The Symbolic Significance Of Sabarimala Pilgrimage

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The legends of Hinduism are packed with spiritual potency that need to be delved to realize the hidden meaning beneath the stories. The legend of Swami Ayyappan is well known. The rituals associated with Ayyapan worship is followed fervently across the country irrespective of differences like caste and creed. A heart that is devout with devotion accepts the truth without much interrogation as the outcome of Bakthi. Whereas a rational mind seeks to assuage its intellect about the underlying principle of the story before diving into the patterned rituals. The rituals associated with Swami Ayyappan portray the Vedantic principle of Non-Duality.

The Vradh

The devotees of Ayyappan follow the 41 days Vradh or fast. Rigorous practises go into the special worship during the 41 days. Devotees observing the fast abstain from non vegetarian food, alcohol and sex for 41 days. They deny the least comforts of the body by walking barefoot and sleeping on the floor etc. Some even do not shave and grow a beard. The negligence of the body symbolically represent traversing beyond the body towards spiritual realization. The journey on foot through the jungle symbolically represent the arduous efforts one has to take towards God realization or self realization.

Black, Blue or Safforn attire

The devotees who observe the Vradh or fast adorn them self in black, blue or safforn attire. Black stands for simplicity and humility, blue for infinity and saffron for sacrifice. Simplicity, humility and sacrifice are important principles that lead one towards the ultimate goal of realization. Infinity stands for the uniformly scattered oneness all over like the sky and the ocean.

Guruswamy

Devotees begin the fast under the supervision of a person acclaimed to have observed the fast and has visited Sabarimalai not less than seven consecutive years. He is called the Guruswamy. Accepting the supervision of the Guruswamy represent the Hindu concept of surrendering to the guidance of a teacher or a Guru to embark on the path of spirituality.

Irumudi

The Irumudi is a significant part of the Ayyappan worship. It consist of a bag containing two compartments. The first contains the sacred coconut with ghee and other articles for worship and the other reserved for minimal personal belongings. The personal belongings represent the Prarabhdha Karma or the accumulation of the merits and demerits accrued from countless births of the individual. The personal belongings that get exhausted on the journey towards Sabarimalai represents the burning of the karma that results in more births hindering the oneness with the divine. Realization or oneness with God is possible only on the exhaustion of one's karma ( the results of past actions ).

The outer shell of the coconut represents the ego or the very association of oneself with the body. The two of the holes or eyes that the coconuts have represent the intellect and the third the spiritual eye. The ghee that is poured and corked in the coconut for worship on reaching Sabarimalai represent the 'Atman' . Realization is possible only when one transcends the mind, body complex. The intellect is within the realm of the mind. The third eye of the coconut which is corked is the spiritual eye that is opened and through which the ghee ( Atman ) is poured over the Lord who is the Paramatma on reaching Sabarimalai. This signifies the union of the Jeevatma or Atman with the Paramatma.

Once the ghee is emptied over the lord ( union of the Jeevatma with the Paramatma ), the shell is thrown into the fire that signifies the end of the body which does not assume any more forms in endless births. This signifies the culmination of the cycle of birth and death on realizing the true nature of oneself which represents the union of the Jeevatma and the Paramatma.

18 Steps

The eighteen steps leading to the sanctum on arriving at the Sabarimalai Sri Ayyappan temple represent the 5 Indriyas or the senses, the 8 ragas or attachments and the three gunas or the tendencies of the mind followed by Vidya and Avidya which is knowledge and ignorance. The transcendence of the aforesaid would only result in spiritual realization or self realization. Spiritual realization is represented by pouring the ghee over the deity which symbolizes the Jeevatma's union with the Paramatma on reaching the sanctum by climbing the 18 steps.

The Makara Jyoti

The Makara Jyoti represent Lord Ayyappan who visualizes Himself on the Ponnambalamedu in the form of a sacred fire to the devotees who have fondly undergone strenuous measures to seek His darshan or presence.

Hence let us understand the meaning behind the practice of rituals associated with Sabarimala pilgrimage and perform the penance in the most fulfilling way.