Murugan is known by numerous names in ancient and medieval texts of the Indian culture. Most common among these are Mahasena, Kartikeya, Kumara, Shanmukha, Skanda, and Subrahmanya . He is the Hindu god of war. He is a son of Parvati and Shiva, brother of Ganesha, and a god whose life story has many versions in Hinduism
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Murugan – the Hindu God of Tamils
Murugan is hailed as ‘Thamizh kadavul’ — the Lord of Tamils by poets and Tamil cultural exponents who take pride in the uniqueness of Tamil culture. Murugan is a popular deity widely worshiped in Tamil Nadu and also in Kerala, Karnataka and Srilanka. Worship of Muruga is rather sporadic in other parts and linguistic segments of India.
The myriod Tamil names of Murugan
The word Murugan means one who is handsome. In India, naming children with popular names of God is very widely practiced. The name Murugan and his numerous other names like Murugaiyan, Sivamurugan, Velmurugan, Saravanan, Karthigeyan, Senthil, Arumugam, Subramaniyan, Subbaiah, Subbarayan, Swaminathan, Velan, Kadirvel, Shaktivel, Kandan (Skandan), Kandaswamy, Kadamban, Kumar, Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar, Shanmukham, Palani (it is actually the name of one of his abodes), Palaniswamy, Muthu Kumaran, Sakthi Kumar, Muthukumaraswamy, Dandapani, Dandayutapani, etc. are widely used in naming children; a vast majority in the above names are quite typical to Tamils.
The birth of Murugan
Murugan is Subramanya, the son of lord Shiva. According to mythology, Murugan was born out of the fire that emanated from Lord Shiva’s third eye — his eye at the middle of his forehead, when he opened it to burn Kamadeva, or Manmatha, the god of love and passion, who tried to disturb Shiva’s meditation and turn his mind towards romance. The very purpose of birth of Muruga was to annihilate the two demons Tarakasura and Surapadma. Elaborate details of this mythology can be obtained from “Skanda Puranam”. The tamil poetic version of this mythology is also available, known as “Kanda Puranam” written by the poet Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350-1420).
Puranas
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 insulted Shiva in a Yagna ceremony, and Sati immolated Herself in anger over this treatment of Her husband. The Yagna was destroyed by the ganas of Shiva led by Virabhadra. Shiva withdrew himself from the universe and engaged himself in yogic meditation in the Himalayas.
In the meanwhile, Surapadman (an asura) ravaged the earth and tormented its beings. Tarakasuran 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.
It was realized by the gods that only the son born of Shiva could lead the gods to victory over Tarakasuran, Surapadman and their companions. They plotted with Manmatha, also known as Kamadeva, the God of love, to shoot a flower arrow from his bow at Shiva, as he sat in meditation, so as to make him fall in love with Parvati (who was Dakshayani, reborn). When Kamadeva aimed his arrow, Shiva opened his third eye and incinerated him to ashes instantly.
Shiva handed over his effulgence of the third eye, used to destroy Manmatha, to Agni, as he alone was capable of handling it until it becomes the desired offspring. Even Agni, tortured by its heat, handed it over to Ganga, who in turn transported it into the Saravana Forest and deposited it in a pond of reeds called the Saravana 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, i.e. Shanmukha or Arumugan. Since he was born in the Saravana he was also called 'Saravanabhava'.
Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras.
Murugan’s vehicle is peacock and his main weapon to destroy his enemies is “Vel” (lance). His army flag (“kodi“) carries the symbol of rooster (“seval“) and on account of it, he is also known as “Seval Kodiyon“.
According to mythology, Lord Murugan is married to two wives, Devayani (daughter of Indra, the king of Devas) and Valli. Valli reportedly belongs to a Tamil tribal community.
Murugan and Gyana (Supreme Knowledge)
Mahavakyam - "The Great Sayings" of the Upanishads:
प्रज्ञानम् ब्रह्म, Prajñānam Brahm, Consciousness is God. ~ Aitareya Upanishad (Chapter 3, verse 3)
अहं ब्रह्मास्मि, Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi ~ Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10 of the Shukla Yajur Veda
Aham (अहं) means “I”, Brahm (ब्रह्म) means all possibilities and Asmi (अस्मि) means “am”.
