Lord Sastha

Lord Sastha

Kerala Bronze,17th Century,  Thiruvananthapuram Museum,  Kerala

          Lord Sastha is quite a unique figure in Hindu pantheon.  Initially, he was considered to be the son of Lord Shiva and Mohini ( the female form of Lord Vishnu ). Thus, he was the South Indian version of Lord Harihar. But subsequently and presently Lord Sastha is considered as the elder son of Lord Shiva, as a form of Skanda, the Hindu god of war. 

        The Keralites are fierce warrior. They not only worship Skanda in his form as Ayyappa, but also have war dances called, Kalaripayattu. It is a dance form where high leaps and jumps are common, where the dancer uses the sword and shields, the spear and the club. 

         But Lord Sastha is not the God of war. In this form he is seen as a teacher. Here he sits with a halo, made out of his hair. He sits in the 'Maharaja Lila ' pose or in the posture of a king.  He smiles benevolently towards the devotee,  ready to impart his knowledge of how to cope with the struggles, skirmishes and battles of life. He is the true teacher.