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Religious Reforms
| yajante sattvika devan yaksa-raksamsi rajasah pretan bhuta-ganams canye yajante tamasa janah (B. Gita 17.4) | "People in the mode of goodness worship devas; those in the mode of passion worship demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits." - Bhag. Gita 17.4 |
Need of a Religious Reform
In those days, as low castes were not allowed to visit any Hindu temple, they were worshipping God in their own ways. Even though God is one, people worship many deities in Hinduism and the worship of every deity requires its own unique method and procedure. These rituals are complicated and very difficult for the common people. Also the religious texts were kept only with the Brahmins and the Sanskrit mantras could not be understood by common people. The religion was a mundane ritual with the purpose of getting material boons. In the name of such Gods, they performed numerous animal sacrifices to satisfy their own pallete. Lord Vaikuntar decided to eradicate these practices...
Simplified religion (The Ayya-vazhi)
Lord Vaikuntar instructed that it was not necessary to worship God with sophisticated rituals and mantras. He said that God wants love not rituals and anything offered with love is acceptable to God. In Bhagavad Gita (9.26), Lord Krishna says:
'patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayachati
tad aham bhaktya-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah'
"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it"
Lord Vaikuntar wanted to simplify the worship and started the Ayya-Vazhi path.
Temples (Nizhan Thangals)
The temples, called Nizhal Thangals are simple buildings built by the people to worship God without distinction of color, race or caste. Equality among the people is strictly maintained and everybody is expected to be clean. In the temples, there is no poojari, no incences, no arati and not even any hundies. Ayya told people that God does not need any money and the only thing God needs is Love.
Local language for worship
Ayya Vaikuntar advised the people to use one's own local language to worship God. He taught that Sanskrit and mantras are not required to worship the almighty God. He gave His own simple chant 'Ayya Siva Siva Araka Arakara' in the local language to pray to God. For the common people this is very clear and easy to understand. Through His disciples, Ayya wrote books, Arul-Nool and Akilathirattu, in Tamil. Even though one can find the main extracts of the ancient Hindu scriptures in His books, Ayya wrote His books only in Tamil and advised all the people to read His books.
Worship of one God
Even to pundits, what to speak of common people, it is very difficult to grasp the different manifestations of the almighty God. Today, we see these pundits discriminate between one God and another. Lord Vaikuntar preached that Brahma, Vishu and Siva are one and the same God. He asked the people to wear a turban on their heads and wear a long dhoti while worshipping. He preached against praying to the manifestations such as demi-gods and other devatas who are mostly worshipped by the people for material boons and favours. He strongly advised worshiping the one and only God and nothing else. He also asked the people to worship God five times a day.
No deity worship
Ayya Vaikuntar discouraged worshipping God in deity form. Ayya Vaikuntar taught that it is not possible to confine God in material form and did not want His people to follow this worship. However, without a material symbol, it is difficult for the common people to worship. In all the Ayya-Vazhi temples, a saffron cloth wrapped on a wooden jyothi (shape of a flame) with a mirror at the back is placed at the sanctum sanctorium. When worshipping, people see their own image with the jyothi thus worshipping God (the paramatma) within the body. He also preached that by knowing oneself in reality, one really knows God.
(Note: Idol worship is unauthentic way of assuming God in any object and in general is an offense to the God. Deity worship is where the figure of God is made as per the scriptures [lakshna] and then His power is manifested so that the devotee can have a closer personal relation in Bhakti Yoga. Thus, it will not work in any religion that has fear or basic servitude as the fundamental inclination for approaching God. Here it should be noted that Ayya did not preach Mayavadism or Advaitism where one equates oneself identical to God. The method He preached helped especially the poor and low caste who cannot know the scriptures and perform authentic deity worship. Also in Kali Yuga, deity worship is not recommended).
In reference to this, following slokas from Upanishads can be quoted. In Svetasvatara Upanishad III.13 and Kathopanishad II.i.13,14 it is stated that the Lord like a flame (adhumakah) without smoke eternally resides in every life.
No animal sacrifice
In the name of sacrifice to the Gods, people were killing innocent animals. This was partly due to the rituals to obtain boons and partly to satisfy their own tongues. Ayya Vaikuntar was fully against any kind of animal sacrifice and asked His people to be vegetarians. He wanted all His people to follow ahimsa. Even cracking a coconut, which is normally done in many Hindu temples as a sacrifice, is not allowed in Ayya-Vazhi temples. Any simple offerings such as fruits, flowers and leaves offered with love are readily accepted by God.
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