Murugan

Murugan

Murugan Invocation

Omkaram bindu samyuktam nityam

dhyayanti yoginah Kamadam mokshadam chaiva

Omkaraya namo namah

Murugan - Introduction

Gayatri Mantras of Lord Kartikeya

‘Om Thatpurushaya Vidhmahe Maha Senaya Dhimahi

Thanno Skanda Prachodhayath’

The birth of Murugan is celebrated in the

vedic month of Vaisakha by which the full moon coincides with the Vishakha Star. It

is said Vishakha star is mystical star found in the heavens. It has its head in Mars Sign

Murugan

Scarpio and its body and lower extremities

in the Venus Sign Libra. Therefore who is born during this period displays the inner

balance and harmony between inner spiritual and the outer worldly realms.

The word Murugan comes from the root

Muruga meaning beautiful. And this is symbolic. Thus Murugan means ‘the

beautiful’. Love and beauty are synonyms. In fact they are two sides of the same coin.

In certain expressions love becomes beauty. While in other moment beauty

becomes love. And in love the love object becomes the embodiment of beauty. And

when you see beauty surrounding love naturally blossoms and flourishes.

Murugan is one such embodiment where love and beauty blend together to reveal

the ultimate – the truth. Love and beauty are two wings of truth. Or two doors to

reach the inner temple of truth.

Murugan is popularly known by the Tamils as Arumurugan – one with six faces. And

he is worshipped by Tamils as their chief deity. It is believed that he taught the

Tamil language and sat as the leader of the academy of poets. As a result language got

divinized. Murugan is worshipped as the

Murugan

principle male deity in Tamil speaking

regions of South India – Chennai, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and Mauritius.

Murugan is also perceived as the lord of

destruction because he assumed embodied form simply to remove the atrocities of the

demons that were supported by their guru Sukracharya. Therefore it is believed by the

ardent followers that by worshipping Murugan one will be able to overcome the

negative influences. Negative influence may have many outside influences like

sickness, marriage, psychological, Debts, or any other kind. When there are such

problems your mind begins of attract many influences because of a weaker

consciousness. With your constant aspiration, and meditation an

understanding comes that removes all kinds of negative influences.

Traditionally the worship can be done on

Tuesday or Friday. As part of ritualistic worship you fast as well. You can worship

Murugan either with a spear or in the form of a small boy as bal-mura. Whatever the

fprm may appeal to you will not matter really. The most important thing is your

devotion

Murugan

Why is Murugan remains unknown in English Speaking Regions? This is related to the tale of ‘Palani Muruga’.

It so happened once that on Mount Kailas

Murugan was playing at the feet of Shiva and Parbati while Ganesh was dancing with

his trunk. It was the atmosphere of gaiety. The same time the wandering sage Narad

appeared displaying the Veena and playing the insignia tune – Sriman Narayana…

Narayana Narayana…

Shiva welcomes Narad gracefully. Afterwards Narad gave a special mango

fruit. Both Ganapati and Murugan waited anxiously for the fruit. At this Shiva

decided for a contest to choose the right person for the fruit. Accordingly Shiva

explained one who completes circling the universe faster and returns first shall get

the fruit. Ganesh

Murugan

Si Murugan began the journey riding the

Blue peacock as it fluttered its wings like the golden chariot and flew across. In the

meantime Ganesh realizing his disadvantage started circling around his

parents worshipping them. When Shiva enquired about this act Ganesh spoke:

‘It is because of you alone this world arises

and falls. Indeed the father and the mother are the universe.’ This pleased Shiva and

Pārbati and thus they gave the fruit to Ganesh.

Later when Murugan arrived to claim the

fruit he realized that it was already given to Ganesh. Murugan got very angry and his

lips turned red and he sat on his peacock. No amount of explanation from Shiva could

pacify Murugan. Then Parbati intervened and addressed him lovingly ‘Kathirvela’ –

another name for Murugan. Parbati let him sit on her lap.

Ganesh remain bewildered watching

Murugan as he rode his peacock out of anger and reached the southern part and

landed at Tiru Avinankudi Hill.And as he landed there on the hill his anger cooled

off. Both Shiva and Parbati followed and

Murugan

tried to persuade Murugan to return but he

refused instead chose to stay in the South.

Thus the legend Palani Murugan states that Murugan remained in South India.

Coconut and ritual worship Coconut is purest fruit that can be offered for ritualistic worship. It symbolizes

spiritual maturity.

