16. Story of Manikanta

      Manikanta is son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu who got the power of both. There is a big story behind his birth. As explained in Story of Durga, Mahishasura was killed by Mother Durga. Mahishasura's sister Mahishi devoted Lord Brahma and got a boon that she will be killed only by the son of Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. As Brahma granted the boon, she felt herself eternal as both Shiva and Vishnu are male, they will not have any son to kill Mahishi. She started pestering all worlds.

      Meanwhile there was another demon by name Bhasmasura who devoted Shiva and asked for the ability to burn to ashes anything which he placed his hand over. No sooner had Shiva granted this, than Bhasmasura ran after the god, threatening to turn him to ashes to test his new ability. Shiva ran to Vishnu to save his life. Vishnu then took form of Mohini (Form of a beautiful girl which he took during Kurmavatar). Bhasmasura reached there chasing Shiva and bewitched by Mohini's beauty. He started trying to impress Mohini by dancing just like her. Finally Mohini kept her hand on her own head which was imitated by Bhasmasura. Thus Shiva was saved from Bhasmasura. After seeing Vishnu in Mohini form, He also overcome with passion, and united with her. The two gods thus became "Harihara Murthi", that is a composite form of Shiva and Vishnu as one god. Thus born Manikanta.

      Manikanta was left in a forest so that he will be found by a king called Pandalam Raja. A saint appeared and told the king to raise the kid. As he got no sons, he was so happy to raise him up. As Manikanta was having a Jewel (Mani) on his neck (Kanta), he was named Manikanta. He was raised by Pandalam Raja and his wife. After some years, they got another son. Manikanta was good at studies and king was hoping to make him his heir. Queen was unhappy with this as she wanted her son to be the next king. So she bribed the royal physician into becoming an accomplice of hers and pretended to be afflicted with severe headache, and the physician prescribed the milk of a tigress as the only cure. The King knew that none could be deputed for a mission that was so patently suicidal. However the youthful and valiant Manikantan stepped forth and volunteered to fetch the milk. Despite the worried protestations of his foster-father, he set out for the fearful forests.

      Indra met him and pleaded to save him and other gods from Mahishi. So Manikanta went to Mahishi and killed her. Indra was happy and became a tigress on which Manikanta returned to his kingdom. Then queen knew about his divine powers and asked his forgiveness and requested him to be next king but Manikanta no longer wanted to be on earth as his mission is completed on earth. He left an arrow and asked his father to build a temple at the place where that arrow reached and he told that people will worship him as Ayyappa as king calls him Ayya and queen calls him Appa. King built a temple at the place where Ayyappa's arrow was stricken. That is known as Sabarimala now.