Shri Dharma Shastha and Swami Aiyyappan

Shri Dharma Shastha and Swami Ayyappan are not the same . Swami Ayyapan is an Avatharam of Shri Dharma Shastha who was born by the union of Parama Shivan & Mahavishnu in the Kritha Yuga . This Shasthavu was instrumental to kill Mahishi . Sasthavu have a wife named Prabha and a son named Sathyakan . In some temples, Shashta is worshipped with two wives named Poorna and Pushkala . The Kollengode Sastha temple is following this tradition . In most of the Sashta temples , like Achan Kovil , Thiruvullakkaavu etc. the swamy is being worshipped as a family man.

Ayyappan is an AVATHARAM of Shasthavu who was found as an infant in the banks of River Pampa by the King of the Panthlam Dynasty which ruled there around a thousand years back .Hence Ayyappan is being called as the KALIYUGA VARADAN and is the Diety of Shabarimala Temple who is a BHRAHMACHARI .AYYAPPAN is in the form of an UGRAMURTHY where as Shasthavu is in the mild manner .

Then comes the question regarding MALIKAPPURATHAMMA . If Ayyappan is KALIYUGA VARADAN , how MALIKAPPURATHAMMA being described as the MAHISHI who had lived in KRITHA YUGAM propose to Ayyappan ? It is belived that there was a daughter to the Guru of Martial Arts where Ayyappan had gone for training who was attracted to the Swamy .Being a BRAHMACHARI the swamy could not oblige her and allowed her to sit as Malikappurathamma at Shabari Mala . The other temples inside the coumpound of Shabari Mala like Kadutha Swamy and the mosque of Vavar swamy adds strenth to this line of belief.