Akilattirattu Ammanai
Encyclopedia
Akilathirattu Ammanai (akilam (world) + thirattu (collection) + ammanai (ballad)), also called Thiru Edu (venerable book), is the main religious text
of the Tamil belief
system Ayyavazhi
. The title is often abbreviated to Akilam or Akilathirattu.
Akilam including more than 15000 verses, is the largest Ammanai
literature in Tamil and one among the largest works in Tamil which are contributed by a single author.
According to the book, Akilam, Hari Gopalan Citar wrote this book on the twenty-seventh day of the Tamil month of Karthikai (November/December) in the year 1841 CE. The author claims that God woke him up during his sleep and commissioned him to take dictation of what he said. Akilathirattu was recorded on palm leaves until 1939, when it was given printed form.
According to the author, the book is the story of God
coming in this age, the Kali Yukam
or Iron Age, to rule the world by transforming it into the Dharma Yukam
. This story of faith has woven together the historical facts about Ayya Vaikundar
and his activities with reinterpretations of episodes from the Hindu Puranas (mythologies) and Itihasa
s (epics). It is presented as if Vishnu
is narrating the whole story to his consort Lakshmi
.
Though the Citar Hari Gopalan wrote the book Akilam, he claimed that he did not know any thing about the contents of the book. He woke up in the morning as usual and he didn't know what he had written the day before. Another legend says that he began it that night and continued through the following days. Others say that it was written beginning on Friday, 26th Karthikai (Tamil Calendar
) 1016 M.E, and completed on seventeenth day on the second Sunday of Margazhi (Tamil Calendar) 1016 M.E.
When Ayya Vaikundar died, the tied-up palm leaf manuscript, which was until then not opened, was unfolded. It contained the regulations of the Ayyavazhi sect. As per the instructions found there in Akilam, Ayyavazhi was preached by the Citar
s far and wide.
Akilathirattu is written as a poem in the Tamil language
. The narration alternates between two sub-genres called viruttam and natai. Both sub-genres employ many poetic devices like alliteration
and hyperbatons. It contains more than 15000 verse making up seventeen section. In a typical Ammanai
style, Akilam maintains more than one context for its verses throughout the text. While the floating ideas of the lines could be comparatively easily communicated, the underlying theme couldn't be understood unless oneself is understood and well aware about the basics of Hindu
pantheon of gods, Hindu scriptures, Dharmic concepts and philosophy etc.
Of these, the Panchalankuricchi Version is believed to be written down by Hari Gopalan Citar by copying from the main version and the other two versions were copied later. Apart from these the Nariyan vilai Version, Varampetran-pantaram Version, Saravanantheri Version are the other early palm-leaf versions of Akilam.
Other release versions include the Palaramachandran version
, the VTV
published twice, the Kalai Ilakkiya-peravai Version
and the Vivekanandan Version
. But of these, The Ayya Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam version is often criticised for the removal and adding of additional Verse (poetry)
s from various versions. It was argued that such additions and removals are made in over 300 pages. Though Thirukkudumbam claim that these additional lines were added from the early palm-leaf versions (Panchalankuricchi Version and Kottangadu Version) which are believed to be missing, to Akilam, this version is not accepted widely.
All the release versions except Palaramachandran version schedules the whole contents to seventeen sections as per the Thiru Eadu-vasippu partition. The Sentrathisai Ventraperumal version which was released in 1965 includes more than 2000 verse which were not found in other versions. The Palaramachandran version
is the widely accepted and the largest circulated version.
. It is a poetic narrative in Tamil
intended to be an excellent compilation of the various aspects of Indian mythology
and beliefs about God.
