The
descendants of Pandya dynasty discarded by Thirumala Naicker Diwan
of Raja Vijayanagar, who was then ruling the Pandya Kingdom, comprising
of Madurai,Tirunelveli, Ramananthapuram, were living scattered
in places like Valliyur, Tenkasi, Shengottah, Achankovil and Sivagiri.
At that time, Pandyas were ruling in many parts of Travancore.
The descendants of Pandya dynasty belonging to Chempazhanattu
Kovil, living in Sivagiri were given the right to rule the country
of Pandalam, by the King of Travancore eight hundreds years ago.
King Rajasekara was the direct descendant of this dynasty.
King
Rajasekara was very talented, courageous and just in his deeds.
People were living happily and prosperously during his regime.
However, the king was very unhappy that he had no children and
his subjects were also worried that he had no heir to inherit
his kingdom. As per the wish of the queen, both of them prayed
Lord Shiva for blessing them with a child.
Mahishasuran,
Son of Ramban, undertook a severe penance (Dhavam). Lord Brahma
tried to distract his concentration, but having failed in his
attempts, he appeared before the Asura and blessed him with a
boon. Mahishasuran asked Lord Brahma to give him a boon by which
no man in the earth would be able to kill him, and Lord Brahma
conferred the boon on him. Mahishasuran, armed with his boon,
began to commit atrocities and murders on the earth and terrorised
people. Fearing his wrath, people ran away to far away places.
The
Devas seeing the atrocities committed by Mahishasuran came to
the conclusion that only a divine power could kill him and approached
Chandikadevi (Mahishasuramardhini) pleading to put an end to Mahishasura
who was misusing the boon given by Lord Brahma. Chandikadevi set
out on her mission and killed Mahishasura in a duel, on earth.
Mahishi
daughter of Karamba, brother of Ramban undertook a severe penance
in order to take revenge on the Devas, who were responsible for
the death of her brother. Lord Brahma appeared and offered to
confer on Mahishi any boon except that of immortality. Mahishi
asked Lord Brahma to bless her with a boon by which nobody, except
the son created out of the union of Vishnu (Hari) and Shiva (Haran),
would be able to kill her. Lord Brahma gave the boon and Mahishi
went to Devaloka and started harassing the Devas.
The Devas
incurred the wrath of Durvasa Muni who cursed them. On the advice
of Lord Mahavishnu that this curse could be removed only by administering
Amrutham taken from Palazhi, the devas took it from the Palazhi,
but the Asuras snatched it from them. Lord Mahavishnu in the disguise
of Mohini, went to the Asuras and got back the Amrutham and restored
it to the Devas. When Lord Shiva, went to see Lord Mahavishnu
who was in the guise of a Mohini succumbed to her beauty and out
of their union, was born a child, who was name Dharmasastha. Dharmasastha
grew at Kailasham. Lord Shiva, answered Rajasekara's prayer and
ordered Dharmasastha to take the avathar of Ayyappan . On the
day King Rajasekara went for hunting in the forest, Ayyappan took
the form of a baby with a golden chain and bell around his neck
and placed himself near the Pamba river.
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