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Ayya Vaikundar (), according to Akilattirattu Ammanai , a scripture of the Ayyavazhi , was a Manu (father, sovereign) Avatar (the incarnation of a Deity ) of Narayana . As per the Ayyavazhi Mythology the body in which Ayya Vaikundar incarnated is that of Mudisoodum Perumal. ''Akilathirattu Ammanai, Akilam nine, verse 431-438 Narayana ordering two celestial saints to bring the body of Mudisoodum Perumal for the incarnation of Vaikundar'' He is referred to as Sampooranathevan, a Deva (a deity), in the religious book Akilam . '''N.Vivekananthan's''' ''Akilathirattu Ammanai, Moolamum Uraiyum'' Pakam Ontu, Chapter 8, page-414, line 17-20 ''Birth of Sampooranathevan'' However the exact date of birth of Mudisoodum Perumal was unknown. The Akilattirattu Ammanai mention that when the body of Mudisoodum Perumal is taken into the sea he was 24 years old. In that sense it was predicted as 1809 and in history there are different views about the year of birth. But some historians opinions it as 1810 '''V.T.Chellam's''', ''Thamizaka Varalarum Panpadum'' Chapter 12, Page 493, (foot note) ''"The reserchers's views and my earlier views as 1803 should be corrected as 1810."'' while others follow the view of Akilam. '''R.Ponnu's''' ''Vaikuntacuvamikal Valvum Valikattalum'', 1983, page-38 '''M.S.S.Pandiyan's''', ''Meanings of Colonialism and Nationalism :An essay on Vaikunda Swamy Cult'' , Studies in History, Vol.VIII 1992 page 177 '''A.Sreedhara Menon's''' ''A Survey of Kerala History'', Madras 1996 (Revised Edition), Page 400 '''Arunan's''' ''Tamilakatil Camuka Cirtirutam Irunuttantu Varalaru'', Madurai:Vaihai Publications, 1999, page-28 Any way the exact day and month of birth was unknown. BIRTH OF BODY AND SPIRIT See Also: Sampooranathevan In 1809 a child born to the couple Ponnu Nadar and '''Veiyelal''' in South India , at Swamithoppe in the Kanyakumari District. They are of Channar cast, which was considered as a lower caste in the then society. They are of very poor means, and initially named the child '''Mudisoodum Perumal''', meaning "Lord Vishnu with a crown", but due to objections from those of higher Caste , the family changed his name to Muthukutty . '''P.Sarveswaran's''', ''Sri Vaikunda Swamikal-A Forgotten Social Reformer of Kerala'', Page-3 The religious book, Akilam , states a legend that the child was born dead, and then the soul of the Deva Sampooranathevan was installed in the body. According to the legend, the parents found the child still for a time immediately after the birth, and then the child began behave normally. Thereafter, that boy grew up called Muthukutty in human history, and '''Sampooranathevan''' in Ayyavazhi Mythology . Muthukutty, a religious minded boy, had special interest the worship of climber and as an agricultural laborer. G,Patrick's Religion and Subaltern Agency, Chapter 4, Page78 THE TRANSFORMATION In his twenty-fourth year, Muthukutty was struck by a severe illness and suffered for a year. His mother took her sick son to the temple at . This place became a holy place for the devotees of Ayyavazhi and they erected a temple there named Avatharappathi at Thiruchendur. This process is celebrated during the festival of Ayya Vaikundar Avataram . THE INCARNATION OF AYYA VAIKUNDAR Ayya Vaikundar, who arose from the sea at Thiruchendur on 20th of the Tamil Month of Masi, ''(March 4th, 1833 A.D; 3/4/1833)'' is considered a unique Avatar by the followers of Ayyavazhi. Akilam , speaks about it in great detail, as summarized below:
