Aiyanar - Etymology and Other Names

Etymology and Other Names

The Tamil word Aiyānar is derived from the root word Aiyā which is a title often used by Tamils, Malayalees and Telugus to designate respectable people. There are number of conflicting etymologies for the word Aiyā, generally it is thought to be derived from Proto-Dravidian term denoting an elder brother. It is used in that meaning in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Yet others derive the word Aiyā as a Prakrit version of the Sanskrit word Ārya which means 'noble'. According to Fred Clothey, Aiyanar is a Tamil adaptation of Aiyan, the chief deity of Ay chieftains who ruled parts of Kerala adjoining Tamil Nadu when both areas were collectively known as Tamilaham. He also states that the term Aiyar meaning a cow herd and a protector is an appropriate appellation for both the Ay chieftains and their deity.

Another name for the deity is Aiyanar-Sasta or Sasta. Sasta is a generic Sanskrit term for a teacher. In South India Sasta became deified starting from 855 C.Es. Sasta cult is particularly well developed in the state of Kerala where independent temples to Sasta are known from the 10th century CE. Prior to that Sasta veneration was within Shiva and Vishnu temples who are the premier gods of the Hindu pantheon. Sasta is also used to describe number of other deities. Brahma-Sasta is another name for Skanda and Dharma-Sasta is used to describe Ayyappa. Sasta also has a sanskriting legend that makes him the son of a union between Shiva and the female form of Vishnu. Other names of Aiyanar include Gajavahana and Satavahana.