Shamanism in Ayyavazhi
Encyclopedia
Shamanism
is in practice in Ayyavazhi
right from the period of Vaikundar. At present certain people who are considered to be posed by the divine power use to perform shamanism in many Ayyavazhi worship centers
. Though a whole acceptance from the followers in not there for this practise, several followers accept this. They claim that this practise was based on quotes on scriptures such as "to convey certain messages to the ordinary folk." Some also believe that through the words of these possessed persons one could be able to know what God tells about him or herself or their activities.
As part of shamanic practice, they exhort the people on various matters, practiced divination (Kanakku) to discern the causes of sickness and misfortunes, and 'foretold future happenings' . Some LMS
reports attest to the prevalence of shamans and shamanistic practices in centres of Ayyavazhi. This is now in practice in some worship centres. The Akilattirattu Ammanai
seems to have recognizes shamanic acts of worship. A quote in Arul Nool
reads, "For imparting knowledge and making things clear, I kept those who practice divination in the temples." Though shamanism was practised in Ayyavazhi, it was accepted by the scriptures only as an ignorant way of worship (beginning stage in worship) or the initial way to teach a beginner the metaphysics.
Desika Vinayaham Pillai, the popular poet from Travancore
, in his book Mammakkal Vali Manmiyam, alludes to the existence of practice of such 'kanakku' at Ayyavazhi centres of worship.
within Vaikundar, some people also believe that Mudisoodum Perumal is carried within Vaikundar after the incarnation of Vaikundar. (i.e.) Some time he acts as Vaikundar, sometimes as Mudisoodum Perumal, some times as Narayana
etc. There is also a believe that 'Vaikundar' is a divine power who was posed by the shaman Mudisoodum perumal. And in that case all the activities of Vaikundar found in Akilam was that of the 'divine posed Mudisoodum perumal'. All these complex ideas are made on the basis of different implications of phrase from Ayyavazhi scriptures. There is also a belief that Mudisoodum perumal himself is a shaman before the incarnation of Vaikundar, where he is being possessed by Narayana.
Mudisoodum perumal as a shaman and had the faculty of ecstatic religiosity that manifested in modes of trances. Many texts from Akilattirattu Ammanai
and Arul Nool
are believed to point to the fact that he gave out instructions to people from a state of such ecstatic religiosity. They speak of this state as that of ‘singing’, uttering predictions in a style of hoot, lamentations etc. For example a text in Akilam says that he “danced in a circle”, saying, “today a word of instructions ha scome upon me”, and then, from the state, exhorted the people to undertake a tavam. Another text in Arul Nool reads as "I, a 'pallikkanakkan' (one who practises divination in a temple), am coming by dancing on a point”, and another as, “I came to make you dance, sing, and spring you in ecstasy”.
, Mantaikkattal, Leksmi, Valli
, Teivanai and Pumatantai. The gist of the narration is what follows, The deities were made to 'come upon' some of the female devotees who were in the gathering. Vaikundar, then, 'entered into a conversation' with them and 'convinced' each deity that time had arrived for them to get 'unified' unto himself so as to end the kaliyukam. He then 'married' them one by one and unified them all into himself. He seems to have enacted this symbolic drama at Ambalappathi
, one among the Pathi
s.
Akilattirattu says that when this marriage took place, The Santror
realised that all the curses incurred by them had been absolved henceforth, and the end of Kaliyukam and the dawn of tarmayukam became imminent. All these events took place in the ambience of the ecstatic religiosity that surrounded the gathering of the followers of Vaikundar.
Also these types of actions are commonly found in Nizhal Thangal
s which conduct pujas to Kali and other tribal deities. Since such practices of worshipping other deities are not allowed as per Ayyavazhi theology, the criticism over such possessions are accepted as a standard vision in the Ayyavazhi universe.
Akilam says about a false deity which was sent to the world by Narayana after Vaikundar attained Vaikundam. It also states that this False deity use to say, "I am Vaikundar, I was the one who married the deities and unified into myself." Also this false deity show many magic practices and also many miracles. Some people use to compare the shamanic actions to that of False deity. They cite several quotes from Ayyavazhi scriptures for their criticism. But with a different point of view the supporters of shamanism give different synonymous outputs for the quotes and strengthen their stands.
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
is in practice in Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi
Ayyavazhi is a dharmic belief system that originated in South India in the 19th century. It is cited as an independent monistic religion by several newspapers, government reports and academic researchers. In Indian censuses, however, the majority of its followers declare themselves as Hindus...
right from the period of Vaikundar. At present certain people who are considered to be posed by the divine power use to perform shamanism in many Ayyavazhi worship centers
Worship centers of Ayyavazhi
The Pathis and Nizhal Thangals, are centers of worship and religious learning for the followers of Ayyavazhi which are established in different parts of India. They served as centres for propagation of the beliefs and practices of Ayyavazhi. There are more than 8000 worship centers throughout...