According to Ayyavazhi legends Ayya Vaikundar was not merely a human, not merely Narayana , and not merely the Ultimate Soul , but he was a human and he was the Ultimate Soul and he was Narayana . He was the one who had the responsibility to destroy the evil. There is another vew that Vaikundar did not take a human body and showed only a bodily appearance ''Thechanathu Thuvarakapathi Akilathirattu Akakorvai'' published by ''Thechanathu Thuvarakapathi'', page 37 to mankind based upon some quotes in akilam. N.Vivekanandan's ''Akilattirattu Ammanai moolamum uraiyum'', Pakam 2 Chapter 11, page 112, lines 34,35. TAVAM See Also: Tavam of Vaikundar Having reached Poovantanthoppe, (present-day Swamithope ), he undertook to perform a penance. The penance consisted of three stages, each spanning two years. There is a tradition that describes his postures during the six-year tavam as follows: during the first two years, he stood inside a pit of six depth, during the next two years, squatted on the ground, and, during last two years, sat on a raised platform. His appearance was squalid, "long and entangled plait of hair" and frayed clothes. He spoke less and subsisted on frugal meals. G.Patrick's, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 4, Page 79:''He seems to have spoken less and subsisted on frugal meals.'' INCINERATING EVIL SPIRITS Akilattirattu speaks of this act of incinerating the evil spirits as an important event in the incarnation of Ayya Vaikundar. It took place when he was performing his great penance, which had been announced by him to be the means of destroying the Kalimayai - the illusory evil force. G.Patrick's, Religion and Subaltern Agency, Chapter 4, Page-80 He, then, gathered the people around, and caused some of them, both male and female, to get possessed of the evil spirits (peyattam). G.Patrick's ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 4, Page 80 The possessed ones came and danced in front of the crowd as if the evil spirits had come upon them. Vaikundar, then, ordered these evil spirits to make an oath, in front of the people, to surrender their powers and get burned up in flames. When he had finished his orders, those dancing under the duress of possession got exhausted and fell flat on the ground. Thus the evil spirits were incinerated. Akilattirattu Ammanai published by t.Palaramachandar Nadar, Star Press:Suchindrum, 9th impression, 1989, page 254-260 SEIZING THE POWERS OF WITCHCRAFT, SORCERY, AND OTHER ESOTERIC MAGICAL PRACTICES Similarly, Vaikundar performed another action to 'seize the esoteric evil powers'. Akilam says that, he took away the powers of those who knew to perform witchcraft, sorcery, and other magical rituals. People living in the hills, called as Kanikkarar, were believed to be powerful shamans or witchdoctors, having powers to contain or to provoke the demons. Vaikundar, in a trance, made some of these Kanikkarar to testify in front of the people that they had surrendered their powers. People grew appreciative of Ayya's actions. They began addressing him as Vaikuntacami. This implied an attribution of divinity to Vaikundar. G.Ptrick's, Religion and Subaltern Agency, Chapter 4, Page 80 Vaikundar exhorted the people as follows: "There are no demons, no devils, No ill effects of magical practices, No disease, no pain, and no extortion of taxes, And, therefore, live courageously." VAIKUNDAR AS PANTARAM ; 'Surai Koodu', 'Pirambu' and 'Thandayam'.]] The fame of Vaikundar had begun to spread in the countries of Travancore and Tirunelveli , and he had been gradually recognised socially as a religious person with extraordinary powers. G.Patrick's, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 4, Page 81 In the religious parlance of the time, he was addressed as a Pantaram , a religious person hailing from, and serving the ordinary folk. Akilattirattu addresses him as NarayanaPantaram. ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' Published by ''T.Palaramachandarn Nadar, 9th impression'', 1989, Page 253. People came to him to listen to his teachings and instructions, to be cured by him of different diseases, to witness, worship and serve a religious person. Vaikundar encouraged the people to come together around a well to take a ritual bath, irrespective of caste differences. He encouraged them to dine together in his presence. ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' Published by T.Palaramachandarn Nadar, 9th impression, 1989, Page 251. He gave out a number of teachings and instructions, the central point of which was that he had come to abolish Kali Yukam , and to usher in an age of Dharma Yukam , during the time of which the now-oppressed and suffering people would be liberated and rule the land under his leadership. 