The first 8 chapters of the book narrates the events starting from the creation of the Universe to the time exactly before the incarnation of Vaikundar. The ninth chapter describes in detail the events taking place in the divine plan during the incarnation of Vaikundar. The last 8 chapters focus of the legendary, empirical, historical and mythical aspects pertaining to the life of Vaikundar.
about the evolution of Universe and of human beings. It is said that there is a total of 8 aeons or yugas and we are currently in the seventh yuga called as Kali Yuga
, the age of deterioration. It is believed that for each yuga there is a demon that will be destroyed by Vishnu. In the first yuga, Kroni was born. This Kroni
is cognate with the concept of Satan in Abrahamic religions
. Vishnu fragmented him into six pieces and each fragments will incarnate as demon in each Yuga. The first four yugas are said to be the Neetiya Yuga
, Chatura Yuga, Nedu Yuga and Kretha Yuga. These four yugas do not have parallels in the mainstream Hindu mythology
.
The fifth yuga is said to be the Treta Yuga
in which the Lord Rama
incarnated as human. The sixth yuga is the Dvapara Yuga
, and there is a short but striking description of the life of Krishna
and the Bharatha war. Additionally there is said to be another event called the birth of Santror or noble people at the closure of Dvapara Yuga.
, the seventh Yuga begins when the evil spirit called Kali
(not to be confused with Kaali, the mother goddess) was born. Kali is believed to be cognate with the modern human beings. Then was born the Neesan, the demon for the Kali Yuga. It is said that this demon became the king of earth in various places and tortured the lives of the Santror. Because of this Lord Vishnu got angry and advised Neesan to stop torturing the Santror. But he won't agree to Vishnu and would prefer to die rather than giving up. In order to stop the rule of Neesan and to bring an end to Kali yuga, Vishnu made a plan to make Vaikundar incarnate as human.
. Also, nothing is said about the period which follows Dharma yuga, which means that timeline is linear, and not circular as believed inside mainstream Hinduism
.
in the first half and at the second, a set of revolutionary teachings, in all aspects were focussed. The theological teachings revolves around the supremacy of Vaikundar while the sociological teachings mainly focus on breaking up the inequalities prevalent in the society. The Philosophical ideas mainly focus the 'Ultimate oneness
' of nature and all living beings.
, Vishnu
, Shiva
, Sarasvati, Lakshmi
, Parvati
, Skanda
, and Ganesha
are mentioned direcy in the mythology
throughout the book. Also there is an indirect mention about Bible
, Allah
and Quran inside the book. A reference found in Akilam about Jesus
is more direct than indirect. Also the book seems to stress that all texts and scriptures are true and have a share about the truth of the Divine. It is notable that Akilam is heavily against creating religions as it not mention the term 'religion' at least once anywhere in the text and do refers only God-heads, concepts and scriptures. The theosophical thoughts found in the book serve as an excellent link between the Dharmic and Abrahamic religious concepts. Despite for the term Ekam
, a supreme state where the difference between the Creator and the creations nullified, the book is strictly theistic and not atheistic.
. So the entire book focuses on social equality and strictly against Jati or the Indian caste system. But it also says that the 'Varnashrama Dharma' system was perfect till the end of Dvapara Yuga
. Also, there are traces of references to leading a chaste life and vegetarian diet. There is a strict condemnation about the religious fundamentalism especially of the Abrahamic traditions.
, and Vaikundar has come for their redemption.
Religious text
Religious texts, also known as scripture, scriptures, holy writ, or holy books, are the texts which various religious traditions consider to be sacred, or of central importance to their religious tradition...
of the Tamil belief
Belief
Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.-Belief, knowledge and epistemology:The terms belief and knowledge are used differently in philosophy....
system 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...
. The title is often abbreviated to Akilam or Akilathirattu.
Akilam including more than 15000 verses, is the largest Ammanai
Ammanai
Ammanai is a type of Tamil poetry belonging to the family of "Tharavu kochchaga kalippa". This is a type of poetry associated with a game of the same name that was popular with teen girls. Ammanai will be in the form of questions and answers...
literature in Tamil and one among the largest works in Tamil which are contributed by a single author.
History
According to the book, Akilam, Hari Gopalan Citar wrote this book on the twenty-seventh day of the Tamil month of Karthikai (November/December) in the year 1841 CE. The author claims that God woke him up during his sleep and commissioned him to take dictation of what he said. Akilathirattu was recorded on palm leaves until 1939, when it was given printed form.