The sweet nectarine water of coconut is natural nourishment. It has all the

nutrients that are found in Mothers Milk that nourishes the young one. When the

coconut is young its water is sweet nectarine. And the soft gel is attached to

the inner lining of the nut. It cannot be taken out intact. According to Hindus this

symbolizes attachment. As the coconut matures the sweet nectar thickens to form

white jelly. However it still remains attached to the inner lining. And the two

cannot be separated. When the coconut dries the inner lining or jelly separates

from the inner wall of the shell. However when dried the specks of oil surfaces and

the whole nut be obtained.

Murugan

The dried coconut symbolizes maturity as the inner and outer are now separable. The

outer layer of the dried coconut is coarsely knit fiber. It represents human mind

engrossed in jealousy, greed, lust, selfishness, and other vices. These must

vanish so that the seer attain to inner purity. It is for this reason a dried whole

coconut is offered to the sacrificial fire of the yagna.

Dried Coconut fruit has three distinct eyes

symbolizing creation-preservation-and dissolution. The eyes also symbolize the

two physical eyes of a human and the third – the mystical eye that lies between the

two physical eyes. Symbolically coconut represents three aspects:

1. The hard dried outer shell symbolized

physical composition of the skull. It is hard to crack. This symbolizes human

mind. Human mind is full of unwanted thoughts.

2. The inner lining represents human

psychology

Murugan

3. And the untouched, uncontaminated

spiritual layer.

The dried coconut with husk is offered to

the sacrificial yagna fire while the dried nut is cracked to burst open and nectarine

juice is offered th the seekers present as blessings and the divine vibrations that

brings blessings and prosperity and inner contentment.

Birth of Murugan

Kartikeya, the second son of Lord Shiva

and Goddess Parvati or Shakti, is known by many names Subramaniam, Sanmukha,

Shadanana, Skanda and Guha. In the southern states of India, Kartikeya is a

popular deity and is better known as Murugan.

He is an embodiment of perfection, a brave

leader of divine forces, and a war god, who was created to destroy the demons,

representing the negative tendencies in human beings.

Murugan

Kartikeya’s other name, Shadanana, which

means ‘one with six heads’ corresponds to the five senses and the mind. The six heads

also stand for virtues that enable him to see in all the directions - an important

attribute that ensures that he counters all kinds blows that can hit him.

The war imagery and the six heads of

Kartikeya indicates that if humans wish to lead themselves efficiently through the

battle of life, they must always be alert lest they are shown the wrong path by crafty

people with the six demonic vices: kaama (sex - desire), krodha (anger), lobha

(greed), moha (passion), mada (ego) and matsarya (jealousy).

Kartikeya carries in one hand a spear and

his other hand is always blessing devotees. His vehicle is a peacock, a pious bird that

grips with its feet a serpent, which symbolizes the ego and desires of people.

The peacock represents the destroyer of harmful habits and the conqueror of

sensual desires. The symbolism of Kartikeya thus points to the ways and

means of reaching perfection in life.

Murugan

The references to Murugan in Sanskrit

literature can be traced back to the first millennium BCE. There are references to

Subrahmanya in Kautilya’s Arthashastra, in the works of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic

poem the Kumarasambhavam and in the Sanskrit drama Mricchakatika. The

Kushanas, who governed from what are 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. The

worship of Kumāra was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of

Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by him included this sect. In

many Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Subrahmaṇya is installed on the left

of the main deity.

Sati, the consort of Shiva immolated herself at the Daksha Yagna, sacrificed her

in yagna. Sati was reborn as Uma, or Pārbati the daughter of the mountain king

Himavaan (the Himalayas). Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged

himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas.

Murugan

In the meanwhile, Surapadman (an asura)

ravaged the earth and tormented its beings. It was realized by the gods that

only the son born of Shiva could lead the gods to victory over Tarakasura,

Surapadman and their companions. They plotted with Kamadeva, to shoot a flower

arrow at Shiva, as he sat in meditation, so as to make him fall in love with Pārbati.

When Kama aimed his arrow, Shiva opened his third eye and burned Kama to ashes

instantly.

The sparks of the fiery seed of Shiva were unbearable; even the fire God Agni could

not bear them. This fire was then transported by the river Ganges into the

Saravana forest into a pond called the Saravana Poigai (located at mouths of river

Ganges), where the sparks became six children. They were raised by the six

Krittika or Kartika - the stars that make up the Pleiades, earning the name Karthikeya.

However Pārbati combined these six babies into one with six faces, i.e. Shanmukha or

Arumugan. Since he was born in the Saravana he was also called

'Saravanabhava'.

Murugan

He was brought up by Ganga until he

attained the teens. On return Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-

gods then escorted devas and led the army of devas to victory against the asuras. The

six sites at which Karthikeya sojourned while leading his armies against

Surapadman are Tiru-tta-nikai, Swami-malai, Tiruva-vinankudi (Palani),

Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparam-kunram and Tiruchendur. All these sites have ancient

temples glorified by the Tamil poems of Tiru-muruga-atruppadai of the Sangam

period - 3rd century AD. And these six sites collectively came to be known as ‘Arupadai

Veedu’ - Tamil, it means the six battle camps of the Lord.

Hindu epics

The first elaborate account of Karthikeya’s origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a

complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and Svāha, after the latter

impersonated the six of the seven wives of the Saptarishi (Seven Sages). The actual

wives then become the Pleiades. Karthikeya is said to have been born to

destroy the Asura Mahisha. However in

Murugan

later mythology, Mahisha became the

adversary of Durga. Indra attacks Karthikeya as he sees the latter as a

threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Karthikeya the commander-in-chief of the

army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra’s daughter. The origin of

this marriage lies probably in the punning of ‘Deva-sena-pati’. It can mean either lord

of Devasena or Lord of the army (sena) of Devas.

However the Ramayana version is closer to

the stories told in the Puranas.

Vedas The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as

‘Agnibhuh’ or son of Agni, the fire god. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the

son of Rudra and the ninth form of Agni. The Taittiriya Aranyaka contains the

Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as

the ‘way that leads to wisdom’. The

Murugan

Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions

Skanda as ‘Mahasena’ and ‘Subrahmanya.’ The Aranya Parva canto of the

Mahabharata relates the legend of Kartikeya Skanda in considerable detail.

However The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya. The Upanisahds

also constantly make a reference to a Supreme Being called Guha, the indweller.

Puranas

Though slightly varying versions occur in the Puranas, they broadly follow the same

pattern. By this period, the identification of Rudra with Agni that can be traced back to

the Vedas and Brahmanas, had clearly made Karthikeya the son of Shiva.

The Skanda Purana narrates that Shiva

first wed Dakshayani (also named Sati), the granddaughter of Brahma, and the

daughter of Daksha. Daksha never liked Shiva, who, symbolizing destruction and

detachment, begs for food, dances in a graveyard smeared with ashes, and has no

possessions, not even good clothes for himself. Daksha publicly insults Shiva in a

Yagna ceremony, and Dakshayani

Murugan

immolates herself. The Yagna is destroyed

although protected by all the other Gods and the rishis. Taraka believed that,

because Shiva is an ascetic and his earlier marriage was conducted with great

difficulty, his remarriage was out of the question hence his boon of being killed by

Shiva’s son alone would give him invincibility.

The Devas manage to get Shiva married to

Parvati – incarnation of Dakshayani by making Manmatha - Kama, the God of love

awaken him from his penance, but Manmatha incurred the Shiva’s wrath

indicated by the opening his third eye – ‘Netri Kann’, and being destroyed and

resurrected. Shiva hands over his effulgence of the third eye used to destroy

Manmatha to Agni, as he alone is capable of handling it until it becomes the desired

offspring. But even Agni, tortured by its heat, hands it over to Ganga who in turn

deposits it in a lake in a forest of reeds (sharavanam). The Goddess Pārbati -

Consort of Lord Shiva assumed the form of this Water body as she alone is capable of

bearing the ‘Tejas’ of Shiva. The child is finally born in this forest (vana) with six

faces-eesanam, sathpurusham,

Murugan

vamadevam, agoram, sathyojatham and

adhomugam. He is first spotted and cared for by six women representing the Pleiades

- Kritika in Sanskrit. He thus gets named Karthikeya. As a young lad, he destroys

Taraka. He is also called Kumara.

Divine legends Given that legends related to Murugan are

recounted separately in several Hindu epics, some differences between the

various versions are observed. Some Sanskrit epics and Puranas indicate that he

was the elder son of Shiva. This is suggested by the legend connected to his

birth; the wedding of Shiva and Pārbati being necessary for the birth of a child who

would vanquish the demon named Tarakasur. Also, Kartikeya is seen helping

Shiva fight the newborn Ganesh, Shiva’s other son, in the Shiva Purana.

In the Ganapati Khandam of the Brahma

Vaivarta Purana, he is seen as the elder son of Shiva and Ganesh as the younger. In

South India, it is believed that he is the younger of the two. A Puranic story has

Ganesh obtain a divine mango of

Murugan

knowledge from Narada winning a contest

with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest

for the mango, Ganesh circumambulates Shiva and Pārbati thrice as an equivalent

and is given the mango. After winning it, he offers to give the mango to his upset

brother. After this event, Ganesh was considered the elder brother owing as a

tribute to his wisdom.

In many traditions, Murugan is seen as a bachelor. Many of the major events in

Murugan’s life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are

popular. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to

the worship of the child Krishna in north India.

Murugan

Documents

Transcript of Murugan