lord Murugan
Murugan, also known as Kārttikeya , Shanmukha , Kumāra , Skanda among other names, is both the youthful God of war and the patron deity of Tamil Nadu in South India. He is very a popular Hindu deity among Tamil Hindus, and is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influence, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and southern India.
Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods and led the army of the devas to victory against the demons. The six sites at which Karthikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman are Tiruttanikai, Swamimalai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur. All these sites have ancient temples glorified by the Tamil poems of Tirumurugaatruppadai of the Sangam period . These six sites collectively came to be known as "Arupadai Veedu" meaning the six battle camps of the Lord.
In many Hindu stories, Murugan is seen as a bachelor. Most of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. Consequently, Murugan is often worshiped as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the Krishna in north India. Other Hindu myths have him married to two wives, Valli and Devayani. The worship of Murugan as a youth (Kumara) was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by Shankara included this sect thereby illustrating its historical importance.
History
Historically, Kartikeya enjoyed immense popularity in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad Gita , Krishna, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."
Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty, and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam.
The Kushana, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.
In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill the demon Taraka and his brothers. In the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunneling into the hero's house.
However, Kartikeya's popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana. There is a very famous temple dedicated to Him in the town of Pehowa in Haryana and this temple is very well-known in the adjoining areas, especially because of the fact that women are not allowed anywhere close to it because this shrine celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune, Maharashtra. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal, where he is worshiped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga.
In South India, Muruga has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350-1420 C.E.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram.
He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Devayani (also called Devasena), the daughter of Indra. During His bachelorhood, He was also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance (called Vel in Tamil) is a weapon closely associated with him. It was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. The flag of his army depicts a rooster. In the war, the demon Soorapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster.
As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in South India, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil, the red or formidable one; Arumuga, the six-faced one; Guha and Maal-Marugan, the nephew of Vishnu.
Murugan is venerated through out the Tamil year. There is a six day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known as the Skanda Shasti. He is worshiped at Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide near the full moon of the Tamil month Thai. This commemorates the day he was given a Vel by his mother in order to vanquish the demons. Vaikasi Visakam or the full moon of the Tamil month of Vaikasi signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also dedicated to the worship of Murugan. Tuesday in the Hindu tradition connotes Mangala, the god of planet Mars and war. This reveals the link between Skanda and Kujan (Mangala).
Symbolism:
Kartikeya symbolism includes many weapons:
His divine lance represents his far reaching protection
His discus symbolizes his knowledge of the truth
His mace represents his strength
His bow shows his ability to defeat all ills
His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego
His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development, which corresponds to his role as the bestower of siddhis.
Murugan, also known as Kārttikeya , Shanmukha , Kumāra , Skanda among other names, is both the youthful God of war and the patron deity of Tamil Nadu in South India. He is very a popular Hindu deity among Tamil Hindus, and is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influence, including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and southern India.
Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods and led the army of the devas to victory against the demons. The six sites at which Karthikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman are Tiruttanikai, Swamimalai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur. All these sites have ancient temples glorified by the Tamil poems of Tirumurugaatruppadai of the Sangam period . These six sites collectively came to be known as "Arupadai Veedu" meaning the six battle camps of the Lord.
In many Hindu stories, Murugan is seen as a bachelor. Most of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. Consequently, Murugan is often worshiped as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the Krishna in north India. Other Hindu myths have him married to two wives, Valli and Devayani. The worship of Murugan as a youth (Kumara) was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by Shankara included this sect thereby illustrating its historical importance.
History
Historically, Kartikeya enjoyed immense popularity in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad Gita , Krishna, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."
Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty, and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam.
The Kushana, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.
In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill the demon Taraka and his brothers. In the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunneling into the hero's house.
However, Kartikeya's popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana. There is a very famous temple dedicated to Him in the town of Pehowa in Haryana and this temple is very well-known in the adjoining areas, especially because of the fact that women are not allowed anywhere close to it because this shrine celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune, Maharashtra. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal, where he is worshiped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga.
In South India, Muruga has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350-1420 C.E.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram.
He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Devayani (also called Devasena), the daughter of Indra. During His bachelorhood, He was also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance (called Vel in Tamil) is a weapon closely associated with him. It was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. The flag of his army depicts a rooster. In the war, the demon Soorapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster.
As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in South India, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil, the red or formidable one; Arumuga, the six-faced one; Guha and Maal-Marugan, the nephew of Vishnu.
Murugan is venerated through out the Tamil year. There is a six day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known as the Skanda Shasti. He is worshiped at Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide near the full moon of the Tamil month Thai. This commemorates the day he was given a Vel by his mother in order to vanquish the demons. Vaikasi Visakam or the full moon of the Tamil month of Vaikasi signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also dedicated to the worship of Murugan. Tuesday in the Hindu tradition connotes Mangala, the god of planet Mars and war. This reveals the link between Skanda and Kujan (Mangala).
Symbolism:
Kartikeya symbolism includes many weapons:
His divine lance represents his far reaching protection
His discus symbolizes his knowledge of the truth
His mace represents his strength
His bow shows his ability to defeat all ills
His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego
His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development, which corresponds to his role as the bestower of siddhis.
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