According to the author, the book is the story of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
coming in this age, the Kali Yukam
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
or Iron Age, to rule the world by transforming it into the Dharma Yukam
Dharma Yukam
Dharma Yukam is the state of absolute bliss as per Ayyavazhi mythology. This Dharma Yukam is stated in the Akilam seventeen in Akilattirattu Ammanai. This on one hand is related to Dharmic moksha and on the other viewed in relation to Abrahamic heaven....
. This story of faith has woven together the historical facts about Ayya Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar
Ayya 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...
and his activities with reinterpretations of episodes from the Hindu Puranas (mythologies) and Itihasa
Itihasa
Itihasa as defined by Amarakosha refers to purvavritta, i.e. events of the past. In the Vedic age, those portions of the Brahmanas which narrated events of bygone days were known as itihasa and had some ritualistic importance...
s (epics). It is presented as if Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
is narrating the whole story to his consort Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
.
Though the Citar Hari Gopalan wrote the book Akilam, he claimed that he did not know any thing about the contents of the book. He woke up in the morning as usual and he didn't know what he had written the day before. Another legend says that he began it that night and continued through the following days. Others say that it was written beginning on Friday, 26th Karthikai (Tamil Calendar
Tamil calendar
The Tamil calendar is a solar and sidereal Hindu calendar used in Tamil Nadu. It is also used in Pondicherry , and by the Tamil population in Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Sri Lanka. It is also used by Telugu speaking people in Tamil Nadu...
) 1016 M.E, and completed on seventeenth day on the second Sunday of Margazhi (Tamil Calendar) 1016 M.E.
When Ayya Vaikundar died, the tied-up palm leaf manuscript, which was until then not opened, was unfolded. It contained the regulations of the Ayyavazhi sect. As per the instructions found there in Akilam, Ayyavazhi was preached by the Citar
Citar
According to Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of the Ayyavazhi religion, Ayya Vaikundar, the Incarnation of God in Kali Yukam, has five Seedar . They were in the previous Dwapara Yukam as Pandavas who were transmigrated as disciples of Vaikundar in this Yuga.-Dharma Seedar:The native place of...
s far and wide.
Style
Akilam is in two parts; the first is an account of the ages preceding that of the present age, the Kali Yukam, and the second is an account of the activities of Ayya Vaikundar leading up to his attaining Vaikundam.Akilathirattu is written as a poem in the Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. The narration alternates between two sub-genres called viruttam and natai. Both sub-genres employ many poetic devices like alliteration
Alliteration
In language, alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of Three or more words or phrases. Alliteration has historically developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to...
and hyperbatons. It contains more than 15000 verse making up seventeen section. In a typical Ammanai
Ammanai
Ammanai is a type of Tamil poetry belonging to the family of "Tharavu kochchaga kalippa". This is a type of poetry associated with a game of the same name that was popular with teen girls. Ammanai will be in the form of questions and answers...
style, Akilam maintains more than one context for its verses throughout the text. While the floating ideas of the lines could be comparatively easily communicated, the underlying theme couldn't be understood unless oneself is understood and well aware about the basics of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
pantheon of gods, Hindu scriptures, Dharmic concepts and philosophy etc.
Versions
The texts written by Hari Gopalan Citar are seen as damaged and it is hard to read the contents. It is still preserved as a relic by his descendents. There are three direct versions which were copied from this first version. They are,- Panchalagkuricchi Version
- Swamithoppe Version
- Kottangadu Version
Of these, the Panchalankuricchi Version is believed to be written down by Hari Gopalan Citar by copying from the main version and the other two versions were copied later. Apart from these the Nariyan vilai Version, Varampetran-pantaram Version, Saravanantheri Version are the other early palm-leaf versions of Akilam.
Other release versions include the Palaramachandran version
Palaramachandran version
The Palaramachandran Version was the ever first published version of Akilam, the scripture of Ayyavazhi by Thankaiyah. It was published in 1939 and thus become the second printed work to be published in Ayyavazhi after the Arul Nool. There is another opinion that this version was first published in...
