day comprises of Mahaganapathi Homam, Mahanyasa Japam,
Rudrabhishekam, Rudra Kramaarchana, Sastha Avahanam, Pooja, Sastha Sahasranamarchana,
Deeparadhana, Chaturvedaparayanam and singing of traditional Sastha Paattu songs.
Choosing the Day and Pooja practices:
Generally
traditional samoohams have a fixed date for their Sastha Preethi. A convenient
day is always chosen well in advance. It is a traditional practice that it’s
always a Saturday. But the other aspects of the day are scrutinized so that it
doesn’t hinder the feast and oil bath. (For example days like Ekadasi, Amavasai
are excluded). The persons who are invited as representatives of the Lord -
should compulsorily take an oil bath on the day of the event.
Regarding the
pooja methods - Vaidheeka or Thanthreeka or Mishra pooja is used for Sastha
Preethi according to the location. The priest invokes Lord Ganapathi, Ambal and
Dharma Sastha and His attendants (Parivara Devathas) on tall brass lamps
decorated tastefully.
The positioning
of the Lamps varies from place to place. Sastha lamp always occupies the
centre. All other lamps have fixed places with respect to the main lamp.
Kallidaikurichi
and Paroor have Guru and Ganapathy on either Side of Sastha; Whereas Kochi has
Ganapathi and Chellapillai on the either side. In few places all other
Parivarams like Karuppan, Kaduthan etc are placed on the left side of the Lord
and Yakshi or Devi swaroopams are seated on the right side. But a separate
South facing lamp is compulsorily placed for Boothanatha Swami who controls all
the parivaras.
Other than the
traditional samoohams and in neo-Sastha Preethis, there is a common placement
of Ganapathi and Devi on either side of Sastha.
It is also a
practice that Sastha Lamp is lit with ghee and all others are lit with sesame
oil.
Proper,
procedural, detailed pujas are done to the Lord according to the Kalpam.
Upacharas, Avarana Puja and other poojas are done which is followed by
Kramarchana or by Sahasranama Archana. ( Pancha / Ashta / Nava Avarana puja is
done to Sastha as per the school of thought. Texts like “Dharma Sasthru Pooja
Kalpam” of Bala Dhandayudhapani Swamigal, “Maha Sasthru Pooja Kalpadhrumam” –
attributed to Adhishankara, Dhakshinamnaya Pooja etc are used. We follow a
method of Navavarana puja to Sastha which is in line with Srividya Navavaranam)
Shanka pooja
plays an important role in Sastha Preethi. The people who get into trance are
invoked with the Lord’s grace through this Shanka theertham.
The specific
neivedhyams like Chathachayam Payasam, Ellurundai, Neiyappam are compulsory for
a Sastha Preethi. And in general the entire Payasam in which vessel it’s made -
is brought in front of the Lord.
Varavu Paattu
After the
detailed puja, neivedyam and deeparadhana followed by mantrapushpam a detailed Veda
Parayanam is made. After appeasing the Lord with Vedha gosham, the traditional
Sastha paattu (Varavu Paattu – inviting Songs) songs are sung.
All these Varavu
songs are written by a poet named Manidasa who lived around some 150-200 years
ago.Tamil poet-saint Arunagirinathar is considered as the Gurunathar of all
devotees of Lord Muruga. Likewise Manidasar, a descendant of the Kallidaikurichi
(Kambangudi) family lineage, is considered as the universal Gurunather of all
devotees of Lord Sastha. Manidasar has sung several hundred songs in praise of
Lord Hariharaputra – which are sung during the Sastha Preethi.
For each and
every event of the pooja he has rendered songs and poems called Viruttams.
He has also sung
five group songs, each group consisting of five vrittams. These are known as
“Kulaththur Panchagam, Aryankavu Panchagam, Achchanaar Panchagam, Muththayyan
Panchagam and Sabari Panchagam.
Several songs of
Manidasar register the glories and history of Lord Sastha. His songs are rich
with emotive beauty with meaningful words and with a perfect symphony.
There are very
few well versed singers in Kerala and in Tamilnadu. These singing follow a
tradition and starts from Ganapathi. Manidasar’s songs are there in Chaste
Tamil in praise of Lord Dharma Sastha inviting Him. Songs invoking Ganapathi,
Shastha, Chellapillai, Yakshi, Sangili Bhoothathan and other Parivara Devathas
are sung.
(Though not
compiled into a perfect text format, hundreds of songs of Manidasar are sung in
various parts of South India during the occasion of Sastha Preethi. We on
behalf of Shri Maha Sasthru Seva Sangam, have tried to compile few songs of
Manidasar and have released a book titled “Sampradhaya Sastham Paattu in the
year 2009)
Sthanikas and their Trance:
While singing, the
traditional upasakas or Sthanakaras of the respective deities gets into a
trance and gets the supreme power invoked within them. In General Sastha,
Chellapillai, Yakshi and Boothathan are the deities who are invited. Very
rarely a place is given to Karuppan or Maadan.
Before the
singing starts, eleven or more plantain leaves (Nuni elai) are bundled and decorated with sandal paste,
kumkum and flowers and kept in the sannidhanam of the Lord during the pooja .
All the ayudhams of Lord Sastha and the Parivaras are also placed near the main
lamp.
A wooden plank
is decorated with Kolam and placed before the Lord. In few places the peeta
puja of the respective deities is done to the wooden plank. These Sthanikas (or
Komarams as addressed by local people) who get into trance sit on this wooden
plank.
It’s a customary
practice that the moolamantram of Sastha is enchanted on Punugu (Civet) and
handed over to the Sthanikar of Sastha. Once he gets into trance, he in turn
hands over similar enchanted Vibhuti to Chellapillai and Boothathan, Kunkumam
to Yakshi and Manjal (Turmeric) to Karuppan. Similarly the person with the
trance of Lord Sastha accepts all the ayudhams from the priest and gives the
respective ayudhams to the respective deities (in trance).
These Sthanikas are
offered respect by the devotees and upacharas are done to them. They are seated
on the wooden plank and abhishekam is done to them. They are decorated with
garland, sandal paste and kumkum.
They bless the
devotees with prasadam and convey the deity's satisfaction in the conduct of
the Sasthapreethi.
The plantain
leaves are handed over by the representative of Lord Sastha along with vibhuthi
prasadam to the person organizing the pooja.
Only after this ritual, prasadam, the food is served to the public.
The Lord conveys
his message for the days and confirms his satisfaction about the Sastha Preethi
conducted. People prostrate before him, get blessed and receive Vibhoothi as
prasadam.
Once the sthanikas
come out of their trance, they offer back the respective ayudhams to the priest
and prostrate before the Lord and accept the shanka theertham.
The Lord accepts
any form of worship with devotion and dedication and to those who cast their
ego and with absolute surrender and purity prayerfully calls out to Him. He is
always there, ever ready to take them under His benign shelter and bestow upon
them health, wealth, happiness and prosperity. This is very well seen during
the Sastha Preethi festival. This is an occasion where one directly gets the
grace of the Lord.
We have been doing the Sasthalaya Sevanam - renovationg dilapidated Sastha Kshetrams.
Situated in a lush, green milieu at the banks of Tamraparni river, this temple is located at a beautiful place - a place of serene divinity. Iam sure this might have been associated to some ancient history of Parasurama Kshetram.
