What it means
O Lord Ayyappa, I take refuge in you. Saranam means refuge.
Where it comes from
Pilgrims to Sabarimala keep a forty-one-day vow called the mandala vratam. They wear black or blue, eat simply, and call each other Swami, because every pilgrim is believed to carry Ayyappa within. Climbing the hills with the irumudi bundle on their heads, they keep this call going the whole way.
How to chant it
Aloud and together on the pilgrimage. During the vow it's said morning and evening.
When: The mandala season, November to January, and on the Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Try it now
The japa counter opens with this mantra selected and keeps count for you.
Questions people ask
During the vow every pilgrim is regarded as a form of Ayyappa, so no one uses names; everyone is Swami.