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AYYA VAIKUNTAR |
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paritranaya
sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam |
For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born from age to age. Bhagavad Gita (4.8) |
Suffering of the weak:
Even though their hardwork was used to build temples, low castes were not allowed into any Hindu temples or even on streets of high caste people in South India. They could not even fetch water from wells used by high castes and were not allowed to wear any clothes on the upper parts of their body. They were not allowed to build houses with roofs and even could not name their children with names resembling those of Hindu Gods. In those days, the high castes had the right to kill the low castes if they violated these rules. As the high caste community had full influence and control over the kings of South India and British rulers, these poor people did not have any other place to complain except to God.
Lord Vaikuntar:
Hearing their prayers, Lord Vaikuntar came as a manu avatar of Lord Narayana, lived with the poor people, fought against this evil and relieved the spell of present kali yuga. The fascinating history, numerous miracles and also the scriptures written through Him (Akilathirattu and Arul-Nool) are all evidence for this avatar.
The manu avatar started when Muthukutty went and immersed himself in the sea for three days where he obtained vinjay from Lord Narayana. He came back as Lord Vaikuntar with a new manifestation and performed tapas for 6 years. He loved people of all castes and established a new path called Ayya-Vazhi, a simple procedure to worship God which is currently spreading fast in South as well as in North India.
He advised people to practice ahimsa and boycott all the suppressive demands and rules established by the high castes and Kings. As a result, induced by the high castes, Ayya Vaikuntar was tortured in many ways by the King (as forecasted to Him by Lord Narayana). He overcame all these wonderously even when He was put into a burning limestone kiln, kept with a hungry tiger, given poison as well as other tortures. All these miracles and His simple teachings attacted people of all castes and creeds and thus He established the new religion.
He instructed that Siva, Vishnu and Brahma are all one and the same. He advised everyone to be a vegetarian and instructed that it is not necessary to use Sanskrit or sophisticated mantras to worship God, but one can use any language one knows. He introduced a simple way of worshipping God. Using sacred-clay (namam) and water from a common well He dug, He cured innumerable diseases of the people. Due to their immense affection, people called Him 'Ayya' meaning 'dear father'. Orthodox high castes who did not like Vaikuntar became angry and were also afraid of Him.
Ayya-Vazhi, meaning 'Path of Ayya', is a people's religion. It is a simple way of worshipping God and reaching Vaikuntam, the abode of Sriman Narayana. It is a simplified and distinct religion within Hinduism. Ayya Vaikuntar instructed His people to be vegetarians, live a pure life and advised them to be good to their enemies too. He was against animal sacrifice and did not encourage idol worship. Ayya Vaikuntar explained how to worship God, five times every day by chanting 'ayya siva siva arahara arahara' and asked them to read His books.
All the Ayya-Vazhi temples are built and managed by common people in contrast to the large temples built or supported by rulers. In all these temples, there isn't any idol, instead, one will find a saffron cloth wrapped on a wooden jyothi (shape of a flame) with a mirror at the back. When worshipping in these temples, people see their own image with the jyothi, suggesting that the God is really within oneself similar to the jyothi, and by knowing oneself, one really knows God.
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