तत्त्वमसि, Tát Túvam Asi ~ Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7 of the Sama Veda
tát (तत्) means “That”, túvam means “You”, Asi “are”. Simply put, Thou art that.
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Realizing the highest truth of the Atman, and its oneness with the Brahman, is called gyana (true knowledge) in Hinduism. Attaining this knowledge is also known as the opening of the “third eye” in a person. Lord Murugan, who was born on account of the opening of the third eye of Lord Shiva is a knower of the supreme truth and is therefore referred to as “Gyana Panditan” (An exponent of Supreme knowledge).
The holy Hindu syllable “Om” is said to encapsulate the Supreme knowledge; one who knows the profoundest meaning of Om is indeed a Gyani who knows the Supreme Truth. According to mythology, Murugan, even as a little boy was aware of the meaning of Om.
On one occasion Murugan imparted a secret upadesa on pranava, the sound of Om, to Shiva and thus earned the title ‘Guru of Shiva’.
Since Murugan thus became a Guru (Swami) who taught to the very Lord (Natha) of the universe, he was called Swaminathan. In Tamil, he is hailed as “Thagappan Sami” – one who became a Guru to his own father.
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Ramana Maharshi as Skanda son of Shiva
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the very embodiment of the beginningless infinite supreme Brahman, the Satchitananda (existence, consciousness, bliss), is considered by his ardent devotees to be an incarnation of Lord Muruga. Though he has not written any hymns about Muruga, his cryptic poems are a source of treasure which contains the essence of his philosophical teachings.
Maharshi Ramana has taught two principal paths as the main spiritual practices [sadhanas] for the attainment of Self-Knowledge, which is the state of eternal, perfect and unalloyed happiness. The first path He taught is the path of Self-Enquiry, that is, knowing oneself (one’s real nature) by enquiring ‘Who Am I?’, while the second path is the path of self-surrender, that is, surrendering oneself (the ego) completely to God. The former is the path of knowledge or gyana (jnana marga), and the latter is the path of devotion (bhakti marga).
Jane Adams Art - SACRED INDIA TAROT – RAMANA AS SKANDA SON OF SIVA
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The 6 great abodes of Murugan in Tamil Nadu
The six sites at which Karthikeya sojourned while leading his armies against Surapadman:
Swamimalai - Arulmigu Swaminatha Swamy Temple - A very famous temple of Swaminathan (i.e. Murugan), situated at Swamimalai (near Kumbakonam at Tamil Nadu, India), is treated as the most sacred place as where Lord Murugan preached the Pranav Mantra “OM” to His father Lord Shiva when He was a child.
The other 5 abodes are : Tiruttanikai, Tiruvavinankudi (Palani), PazhamudirSolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur.
“Thirumurugatruppadai” is a famous and ancient Tamil literature written by poet Nakkirar of the Sangam period (circa the 3rd century AD), which contains the stories of the wondrous divine play of Lord Murugan in all these 6 main abodes.
These six sites collectively came to be known as "Arupadai Veedu" (Lang:Tamil), it means the six battle camps of the Lord.
Worship in Tamil Nadu
Thai Poosam during January-February month is celebrated as a 6-day festival. On Thai Poosam day, Kavadis and Palkudams are taken by devotees in procession around Chhedanagar. Special Abhishekams are performed to the Moolavar and Utsavar (festival deity's moorthi usually taken during temple festival processions; utsavar moorthi is generally made of metal, and Moolavar murthi is usually made of stone). Annadhanam (The Sacred Offering of Food) is provided to all devotees participating in the functions. In the night, Lord Muruga is taken in procession accompanied by Nadaswaram, Veda Parayanam around Chhedanagar.
Vaikasi Visakam day, during May-June month, Kavadis (a 'physical burden' made out of elaborate and decorated framework, lifted onto a person’s shoulders) and Palkudams (milk pots) are taken by devotees in procession around Chhedanagar.
Skanda Sashti during October-November month is celebrated as a 6-day festival. Spiritual discourses by learned scholars and/or music concerts by popular artists from South or from Mumbai are organized.
