Sri Hariharatmajashtakam is popularly known as "Harivarasanam" and considered as the lullaby for Lord Ayyappa.Literally 'hariharatmaja" means the son of Hari (Lord Vishnu) and Hara(Lord Shiva). Ashtakam meant for a "Mantra" comprising eight "khandas" or stanzas.The Indian spiritual arena for it s pride has many Ashtakams. Examples are Lingashtakam (prising Lord Shiva starting with Brahmamurarisurarchithalingam) andMahalakshmiashtakam (prising Mahalakshmi starting with Namastheshumahamaye) 

COMPLETE TEXT

Harivarasanam Vishwamohanam

Haridatheeswaram Aradhyapadukam

Arivimardhanam Nithyanarthanam

Hariharatmajam Devamashraye

Sharanakeerthanam Shakthamanasam

Bharanalolupam Narthanalasam

Arunabhasuram Bhoothanayakam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Pranayasathyakam Prananayakam

Pranathakalpakam Suprabhanjitham

Pranavamandiram Keerthanapriyam

Hariharathmajam Devamashraye

Thurakavahanam Sundarananam

Varagadayudham Vedavarnitham

Gurukripakaram Keerthanapriyam

Hariharatmajam Devamashraye

Thribhuvanarchitham Devatatmakam

Thrinayanam Prabhum Divyadeshikam

Thridashapoojitham Chinthithapradam

Hariharatmajam Devamashraye

Bhavabhayapaham Bhavukavaham

Bhuvanamohanam Bhoothibhooshsnam

Dhavalavahanam Divyavaranam

Hariharatmajam Devamashraye

Kalamrudusmitham Sundarananam

Kalabhakomalam Gathramohanam

Kalabhakesari Vajivahanam

Hariharatmajam Devamashraye

Shrithajanapriyam Chinthidapradam

Shruthivibhooshanam Sadhujeevanam

Shruthimanoharam Geetalalasam

Hariharatmajam Devamashraye

Sharanamayyappa Swami Sharanamayyappa 

HISTORY, RECITATION AND RITUALS

Sri. Hariharatmajashtakam was written by Sri.Kumbakkudy Kulathur Sreenivasa Iyer.In 1955 it was recited before Shabarimala sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum)for the first time by Swami Vimochanananda.When Sri Vadakkath Eswaran Namboothiri was the Shanthi(priest) in Achan Kovil Shastha temple,a Sanyasi (saint) called Sri.Thurikananda Bhrahmendra Saraswathy visited him and submitted a gift of collection of Krithies called "Shastha sthuthy kadambam" written by Sri.Kumbakkudy Kulathur Sreenivasa Iyer.All the Krithies in the collection are Sthuties (praising mantras) of Lord Ayyappa. Sri. Harivarasanam is one of the Krities in that particular text. On 13 th August 1950 Sri.Vadakkath Eswaran Namboothiri became Melshanthi(chief priest) of Shabarimala temple as per order No:537/50 of the then Devaswam Board. During his tenure, after poojas and closing of the temple he used to recite Harivarasanam till late night by lighting a petromax and sitting in shack on a high tree. At the recitation of Harivarasanam by Eswaran Namboothiri one Mr.V.R.Gopala Menon of Alappuzha used to accompany him on Ganjira(an Indian musical instrument).

Mr.Gopala Menon lived as a strong devotee of Lord Ayyappa.In the earlier period , Sabarimala temple was sorrounded by dense forest and wildest animals and few pilgrims used to visit the temple.Nevertheless Sri.GopalaMenon stayed at Sannidhanam even after the closing of the temple.He built a shack and lived therein even when no human beings any where nearby. It was told that the wildest animals never attacked him,but instead he used to feed them as a divine duty bestowed upon him.It was also told that when the modern Devaswam Board was constituted he was vaccated therefrom. But he breathed his last at the place Vandiperiyar by submitting his life before Lord Ayyappa.He was the only companion to Sri. Vadakkath Eswaran Namboothiri in that bygone era of solitude and devotion.

