Vratam

The meaning of the Vratam is a “Vow” or “Resolution.” When you undertake the Vratam for your pilgrimage to Sabarimala, you are taking a vow or a resolution to perform a certain set of activities and a vow or resolution to not perform certain other types of activities.

Clothes

The donning of the traditional black, blue or saffron clothes during the Vratam period has its own significance.

Blue

First the Lord is described as Neela Megha Shyamala Varnan. Most devotees wear the Blue colored Mundu, to associate themselves with the Lord.

Black

Lord Saneeshwara is ebony black in colour. And those people (Ayyappa Swamis) who suffer from Sani Doshams, are instructed by their Guruswamis to wear black Mundus, so that they may be released from Sani’s maleficent effects. Apart from this they are also guided to chant the 12 stotras that are pleasing to Saneeswara as they climb the Sabari Malai so that when the Ayyappa Bhakthas reach the top, Sani Bhagavan would have removed himself from their lives.

Saffron/Kaavi

Certain Ayyappa Bhakthas who live the life of a Sanyasi within the Grihasthasrama, detached attachment, wear Kavi vastram

White

Those who without any self interest devote their attention entirely on Him, wear white veshtis, as they consider Him as Nirguna Bhagavan.

Wearing the colored Mundu also has the added advantage of letting the others know that you are observing the Vratam. This is especially important as it relates to letting women know, so that they can distance themselves from the males who are observing Vratam.

Cleansing and Conditioning

The purpose of the Mandala (one mandalam = 42 days) Vratam is to cleanse the body and soul of the devotee and to prepare a devotee both physically and mentally for the journey.

A number of Ayyappa devotees are under the impression that they must desert their homes and stay in a secluded place while observing Vratam. This is not applicable in the present day. It was in vogue in those years in Kerala, where devotees used to go and stay in the temple mandap during the Mandalam season. The reason for that was due to the non availability of space for the women folk in their houses to be away from the main house during their periods. This was practiced during 1950s and 60s.

The most important thing to be observed is Celibacy and chanting of Saranams. All other things are secondary, including food habits. Of course, you have to follow strict vegetarian food. Some people avoid onion and garlic because they are considered to be aphrodisiacs; otherwise all other vegetarian food is allowed.

In those days, there was no short cut. One had either to trek the Peru Vazhi (periya paadhai – 60 KM) or the Pullumedu route, which was originally longer and tougher than the present day route. People used to return all the way through the Peruvazhi, after having Dharshan. In the present day, devotees have the option of trekking the Peru Vazhi or trekking the 7KM journey from Pampa to Sannidhaanam. In either case, you will be trekking through extremely steep mountains and wading through large crowds.

The Vratam is intended to condition your body and mind to undertake the journey. Here are some things that you can observe and the reasons for the same:

Take bath in cold/ lukewarm / room temperature water twice a day if possible – you don’t get hot water in the forest!
Pray/ meditate to Lord soon after bath (twice a day) – prepares you for the mental journey.
Be patient in every activity you do from driving to talking to spouse/ kids/ coworkers – you need lot of patience to undergo a 60kms trek not knowing what’s in store
Don’t consume alcohol, tobacco, etc. – these are detrimental to the physical strength required (imagine you won’t be doing these if you were training for marathon either)
Substitute one meal with only fruits (for breakfast / dinner), eat rice only one time a day (lunch/ dinner), eat chapatti (or something else) to round out the meals – this prepares you for the little food you get during the trek
Do not wear footwear – you need to walk barefoot over the rocks during your trek through the Lord’s Poongaavanam (forest)
Sleep on the floor without pillow – you don’t get beds in the forest

Food

Pray to the Lord before each meal and thank him for the meal. Lord Ayyappa is considered to be Annadhaana Prabhu. Try and feed the poor whenever possible. If you are living in the US, you may consider making Prasadam and taking it to the temple and distribute the Prasadam to other devotees.