'Uplift of the lowly is dharmam’ ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' Published by T.Palaramachandarn Nadar, 9th impression, 1989, Page 212. was a constant refrain in his teachings. G.Patrick's, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 4, Page-81 People were encouraged to serve as catalysts for the destruction of Kali by transforming themselves to be 'people of Dharma Yukam' and to acquire a new character. The new character would come upon them, he said, if they learned to live with self-respect, social dignity and fearlessness. Underscoring the importance of self-respect and social dignity, he said, ‘if one lives with dignity and self-respect, the kali would destroy itself’ . He said when people grew out of Kalimayai , Dharma Yukam would unfold itself and in that age, he would rule over the people as Dharma Raja , the king of Dharma Yukam. G.Patrick's, ''Religion and Subaltern Agency'', Chapter 4, Page-81 ORDEALS Against the background of the growing popularity of Vaikundar, and the convergence of people around him in multitudes, a complaint seems to have been lodged against him with the King Of Travancore . The king arrested Vaikundar and tortured him. LMS Report of 1838, Page 71: ''"The Government however, interfered, and the excitement quickly died away."'' There s an information from oral tradition that the king took action against Vaikundar at the behest of the British power to which the LMS missionaries had petitioned in this regard, because of the growth of such a religious phenomenon was a hindrance to their missionary enterprise. But there is nothing in Akilam to support this view. There is an opinion that Ayya was arrested on 11 November, 1839. Manibharathi, "Samithoppu Ayya Narayana Cuvami - 3" in Tina Tanti Kutumba Malar, in dt.08-01-1995, Page-4 But the date is not mentioned in Akilam. ''See also: Vaikundar's Trial .'' POST-IMPRISONMENT ACTIVITIES After he returned from imprisonment, Vaikundar inspired a group of his devotees to undertake a religious exercise called )''." The deities were made to 'come upon' some of the female devotees who became their human media, and then a marriage ceremony was performed eith these human media. ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' published by T.Palaramachandarn Nadar, 9th impression, 1989, Page 336-338 There were ceremonial processions held amidst singing, incantations and shouts of joy by the followers. Several rites and rituals were instituted during these occasions. G.Patrick's, Religion and Subalter agency, Chapter 4, Page 83 ATTAINING VAIKUNDAM Later Vaikundar was invited by his devotees to their homes and treated in a grand manner. By way of soliciting his blessings, his devotees carried him to different places. During these occasions, he laid foundations in various places for small shrine-like centres, called as Nizhal Thangal s. Vaikundar came to recognize five individuals as his closest disciples. Through one of his disciples, Hari Gopalan Citar , he wrote the holy book, called Akilam . ''Akilattirattu Ammanai'' published by Vivekanantha Pathippakam, 2004, Page 4 On 3rd June 1851, (malayalam era 1026 Vaikasi,21) Vaikundar attained Vaikundam ''(see also: Attaining Vaikundam )''. Akilattirattu Ammanai published by T.Palaramachandran Nadar, 9th impression, 1989 page But How ever Samuel Mateer mentions the year as 1848. Samuel Mateer's, The Land of Charity, page-222. But today most of the historians opinins it as it is mentioned in Akilam. As he attained Vaikundam his body was interned in a tomb and, around that, a pati (temple) was raised later on. His devotees continued to visit this site, and performed the rituals as they used to do when Vaikundar was bodily present. His life and works remain the foundation of the Ayyavazhi . The head temple of the Ayyavazhi religion is the Swamithoppepathi and is located in the Village of Swamithope . FIVE CITARS Ayya Vaikundar has five disciples (citars). According to Akilattirattu Ammanai the Pandavas of previous Dwapara Yukam was made to take birth in this Kali Yukam as Citars of Vaikundar. They are: SEE ALSO
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