, the VTV
Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam Version
Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam Version is one among the released versions of Akilam, the scripture of Ayyavazhi. It was named after the socio-religious welfare organisation Ayya Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam, which released it....
published twice, the Kalai Ilakkiya-peravai Version
Kalai Ilakkiya Peravai version
Kalai Ilakkiya Peravai version is the latest release version of Akilam. Content-wise, this version very much resembles the Thirukkudumbam Version...
and the Vivekanandan Version
Vivekanandan Version
Vivekanandan Version is one among the release versions of Akilam. It was the only version released so far which includes the original source-text as well as the interpretations combainingly...
. But of these, The Ayya Vaikundar Thirukkudumbam version is often criticised for the removal and adding of additional Verse (poetry)
Verse (poetry)
A verse is formally a single line in a metrical composition, e.g. poetry. However, the word has come to represent any division or grouping of words in such a composition, which traditionally had been referred to as a stanza....
s from various versions. It was argued that such additions and removals are made in over 300 pages. Though Thirukkudumbam claim that these additional lines were added from the early palm-leaf versions (Panchalankuricchi Version and Kottangadu Version) which are believed to be missing, to Akilam, this version is not accepted widely.
All the release versions except Palaramachandran version schedules the whole contents to seventeen sections as per the Thiru Eadu-vasippu partition. The Sentrathisai Ventraperumal version which was released in 1965 includes more than 2000 verse which were not found in other versions. The Palaramachandran version
Palaramachandran version
The Palaramachandran Version was the ever first published version of Akilam, the scripture of Ayyavazhi by Thankaiyah. It was published in 1939 and thus become the second printed work to be published in Ayyavazhi after the Arul Nool. There is another opinion that this version was first published in...
is the widely accepted and the largest circulated version.
Contents
The book focuses on the devotion to Vaikundar, considered to be an aspect of the God VishnuVishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. It is a poetic narrative in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
intended to be an excellent compilation of the various aspects of Indian mythology
Indian mythology
Indian mythology may refer to:*Indian epic poetry*Vedic mythology*Hindu mythology*Buddhist mythology*Native American mythology...
and beliefs about God.
The first 8 chapters of the book narrates the events starting from the creation of the Universe to the time exactly before the incarnation of Vaikundar. The ninth chapter describes in detail the events taking place in the divine plan during the incarnation of Vaikundar. The last 8 chapters focus of the legendary, empirical, historical and mythical aspects pertaining to the life of Vaikundar.
Evolution and Yugas
The book starts with the explanation given by Vishnu to His consort LakshmiLakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
about the evolution of Universe and of human beings. It is said that there is a total of 8 aeons or yugas and we are currently in the seventh yuga called as Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
, the age of deterioration. It is believed that for each yuga there is a demon that will be destroyed by Vishnu. In the first yuga, Kroni was born. This Kroni
Kroni
Kroni is a figure in Ayyavazhi mythology. He is the primordial manifestation of evil, and manifests in various forms of evil, such as Ravana and Duryodhana, in different ages or yugas. In order to counteract and destroy the evil of Kroni's manifestations, Mayon incarnates as Avatars such as Rama...
is cognate with the concept of Satan in Abrahamic religions
Abrahamic religions
Abrahamic religions are the monotheistic faiths emphasizing and tracing their common origin to Abraham or recognizing a spiritual tradition identified with him...
. Vishnu fragmented him into six pieces and each fragments will incarnate as demon in each Yuga. The first four yugas are said to be the Neetiya Yuga
Neetiya Yuga
In Ayyavazhi mythology, Neetiya Yuga is the first of the Eight Yukams. It was in this Yukam, Kroni was fragmented into six....
, Chatura Yuga, Nedu Yuga and Kretha Yuga. These four yugas do not have parallels in the mainstream Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology
Hindu religious literature is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas. As such, it is a subset of Nepali and Indian culture...
.
The fifth yuga is said to be the Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of mankind, in the religion of Hinduism, and follows the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and precedes the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parashurama and...
in which the Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
incarnated as human. The sixth yuga is the Dvapara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga or Dwapara Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, described in the scriptures of Hinduism. This yuga comes after Treta Yuga and is followed by Kali Yuga...