Avoid consuming processed or packaged food. This only hurts your body. You should try and condition your body to be in as perfect a state as possible in preparation of the pilgrimage. If practical, devotees should eat only food cooked fresh at home by a person who had showered and prayed before preparing the food. Previous day food is considered to be stale and should be thrown away and not consumed whenever possible. Eat fresh fruits in lieu of chips and other “junk food.” Onion, Garlic should be avoided because of they are considered to be aphrodisiacs.

Meaning of Mala Dharana Mantra

When we wear the mudra mala, we are indeed making a physical, mental and spiritual commitment - with the Divine Self within, to prepare our body/mind/intellect for the arduous journey through the forests to reach His Divine abode, and to get His darshan. We commit to observing the vrata for at least one mandalam (of six weeks), go on the pilgrimage and present our Irumudi at HIS Holy Feet - for HIS divya darshan.

Given below are the shlokams we chant at the time of receiving our mudra mala from our guru, after having worshipped the Holy Feet of our Supreme Guru, Swami Ayyappa.

JnAna mudrAm, shAstra mudrAm, guru mudrAm namAmyaham | vana mudrAm, shuddha mudrAm, rudra mudrAm namAmyaham ||
ShAnta mudrAm, satya mudrAm, vrata mudrAm namAmyaham | shabaryAshrama satyena mudrAm pAtu sadApi me ||
Guru -dakshiNayA poorvam tasyAnugraha kAriNe | sharaNAgata mudrAkhyam tvan mudrAm dhArayAmyaham ||
Chin mudrAm, khechari mudrAm, bhadra mudrAm namAmyaham | shabaryAchala mudrAyai namas-tubhyam namo namaha ||

Let us explore the meaning and the significance of these four shlokams:

My salutations to this symbol representing wisdom, the sacred scriptures, the Guru, the forest (representing life itself, through which we take the journey towards attaining moksha), purity and the ever-present God.
I offer my salutations to this symbol of peace, truth, penance. May the Truth of Shabari's hermitage ever protect this symbol.
After seeking and securing the compassionate grace and blessings of my Guru, O Lord, I will wear this symbol of my complete surrender, and seek refuge in You.
I offer my salutation to this symbol of pure intellect, the celestial beings, and auspiciousness. O symbol of the shabari hill, I offer my salutations to you again and again.

There are a few important words and concepts to understand and appreciate in these shlokams. First, the word 'mudra'. Literally, mudra means a symbol, a seal (as in a royal seal, a seal of authority), a special sign (as mudras used in tantric rituals and our puja), and a special pose conveying specific meanings (e.g. classical dance has numerous mudras).

To devotees of Swami Ayyappa, the mudra maala is a seal of approval they have received from HIM, their Supreme Guru, through the compassionate grace and blessings of their guru swami. It is the honourable duty of the guru swami to ensure that the mudra maala is given only to the deserving. It is also the guru swami's duty to guide the devotee through out the vratam, and help through the journey to attain our Lord's darshanam. Thus, each mudra maala represents a symbol of the guru swami's authority, commitment and responsibility to the devotee.

The shlokams detail the many aspects/attributes which the mudra maala symbolizes, from wisdom all the way to total surrender of the self (ego) and finally seeking refuge at the Holy Feet of our Lord. It is equally important to appreciate that this surrender of self is not just at the feet of our Lord, but also at the feet of the guru swami.

It is also important to understand the expanded meaning of 'guru' or preceptor. It is said we have three preceptors who lead us to realization of the Divine Self within. The first of these is our mother, who bears us and nourishes us. The second is our father, who traditionally initiates us into Gayathri upaasana and leads us to the next preceptor - the one who imparts Vedic knowledge to us, preparing us for the Atma-vichaarana needed for realizing the Divine Self. Thus, it is essential to get the blessings of one's parents before approaching the guru swami for wearing a mudra maala and starting on the austerities leading to the yatra and the experience of bliss in His divine presence.

Which brings us to the next three key words: dakshina, anugraha and sharanaagati. The word dakshina has several meanings - but the most important of them is, "Compassionate, ignorance-destroying glance/communication". Our Lord is called Dakshinaamoorthi, as HIS compassionate glance and the chin-mudra HE shows completely dispels the nescience of the greatest of sages who had been in penance for thousands of years at HIS feet to attain knowledge of the Self.