. Though a whole acceptance from the followers in not there for this practise, several followers accept this. They claim that this practise was based on quotes on scriptures such as "to convey certain messages to the ordinary folk." Some also believe that through the words of these possessed persons one could be able to know what God tells about him or herself or their activities.
As part of shamanic practice, they exhort the people on various matters, practiced divination (Kanakku) to discern the causes of sickness and misfortunes, and 'foretold future happenings' . Some LMS
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
reports attest to the prevalence of shamans and shamanistic practices in centres of Ayyavazhi. This is now in practice in some worship centres. The Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai , also called Thiru Edu , is the main religious text of the Tamil belief system Ayyavazhi...
seems to have recognizes shamanic acts of worship. A quote in Arul Nool
Arul Nool
The Arul Nool is a supplement to the Akilattirattu Ammanai, and is likewise considered a holy scripture of Ayyavazhi, an offshoot sect of Hinduism. This book contains the collection of messages given by Ayya Vaikundar to his Disciples , whose names are unknown...
reads, "For imparting knowledge and making things clear, I kept those who practice divination in the temples." Though shamanism was practised in Ayyavazhi, it was accepted by the scriptures only as an ignorant way of worship (beginning stage in worship) or the initial way to teach a beginner the metaphysics.
Desika Vinayaham Pillai, the popular poet from Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, in his book Mammakkal Vali Manmiyam, alludes to the existence of practice of such 'kanakku' at Ayyavazhi centres of worship.
Mudisoodum Perumal as a Shaman
Apart from the belief on the triune powerAyyavazhi Trinity
According to the Ayyavazhi religion the Ayyavazhi Trinity is the incarnation of God in the current stage of world development . Ayya Vaikundar, the Incarnation, is the combination of the Ultimate God, Narayana and Human Being. In Akilam immediately after the Incarnation of Vaikundar, he was viewed...
within Vaikundar, some people also believe that Mudisoodum Perumal is carried within Vaikundar after the incarnation of Vaikundar. (i.e.) Some time he acts as Vaikundar, sometimes as Mudisoodum Perumal, some times as Narayana
Narayana
Narayana or Narayan or Naraina is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary vernaculars a common Indian name. Narayana is also identified as the original man, Purusha. The Puranas present divergent views on Narayana...
etc. There is also a believe that 'Vaikundar' is a divine power who was posed by the shaman Mudisoodum perumal. And in that case all the activities of Vaikundar found in Akilam was that of the 'divine posed Mudisoodum perumal'. All these complex ideas are made on the basis of different implications of phrase from Ayyavazhi scriptures. There is also a belief that Mudisoodum perumal himself is a shaman before the incarnation of Vaikundar, where he is being possessed by Narayana.
Mudisoodum perumal as a shaman and had the faculty of ecstatic religiosity that manifested in modes of trances. Many texts from Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilattirattu Ammanai
Akilathirattu Ammanai , also called Thiru Edu , is the main religious text of the Tamil belief system Ayyavazhi...
and Arul Nool
Arul Nool
The Arul Nool is a supplement to the Akilattirattu Ammanai, and is likewise considered a holy scripture of Ayyavazhi, an offshoot sect of Hinduism. This book contains the collection of messages given by Ayya Vaikundar to his Disciples , whose names are unknown...
are believed to point to the fact that he gave out instructions to people from a state of such ecstatic religiosity. They speak of this state as that of ‘singing’, uttering predictions in a style of hoot, lamentations etc. For example a text in Akilam says that he “danced in a circle”, saying, “today a word of instructions ha scome upon me”, and then, from the state, exhorted the people to undertake a tavam. Another text in Arul Nool reads as "I, a 'pallikkanakkan' (one who practises divination in a temple), am coming by dancing on a point”, and another as, “I came to make you dance, sing, and spring you in ecstasy”.
Symbolic Shamanic Actions
The Marriage with the Seven Virgins of Narayana and the unifying of the seven deities of Vaikundar is also seen as shamanic actions of Mudisoodum Perumal who is possessed by Vaikundar. So the actions of Vaikundar were all viewed as posed Mudisoodum perumal.Unifying the Deities into Himself
Vaikundar seems to have enacted a 'symbolic ritual drama’ whereby he sought to tell the people that he had unified the powerful deities of the surrounding area unto himself. He did so by a method called as Ekanai kalyanam (meaning, 'representational marriage' - a method whereby deities were made to 'come upon' certain persons who became their human media, and, then, a marriage ceremony was performed with these human media). Akilattirattu narrates very elaborately the grand manner in which ekanai kalyanam was conducted for Vaikundar with some popular deities of the surrounding area such as Kumari Pakavati, ParvatiParvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, Mantaikkattal, Leksmi, Valli
Valli
Valli is a Goddess and the divine consort of the prominent Hindu God Murugan, according to Hindu mythology. She represents the "Ichha Shakti" , and Goddess Deivayanai depicts "Kriya Shakthi" , and the Vel embodies "Gnana Shakthi" .Valli in Tamil language means a creeper and is also used as a title...