Sri. Vdakkath Namboothiri also heard about the demise of Sri.Menon ,but with immense grief, and shocked thereby. On that particular day at the end of the pooja and about to close the doors of the Sreekovil he remembered Mr.Menon and recited Harivarasanam passionately. That nostalgeic tradition still continues as a precedent before the Sreekovil.This also attributed Harivarasanam the colour of a lullaby for Lord Ayyappa.So it is crystal clear that the precedent of chanting Harivarasanam started during the tenure of Sri.Vadakkath Eswaran Namboothiri.Before the reign of Sri.Namboothiri Cengannur Kadaikkal Kuttamani was the Melshanthi of Sabarimala. He used to close the doors of the Sreekovil by performing the lullaby in the flute. Presently at Sabarimala we are blessed to experience this recitation in the voice of "Ganagandharva" Sri.K.J.Jesdas .

Nowadayas Harivarasanam chanted at Sabarimala on the closing of the Sreekovil after the poojas in the night. As the final verses are being sung all the Keezh shanthies(Assistant priest) leave the Sreekovil one by one. At the end of the chanting only the Melshanthi will remain in the Sreekovil. He will extinguish all the holy lamps one by one and close the doors of the Sreekovil for the night 

COMPOSITION

Harivarasanam turned to be famous as lullaby to make Lord Ayyappa to sleep.Nevertheless, it is not a lullaby.But instead a Keerthana mantra prising Lord Ayyappa.In 1975 it released a Malayalam movie by name "Swami Ayyappan" by Sri.Subrahmaniam Kumar.In this very movie this Keerthanam was composed in'Madhyamavathi' ragam of Karnatic tradition. That itself increased the fame of the Keerthanam to all sections of the people irrespective of caste and religion. Further lullabies in India are composed in Madhyamavathy raga of Karnatic style.Hence, this song attired in as a lullaby. In classical music concerts and Bhajans the Mangalakeerthana or the last song is performed in the raga Madhyamavathy.It is believed that if any errors or defects occured in the concerts or Bhajans the same can be cured or rectified by singing the raga Madhyamavathy.Harivarasanam can also be composed in the ragas like Mohanam,Kallyani,Shyama and Neelambary.

STRUCTURE AND SIGNIFICANCE

While expressing in Malayalam the Harivarasanam keerthanam consists of altogether 108 words. Astonshingly the number 108 is a spiritually significant one. According to Indian spiritualism the number 1 stands for "Bhrahmam", 0 for "Maya" and 8 for "Praktuthy". Further there are 3 kinds of "Pushpanjalys" (offering flower on the idol) Among them the first and formost one is "Ashtothara shatha pushpanjaly". It is the offering or submitting of flowers on the idol by the Priest by chanting 108 names of Lord Ayyappa. In Harivarasanam there are 11 letters in a single line.. Astanza or "Khandam" consists of 4 lines. Accordingly in each stanza there are 44 lettrs(11x4=44).As already mentioned as an Ashtakam there are 8 khandas or stanzas.Hence 8 stanza text consists of 352 letters. (44x8=352) After all the Keertanam ends with "Sharanamayyappa swami sharanamayyappa" which is a union of 14 letters. In the light of the above it can be seen that the entire text consists of 366 letters (352+14=366)in Malayalam. This number 366 depicts 366 days (365 1/4 days rounded to 366) in a year. The said fact shows that it is worthy and sacred to chant Harivarasanam all the 366 days in a year

Another version is that the number 11 (number of lettrs in a single line of the Keerthana) denotes Lord Shiva.The number 4 (number of lines in stanza) represents Lord Vishnu.Simultaneously the number 8 (number of stanzas in the entire text)stands for Goddes Devi. Lord Ayyappa is an universal truth and force of Shiva,Vishnu and Devi and hence the omnipotent,omnipresent,omniscient and the Almighty!!!