Lord of Five Hills

Sabarigiri vasa 

Ayyappa is popularly known as sabarigiri vasa, meaning the lord of sabarigiri who stays on sabarigiri. Just like lord venkateswara, who is called as lord of seven hills, ayyappa is known as lord of five hills.  There is a reason which needs to be understood why ayyappa is known as lord of five hills. Also he is popularily known as boothanatha. One needs to understand why he is known as boothanatha.

When proceeding to Sabarimala, after climbing the eighteen sacred steps of the shrine and step in to the front yard of the temple, what greets everyone  first is the huge inscription in Sanskrit and Malayalam “THATH THVAM ASI”, one of the four Mahaa-vaakyas, the great sayings, of the Vedas that reminds you: “Your are essentially That – the Supreme Reality”.

In realising this maha vakya, the major hurdle one faces is the ego. There are basic six internal enemies (Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Mada, Matsarya) inside us, which we need to conquer to be victorious in the path to realise the self. Apart from these basic six enemies, we have another major enemy within us known as ego, which is a major hurdle and very difficult to conquer. There are various methods suggested to weaken the ego. The deeksha had been designed in such a way that we can weaken the ego and conquer our mind and by the grace of ayyappa become victorious in path of knowing the self.

Abstinence is one of the ways to weaken Ego

 They are

1. Abstinence of food (fasting) for small period of time. - Earth Element.

2. Abstinence of food without taste -salt-less, sweet-less, avoiding meat-foods or any favorite food  - water element.

3. Abstinence from  Sex - Fire element

4. Abstinence from an addictive ( favorite or sensually entertaining ) activity - Air element

5. Abstinence from talking- Silence -Space element.

All these five elements are observed in Sabarimala which makes this a wonderful pilgrimage to purify the body and the mind. The power of Abstinence if not clearly  understood, will give an impression that pilgrimage is a meaningless torture of the body and mind.

The five elements or Pancha Bhootas

The Boothanaathopaakhyaanam is the main Puraana related to Dharma Saastha or Ayyappa. Dharma Sastha is also known as Boothanaatha, because from Him-the supreme Reality – evolved the Pancha bhootas, the five elements, or the five phases of evolution from the subtlest to the grossest, as Aakaasa (the physical space), Vaayu (the gaseious stage), Agni (the fiery stage, or the stage of chemical combination), Apa (the stage of liquidity) and Prithvi (the stage of solidity).

Through the five abstinence practices one can transcend the Ego and realize the Consciousness the uncaused cause of all manifestations. Only through the purification of the body, mind and Ego , can one attain Self-realization. This is indicated by the 18 steps of Sabarimala. The 18 steps are considered to be the 18 things which we need to conquered to realise the self/ayyappa. 

We can consider it in this way also, that each year we conquer one quality or submit one quality at the feet of lord by taking mandala deeksha and doing sabari yatra. To identify that a person has conquered all his 18 qualities which were a hurdle in his self realisation, he will plant a coconut tree at sabari mala in his 18th year deeksha. If a person had really submitted a quality at the feet of the lord or conquered the quality which was acting as an hurdle in his self-realization, his life is a transformed life and he is a tool in the hands of the lord, and he doesnt find difference between him and the lord. He will see the lord everywhere and he will not have any differences between the various forms of the lord. 

To mark the significance of this, generally we associate 18 hills with sabarimala, which are around the sabarimala and the list of the 18 hills are as given below.

The 18 Hills associated with sabarimala.

1. Ponambalam medu

2. Kundall mamala

3. Sundara mamala

4. Nagranezum mala

5. Ingiparakota

6. Karinira mamala

7. Mayiladum mamala

8. Chittambalamala

9. Sripadam mala

10.Pudhusheri mamala

11.Madangga mala

12.Kalkimaleshwara mamala

13.Nelakkal shivamala

14.Thalapara mala

15.Devar mala

16.Kalakatti mala

17.Neelimala

18.Sabariponnmala Sabarimala

Om Sri Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Om Sri Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa

Om Sri Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa