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| '''Murugan''' or {{IAST|Murukaṇ}} ({{lang-ta|மு௫கன்}}) is a popular ] ] among ] Hindus, and is worshipped primarily by ] in India and abroad. He is not quite so well-known in other parts of India. Like most Indian deities, He is known by many other names, including '''{{IAST|Kārttikeya}}''' (meaning 'son of ]' ), '''Arumugam''' or '''Shanmukha''' (meaning 'one with six faces'), '''{{IAST|Kumāra}}''' (meaning 'child or son' in ]), '''{{IAST|Skanda}}''' ( |
'''Murugan''' or {{IAST|Murukaṇ}} ({{lang-ta|மு௫கன்}}) is a popular ] ] among ] Hindus, and is worshipped primarily by ] in India and abroad. He is not quite so well-known in other parts of India. Like most Indian deities, He is known by many other names, including '''{{IAST|Kārttikeya}}''' (meaning 'son of ]' ), '''Arumugam''' or '''Shanmukha''' (meaning 'one with six faces'), '''{{IAST|Kumāra}}''' (meaning 'child or son' in ]), '''{{IAST|Skanda}}''' (from a root ''{{IAST|skand}}'' "leap, hop, squirt out"), '''{{IAST|Subrahmaṇya}}''', '''{{IAST|Vēlaṇ}}''' and '''Swaminatha'''<ref>Many Faces of Murakan: The History and Meaning of a South Indian God By Fred W. Clothey p.1 </ref>. He is the ] and the patron deity of the Tamil land (]). According to the Tamil devotional work, ], "Murugan never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon in piety or distress". | ||
| The ] describes Kumaran as Agnibhuh or son of ] - the fire god. The Satapatha Brahmana depicts him as the son of ] and the ninth form of Agni. The ] includes the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharma Sutra mentions Skanda as Mahasena and Subrahmanya. The Aranya Parva of the ] alludes to Kartikeya Skanda where the legend is retold in considerable detail. The ] is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya. <ref>Ratna Navaratnam ; ''Karttikeya, the divine child:the Hindu testament of wisdom'' published in 1973 by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan</ref> | The ] describes Kumaran as Agnibhuh or son of ] - the fire god. The Satapatha Brahmana depicts him as the son of ] and the ninth form of Agni. The ] includes the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharma Sutra mentions Skanda as Mahasena and Subrahmanya. The Aranya Parva of the ] alludes to Kartikeya Skanda where the legend is retold in considerable detail. The ] is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya. <ref>Ratna Navaratnam ; ''Karttikeya, the divine child:the Hindu testament of wisdom'' published in 1973 by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan</ref> | ||
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| Murugan | |
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| Tamil script | முருகன் |
Murugan or Murukaṇ (Template:Lang-ta) is a popular Hindu deity among Tamil Hindus, and is worshipped primarily by South Indians in India and abroad. He is not quite so well-known in other parts of India. Like most Indian deities, He is known by many other names, including Kārttikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika' ), Arumugam or Shanmukha (meaning 'one with six faces'), Kumāra (meaning 'child or son' in Sanskrit), Skanda (from a root skand "leap, hop, squirt out"), Subrahmaṇya, Vēlaṇ and Swaminatha. He is the God of war and the patron deity of the Tamil land (Tamil Nadu). According to the Tamil devotional work, Thiruppugazh, "Murugan never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon in piety or distress".
The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as Agnibhuh or son of Agni - the fire god. The Satapatha Brahmana depicts him as the son of Rudra and the ninth form of Agni. The Taittiriya Aranyaka includes the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharma Sutra mentions Skanda as Mahasena and Subrahmanya. The Aranya Parva of the Mahabharata alludes to Kartikeya Skanda where the legend is retold in considerable detail. The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya.
The references to Murugan in Sanskrit literature could therefore be traced back to the first millennium BCE and the thereafter. There are references to Subrahmanya in Kautilya's Arthashastra, the works of Patanjali, Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam and the Sanskrit drama Mricchakatika. The Kushanas who governed from what is today Peshawar had struck coins that featured Skanda or Mahasena. The Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, issued coins with the Skanda image as well. The Iskhvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas did venerate the deity.
Kaumaram, 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 all Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Subrahmaṇya is installed on the left of the main deity.
Legend
Sati, the consort of Shiva immolated herself at the Daksha Yagna, which was later destroyed by Shiva. Sati was reborn as Uma, or Parvati the daughter of the mountain king Himavaan (the Himalayas). Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas.
In the meanwhile, the demon Surapadman 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 Tarakasuran, Surapadman and their demon 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 Parvati. When Kama aimed his arrow at Shiva, he opened his third eye and burned him 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 Ganga into the Sara Vana forest into a pond called Sara Vana Poigai(located at mouths of river Ganga), 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. Parvati combined these six babies into one with six faces, ie. Shanmukha. Since he was born in the Sara Vana he was also called Sara Vana Bhavan. Murugan became the supreme general of the devas 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 (circa the 3rd century CE)
In the 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 Svaha, 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. (In 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.
The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranas discussed below.
In the Puranas
Though slightly varying versions occur in the Puranas, they broadly follow the same pattern. (By this period, the identification of Shiva/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 loved Dakshayani (also named Sati), the granddaughter of Brahma, and the daughter of Daksha. Daksha never liked Shiva, who, symbolizing detruction 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 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 (who was Dakshayani, reborn) by having Manmatha (also known as Kama), the god of love awaken him from his penance, incurring his wrath by opening his third eye of destruction, and being destroyed & 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 (shara). The child is finally born in this forest (vana) with six faces-eesanam, sathpurusham, 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 (Sanskrit for "youth")
Skanda in The Gita
Muruga is also mentioned in the Gita. In chapter 10 (stanza 24), Krishna says of generals he is Skanda. This description very well fits into the core concepts of Hinduism - "Brahman" and its panentheistic theology.
Early mention in Sangam literature
Tamil Sangam Literature (early centuries CE) mentions Murugu as a nature spirit worshipped with animal sacrifices and associated with a non-Brahmanical priest known as a Velan , a name later used to refer to the deity himself. The worship of Murugu often occurred in the woods or in an open field, with no particular associated structure. The rituals practiced included the Veriyaattu, a form of ritual-trance-dancing, which is still a common part of Murugan worship in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Malaysia. Murugu was believed to hold power over the chaotic and could be appeased by sacrifices and Veriyaattu to bring order and prosperity.
The Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Tiru-murukaarupadai, the Tolkapiyam - the earliest Tamil grammar, the Paripadal, the Ahanaanooru and the Puranaanooru.
One poem in the Paripadal describes the veneration of Murugan thus:
"We implore thee not for boons of enjoyment or wealth, But for thy grace beatific, love and virtuous deeds".
Architectural findings of pottery in several places in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere had ideographic inscriptions of this name as far back as 3rd century BCE. According to noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, the ideographs signify a brave warrior capable of killing evil demons to save the devoted.
Lord Muruga was worshipped for giving the meaning of the Pranava Mantra ( OM ) to Lord Shiva himself.
Murugan and the Tamil liturgy
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 worshipped 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 or lance 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).
The Worship of Kartikeya through ages
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 (Ch.10, Verse 24), in the middle of the battlefied "Kurukshetra", Krishna explaining his omnipresence and revealing the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each category, says - "Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war."
His 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 the Sanskrit works like the Katha-Saritsagara. The great Sanskrit poet, Kalidasa chose his birth as the subject of one of his epics - Kumaarasambhavam.
In ancient India, he was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as can be seen in famed Sanskrit play of Shudraka - Mrichchakatikam (the little clay cart) and the medieval collection of tales,Vetala-panchvimshati. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill the demon Taraka and his brothers. (In Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house)
However, his popularity in North India saw a great erosion from the Middle Ages. He slowly vanished from the scene and is today virtually unknown in these areas. The last vestiges can be seen in Bengal where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja along with Durga or at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab. There is a temple of Skanda on top of the Parvati hill in Pune.