, and there is a short but striking description of the life of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and the Bharatha war. Additionally there is said to be another event called the birth of Santror or noble people at the closure of Dvapara Yuga.
Kali Yuga
Kali YugaKali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
, the seventh Yuga begins when the evil spirit called Kali
Kali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
(not to be confused with Kaali, the mother goddess) was born. Kali is believed to be cognate with the modern human beings. Then was born the Neesan, the demon for the Kali Yuga. It is said that this demon became the king of earth in various places and tortured the lives of the Santror. Because of this Lord Vishnu got angry and advised Neesan to stop torturing the Santror. But he won't agree to Vishnu and would prefer to die rather than giving up. In order to stop the rule of Neesan and to bring an end to Kali yuga, Vishnu made a plan to make Vaikundar incarnate as human.
The Incarnation
Vaikundar is believed to be the Son of Vishnu and Lakshmi. He was beget inside the sea, and sent as human into the land. From the point of incarnation of Vaikundar, it is said that He was made the supreme of all godhead, and will destroy Neesan and also the evil Kali Yuga. It is also said that he will take all righteous people with him into the Vaikundam in the eighth yuga called as Dharma YukamDharma Yukam
Dharma Yukam is the state of absolute bliss as per Ayyavazhi mythology. This Dharma Yukam is stated in the Akilam seventeen in Akilattirattu Ammanai. This on one hand is related to Dharmic moksha and on the other viewed in relation to Abrahamic heaven....
. Also, nothing is said about the period which follows Dharma yuga, which means that timeline is linear, and not circular as believed inside mainstream Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
.
Sections
The Akilam is divided into seventeen parts:- Akilam oneAkilam oneThe Akilam one is the first among the seventeen parts of Akilattirattu Ammanai, the religious book of Ayyavazhi. This section includes the Kappu, the very first part; it tells of the Detchanam, and describes the political and sociological situation in the early world.- The Kappu :The word, Kappu,...
- Akilam twoAkilam twoAkilam Two is the second among the seventeen parts of Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of Ayyavazhi. This parts includes the whole of the Thretha Yukam and a few events of the Dwapara Yukam, such as creation of bodies of the god-heads and subjects of the yukam.-Creating Thretha Yukam:After the...
- Akilam threeAkilam threeThe Akilam three is the third among the seventeen parts of the religious book Akilattirattu Ammanai of Ayyavazhi religion. This section closes the Dwapara Yukam, and describes the birth of Santror and Makkal, their growth and marriage....
- Akilam fourAkilam fourAkilam four is the fourth section of Akilattirattu Ammanai, the primary scripture of Ayyavazhi. This section narrates the prosperous life of Santror after their marriage with the daughters of King Nirupathi...
- Akilam fiveAkilam fiveAkilam Five is the fifth section of Akilam, which is the primary scripture of Ayyavazhi. It narrates the cruel reign of Kaliyan, the death of two Santror and the subsequent curse given to Kali...
- Akilam sixAkilam sixAkilam six is the sixth section of Akilam, the primary holy text of Ayyavazhi. This section describes the transformation of the ruling authority of the universe from Sivan to Thirumal....
- Akilam sevenAkilam sevenThe Akilam seven is the seventh sub-section of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi. This is considered a bit more important to all previous sections during religious studies since the events and plans related to Pre-Incarnational activities of Vaikundar starts from here onwards...
- Akilam eightAkilam eightThe Akilam eight is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai, the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, a religion of India.This part contains the worldly birth of Sampooranathevan and Paradevathai. It also contains the event of the body of the Avatar of Vaikundar taken in to the sea,...
- Akilam nineAkilam nineThe Akilam nine is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi. It describes the events taking place immediately before and at the time of incarnation of Vaikundar in the world.-Discussions with Vyakarar:...
- Akilam tenAkilam tenThe Akilam ten is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, one of the fastest growing religions of India....
- Akilam elevenAkilam elevenThe Akilam eleven is one of the sub-sections of Akilathirattu Ammanai, the primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, one of the fastest growing religions of India....