The guru dakshina we offer to our guru is a very humble and a miniscule token offering in exchange for this divine compassion we receive. In fact, in order to be truly deserving of this grace, we need to do a lot more, there is a shlokam:

dhyAna moolam guror moortihi, poojA moolam guror padam mantra moolam guror vAkhyam, moksha moolam guror krupA

The foundation of meditation is the form of our guru; the foundation of worship are the holy feet of our guru. His words are the foundation of mantrams to us. (By being so) HIS grace becomes the foundation for liberation from earthly bondage. There is another shlokam that describes the dakshina to be given to a guru:

guru shushrUshayA vidya, pushkalena, dhanena cha athavA vidyayA vidyA, chaturthi nopalabhyate

In order to gain knowledge from a guru, you have to serve the guru (caring for the guru), and offer the guru all forms of wealth including money. Else, you should be able to impart to the guru some knowledge being sought by the guru (for example, I will teach you German, if you will teach me French). There is no fourth way (for gaining knowledge from a guru).

And Taittreeya Upanishad urges: 'AchAryAya priyam dhanam Ahrutya ...' give as much as needed to please the preceptor. It also states: shraddhayA deyam, a-shraddhayA a-deyam, shriyA deyam, hriyA deyam, bhiyA deyam, samvidA deyam - with reverence should offerings be given, never with irreverence, and given with liberality, modesty, fear and in friendliness.

So, with the dakshina of our guru secured, and through guru's 'anugraha' - which means, through the guru's decision to shower you with grace and blessings - you surrender your ego and seek refuge (sharaNAgati) at the Holy Feet of the Supreme Guru, our Lord Ayyappan. Note that this sholokam is directly addressing Lord Ayyappan - while the other three shlokams are focused on the mudra mala itself. The word literally means 'brought closely along' - the guru 'carries' you through the process from start to finish, till you are brought to the Divine presence of the Lord.

My prayers to Lord Ayyappan to bless us, his devotees with HIS mudra mala on the day of vrischika sankramaNam, be our constant inspiration and guide through the manDala vratam and our journey to HIS Divine sannidhAnam.

Following the Vrata in the US

The one principle which a senior Guruswamy (who has been going to Sabarimala for over half a century) believes in is that Lord Ayyappa is our bosom friend. As long as you completely surrender to Him (sharanaagatham), and observe Bramacharya during the period, nothing else is mandatory and should be followed in the spirit of the concept. At a minimum, devotees should try and do the Namaskara Slokam (Loka Veeram) and say as many Saranams as possible. Each time you say the Saranams, you are telling Lord Ayyappa that you are surrendering to Him.

During the Vratam period, devotees should try and spend as much time in the temple as possible. If there is an Ayyappa Puja happening in your area, you should try and attend it. Lord Ayyappa loves songs and bhajans, as is evidenced by the number of CDs and cassettes thar you see released every year with songs sung in His praise. Devotees should try to attend as many of the Ayyappa bhajans as possible.

The pilgrimage to Sabarimala is the best example of how HE shows us that all of us are equal. You do not know whether the devotee who is trekking alongside you is the CEO of a company or a laborer. All are equal in HIS eyes. As a devotee, you should try and follow this principle as much as possible. You should look for opportunities to help with the organization of the puja, and assist other fellow devotees whenever possible.

The question that is frequently asked is --- Is it possible to observe these in US? We need to temper it to make it practical. We can't go to work with unkempt hair or without footwear. It is okay to cut hair, shave, and wear footwear (there are some Ayyappas who announce in their work about the Vratam and grow a beard!). Outside of work, observe the austerities where possible - wear the black/saffron/ blue clothes at home, don't wear footwear at home (we don't do this even otherwise), don't shave during weekends, don't go to parties or others' houses (who are not observing Vratam- they could cook meat in their home), don't eat at restaurants (if you're not traveling), go to temple at least once a week, etc. The main requirement is for you to keep your mind pure by only thinking of God and work and nothing else.

Deeksha period opens up during the November and December timeframe. Exact dates with details will be published as we get closer to the deeksha period.