Popularity in Tamil Nadu
In North India, the popularity of Skanda has receded. In South India, Muruga continues 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.
He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Devasena. However, other Hindu legends state that He is unmarried, and call Him 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. The Vel 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, Shoorapadman 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.
Lord Subramanya is the major deity among the Thiyyas of northern Kerala.
Lord Subramanya is worshipped with utmost devotion in districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Rituals like nagaradhane are unique to this region.
Differences in Northern and Southern traditions
The North Indian and South Indian traditions differ with respect to Murugan.
Order of birth
The Sanskrit epics and Puranas seem to indicate that he was the eldest son of Shiva, as the tale of Shiva's marriage to Parvati indicates. In the Shiva Purana, he is seen helping Shiva fight the newly born Ganesha, Shiva's other son, when Ganesha stopped Shiva from entering his home in Kailasa. In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana in the Ganapati Khandam, Karthikeya is technically the first born from Shiva, and Ganesha is born next.
In South India, it is believed that he was the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine mango of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the mango, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati 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, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom.
Marital status
In the north, he is generally seen as a bachelor, even a misogynist. The southern tradition has him married to two wives.
Worship
Major Temples
The main temples of Murugan are located in Southern Tamil Nadu. They include the Aru Padaiveedu (six houses- rather, military camps in his campaign against demon) - Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparangunram, Palani (Pazhani), Thiruthani - and other important shrines like Mayilam, Sikkal, Marudamalai, Vayalur, Thirumalaikoil, Kukke Subramanya. Malai Mandir, a prominent and popular temple complex in Delhi, is probably the only major one dedicated to Murugan in all of North India.
The key temples in Sri Lanka include the sylvan shrine in Kataragama / (Kadirgamam), or Kathirkamam in the deep south, the temple in Tirukovil in the east, the shrine in Embekke in the Kandyan region and the famed Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna.
There are several temples dedicated to Murugan in Malaysia, the most famous being the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur.
Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, Singapore is a major Hindu temple where each year the Thaipusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Muruga carry Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.
In United kingdom, Highgate Hill Murugan temple is one of the oldest and most famous.The Queen Elizabeth II of Britain paid her first visit to this temple on July 6th 2002 as part of Golden Jubilee celebrations.
In Australia, Sydney Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill) is a major Hindu temple for all Australian Hindus.
Kartikeya worship in Sri Lanka
Kartikeya or Murugan is adored by both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favorite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon.
In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, Kartikeya is worshipped at the temple in Kataragama (Kathirkamam), where he is known as Katragama Deviyo (Lord of Katragama) or Kathiravel. This temple is next to an old Buddhist place of worship. Local legend holds that Lord Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local aboriginal lasses. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Lord Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram temple and the Sella channithy temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murukan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelautha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition.
See also
- Skanda (Buddhism)
- Skanda Purana
- Kataragama
- Katirkamam (Hindu temple)
- Kukke Subramanya Temple
- Matrika
- Kali
References
- Muruga in Sangam literature
- Mailam a Muruga Temple in the Cross Roads
- Survey of Tamil Nadu Hindu deities
- Many Faces of Murakan: The History and Meaning of a South Indian God By Fred W. Clothey p.1
- Ratna Navaratnam ; Karttikeya, the divine child:the Hindu testament of wisdom published in 1973 by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
- Ratna Navaratnam ; Karttikeya, the divine child:the Hindu testament of wisdom published in 1973 by the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
- "Muruga in Indus Script" - a note by the renowned epigraphist, Iravatham Mahadevan.
External links
| This article's use of external links may not follow Misplaced Pages's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
http://www.highgatehillmurugan.org/
- Swami Sivananda's book on Lord Kartikeya; also available on PDF.
- Skanda worship in Katirkamam, Sri Lanka
- Kaumaram Murugan Info
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