- Akilam twelveAkilam twelveThe Akilam twelve is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, one of the fastest growing religions of India....
- Akilam thirteenAkilam thirteenThe Akilam thirteen is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi.This part contains the events of the Arrest of Vaikundar, the Katuvai Sothanai and release of Vaikundar etc. It also includes the Muttappathi Vinchai - 1 and the first phase of Thuvayal Thavasu....
- Akilam fourteenAkilam fourteenThe Akilam fourteen is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, one of the fastest growing religions of India....
- Akilam fifteenAkilam fifteenThe Akilam fifteen is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai which was the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi.This part is also called 'Kalyana Vasippu'. It contains the events of the marriage of Vaikundar with the Seven Virgins narrated in a grant poetic style....
- Akilam sixteenAkilam sixteenThe Akilam sixteen is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, one of the fastest growing religions of India.This part contains the events of Vaikundar's symbolic marriages with the Seven deities....
- Akilam seventeenAkilam seventeenThe Akilam seventeen is one of the sub-sections of Akilattirattu Ammanai the Primary scripture of Ayyavazhi, one of the fastest growing religions of India....
Teachings
Akilam teaches a set of values that are theological, sociological and philosophical. Of these the ideas promoted by Akilam spans throughout the various teachings found in Hindu scriptures and present HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
in the first half and at the second, a set of revolutionary teachings, in all aspects were focussed. The theological teachings revolves around the supremacy of Vaikundar while the sociological teachings mainly focus on breaking up the inequalities prevalent in the society. The Philosophical ideas mainly focus the 'Ultimate oneness
Oneness
Oneness may refer to:* Divine simplicity, the belief that God is without parts* Oneness , a 1979 rock album* Oneness , a mathematical concept* Oneness , a concept in philosophy...
' of nature and all living beings.
Theosophy
All the major Hindu deities namely BrahmaBrahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
, Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Sarasvati, Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
, Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
, Skanda
Skanda
Skanda is the name of deities popular amongst Hindus and Buddhists.* Skanda, a Hindu deity also known as Kartikeya and Murugan and Subhramanya* Skanda , a popular Deva and/or Bodhisattva popular in Chinese Buddhism...
, and Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
are mentioned direcy in the mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
throughout the book. Also there is an indirect mention about Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
and Quran inside the book. A reference found in Akilam about Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is more direct than indirect. Also the book seems to stress that all texts and scriptures are true and have a share about the truth of the Divine. It is notable that Akilam is heavily against creating religions as it not mention the term 'religion' at least once anywhere in the text and do refers only God-heads, concepts and scriptures. The theosophical thoughts found in the book serve as an excellent link between the Dharmic and Abrahamic religious concepts. Despite for the term Ekam
Ekam
Ekam Tamil: - "the supreme oneness") is the term used in Akilathirattu Ammanai, the holy book of Ayyavazhi, to represent The Ultimate Oneness. In Thiruvasakam-2 it was stated that it was from this Ekam that all objects, including the separate Godheads, Devas and asuras, of the universe formed...
, a supreme state where the difference between the Creator and the creations nullified, the book is strictly theistic and not atheistic.
Sociology
It is said that social inequality and destruction of caste ethics are the main aspects of the Kali YugaKali Yuga
Kali Yuga is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga...
. So the entire book focuses on social equality and strictly against Jati or the Indian caste system. But it also says that the 'Varnashrama Dharma' system was perfect till the end of Dvapara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga
Dvapara Yuga or Dwapara Yuga is the third out of four yugas, or ages, described in the scriptures of Hinduism. This yuga comes after Treta Yuga and is followed by Kali Yuga...
. Also, there are traces of references to leading a chaste life and vegetarian diet. There is a strict condemnation about the religious fundamentalism especially of the Abrahamic traditions.
Philosophy
The key philosophy in the book is that human beings are by themselves separated from God by the influence of KaliKali
' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
, and Vaikundar has come for their redemption.
See also
- 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...
- Hari Gopalan Citar
- List of Ayyavazhi-related articles