, Teivanai and Pumatantai. The gist of the narration is what follows, The deities were made to 'come upon' some of the female devotees who were in the gathering. Vaikundar, then, 'entered into a conversation' with them and 'convinced' each deity that time had arrived for them to get 'unified' unto himself so as to end the kaliyukam. He then 'married' them one by one and unified them all into himself. He seems to have enacted this symbolic drama at Ambalappathi
Ambalappathi
Ambala Pathi , also called as Pallathu pathi or Moolakunda pathi is one of the primary pathi of the Ayyavazhi, and the second important pilgrim centers of Ayyavazhi, and the place where Ayya Vaikundar is said to have unified all divine power into himself by symbolic marriages.According to Ayyavazhi...
, one among the Pathi
Pathi
Pathi is the name of the primary centres of congregational worship for the South Indian religious system of Ayyavazhi, having a relatively large structure like that of a temple...
s.
Marriage with the Seven Virgins
Vaikundar enacted yet another ekanaikalyanam in which 'married' the mythical seven virgins. When people were gathered around him, Vaikundar caused some people to 'become presentations', the human media, of the seven virgins. He, then, enacted the symbolic marriage with the 'seven virgins'.Akilattirattu says that when this marriage took place, The Santror
The Santror
The Santror are the seven boys who were made to born by using the seven seeds from seven upper worlds, by Thirumal, to the Seven Virgins through their instrumentality, according to Ayyavazhi mythology. It also represents their descendants...
realised that all the curses incurred by them had been absolved henceforth, and the end of Kaliyukam and the dawn of tarmayukam became imminent. All these events took place in the ambience of the ecstatic religiosity that surrounded the gathering of the followers of Vaikundar.
Criticism over Shamanism
This shamanic actions in the worship centres of Ayyavazhi is quite often criticised by a large number of followers. Commonly it was believed that in 'Ayyavazhi possessions', the possessed person use to sit in the Padmasana posture and simply utter (speak) to the audience. But in many of the worship centres the 'posed' person use to stand and dance, similar to the possessive activities found in some of the tribal belief systems. This act of 'standing and dancing' is mainly criticised seriously almost universally by Ayyavazhi followers.Also these types of actions are commonly found in Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal
Nizhal Thangal are secondary worship places of the Ayyavazhi, often smaller in size compared to Pathis, built per the instructions of Akilattirattu Ammanai...
s which conduct pujas to Kali and other tribal deities. Since such practices of worshipping other deities are not allowed as per Ayyavazhi theology, the criticism over such possessions are accepted as a standard vision in the Ayyavazhi universe.
False deity
Though the first form of possession in which the person seated in Padmasana posture is commonly accepted among the followers, this is also criticised by some followers.Akilam says about a false deity which was sent to the world by Narayana after Vaikundar attained Vaikundam. It also states that this False deity use to say, "I am Vaikundar, I was the one who married the deities and unified into myself." Also this false deity show many magic practices and also many miracles. Some people use to compare the shamanic actions to that of False deity. They cite several quotes from Ayyavazhi scriptures for their criticism. But with a different point of view the supporters of shamanism give different synonymous outputs for the quotes and strengthen their stands.
See also
- Ayyavazhi mythologyAyyavazhi mythologyAyyavazhi mythology is the mythology of the growing South Indian religious faith and a sect of Hinduism known as Ayyavazhi. The main source of Ayyavazhi mythology is the Ayyavazhi scripture, Akilattirattu Ammanai, and its supplement, Arul Nool. The Akilattirattu Ammanai is a recitation by Mayon to...
- Ayya VaikundarAyya VaikundarAyya Vaikundar , according to Akilattirattu Ammanai , a scripture of the Ayyavazhi, was a Manu Avatar of Narayana, incarnated as Muthukutty or Mudisoodum Perumal, a Nadar of Swamithoppe, Tamil Nadu Ayya Vaikundar , according to Akilattirattu Ammanai (or Akilam), a scripture of the Ayyavazhi, was...
- SampooranathevanSampooranathevanSampooranathevan is a mythical figure found in Ayyavazhi mythology. He was considered a powerful Deva of Deiva Loga.- Love with Para Devathai :...
- Ayyavazhi rituals