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Lord Shiva, one of the Trimurti or the Divine
Trinity, also known as Rudra, is one of the most major deities in the
Hindu Pantheon. According to the Shaiva cult, Shiva is considered
to be the Supreme Being. According to the Smartas, Shiva is revered as
one among the five primary forms of God.
Except in temples
like Chidambaram - where Shiva is worshipped as the Dancing Lord
Nataraja, stepping over the demon Apasmara, who stands for ignorance -
Shiva is usually portrayed and worshipped in the form of the Shiva
linga. Sometimes, he is also depicted as being in deep meditation.
According
to Hindu culture, Brahma and Vishnu are the other two deities of the
Trinity. Here, Brahma plays the role of the Creator, Vishnu is the
preserver and maintains the Universe, and Shiva is the destroyer. Shiva
is also the dynamic force that transforms. Together, therefore, the
Trinity works to maintain the aspects of Srishti, Sthithi and Laya.
The word Shiva comes from Sanskrit and means, "The Auspicious One". It also means kind, pure, generous and gracious. Interestingly, in the Rig Veda, the Lord of the Devas, Indra, uses this word to describe himself! The name, Shiva, could also be used to mean one who is shorn of the three Gunas, namely, Satva, Rajas and Tamas; and also one who purifies all by the mere chanting of His name. Swami Shri Chinmayananda, states in his translation of the Vishnu sahasranama: "Shiva means 'the One who is eternally pure' or 'the One who can never have any contamination of the imperfection of Rajas and Tamas'". Dravidian tradition gives the meaning "to be red", to the word Shiva. This may be the equivalent of Rudra, or "The Red". Shiva is worshipped as a major deity not only in India, but also in Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Shiva
is often shown as a three-eyed deity, residing in the cold and hostile
environs of Mount Kailas. He is portrayed with a crescent moon
(Chandrashekhara) and Devi Ganga (hence his other name is Gangadhara)
on his head. His hair is matted and he is adorned with snake and skull
ornaments. He is also covered with ashes and holds a Damaru (small
drum) and Trishula (Trident).
Shiva is said to have burnt down
Kama (the God of Love) with his third eye, when the latter tried to
disturb him during penance. Some scriptures indicate that Shiva got his
name, Tryambakam, from this attribute of his third eye. But this is
still a controversial matter.
Shiva is also known as the Neelakantha, the one with the Blue Throat. During the time of the Samudra Manthan (churning of the Ocean of Milk), there emerged from the water the deadly poison, Halahala. The Devas realized that such was the potency of the poison, that even a drop of it falling on the Earth could cause the destruction of the entire planet. Shiva immediately stepped ahead, took the poison in his palms and drank it up before it could touch the ground. Fearing what might happen to her Lord if the poison entered his body, Parvati, Shiva's consort, gripped his throat, so as to stop Halahala's downward movement. This resulted in Shiva's throat becoming blue.
The
Ganga, whose powerful descent Shiva bore on his head, flows in a gentle
stream from his matter hair. Shiva is often shown as being draped in
tiger skin, as also sitting on tiger skin during penance. The Lord is
many times also shown to be seated on Nandi, his Divine Bull. Hence, he
also has the name, Nandikeshwara and Pashupati.
Shiva is
depicted in many moods, of which the Mahakala form is the most feared.
This aspect of the deity destroys all in sight and dances his dance of
death. He is also portrayed as a Yogi (ascetic), Teacher
(Dakshinamurthy), Mrityunjaya, Ardhanareeshwara, Tripurantaka (slayer
of the demon Tripura), Panchabrahman (one with the five faces of
Satyojata, Vamaka, Eeshaana, Tathpurusha and Aghora), Householder,
Consort of Parvati (Umapati) and father of Ganesha and Skanda (or
Murugan). While Shiva has these two sons from Parvati, he also has one
additional son from Mohini (Vishnu's female avatar), named Ayyappan or
Shasta.
Though
the Shaivait and Vaishnavite sects each claimed that their Lords were
the Supreme deity, both the deities were viewed as one in the Bhagavata
Purana. While Shiva was considered a manifestation of Vishnu, there is
also a legend where Brahma and Vishnu have been revealed to be
emanations from Maheshwara himself.
There are also many
stories in Hindu mythology that show both Shiva and Vishnu fighting the
evil forces together and even coming together in combined forms, one of
them which is called the Harirudra.
One such story is that of Mohini.
During the Samudra Manthan (churning of the Milky Ocean) episode,
Vishnu takes the form of the seductively beautiful Mohini, in order to
prevent the Asuras (demons) getting their hands on the Devamrita
(Nectar of Immortality). The Asuras had been called by the Devas to
take part in the churning of the ocean, as they would have a lot more
energy and vigour than the already weak and emaciated Devas to complete
the task. But they knew that if the nectar was consumed by the demons,
they would achieve immortality and then wreak havoc on the entire
Universe. This, then, had to be prevented in some way.
Vishnu hears of the Devas' predicament and offers to help them regain the Amrita. He takes the form of Mohini and walks up to the demons, who are completely enchanted by her beauty and sensuality. She entices them, saying that she would be glad to serve the Devamrita to them if they would let her have the urn filled with the potion. They gladly accede to her request. Mohini makes the Devas and Asuras sit in rows, opposite to each other. She serves the Devas first and then proceeds to feign disappointment that the Amrita got over before she could feed the Asuras. In this way, Mohini prevents the demons from consuming the Devamrita.
Though
this was the main mission of Mohini, she also played a major role in
other episodes, such as the Bhasmasura incident, where she subdues and
slays the demon who had the ability to reduce to ashes anyone he laid
his hands on. Realising his powers, Bhasmasura becomes even more
ferocious and proceeds to attack Devaloka. Fearing this demon's mighty
powers, all the Devas assembled at Vaikuntha and requested Vishnu to
help them out of this situation. Vishnu again assumes the form of
Mohini and approaches the asura. Seeing her beauty and charm, the demon
falls in love with her and proposes marriage to her.
Mohini
promises to accede to his request, provided that the asura dances with
her and is able to match each of her steps with his own. Both dance
together for some time, after which she strikes a pose, keeping her
hand on her head. Without thinking, Bhasmasura also places his palm on
his head, thereby reducing himself to ashes and destroying
himself!
Mahishi, the asura princess, was
very angry with the Devas after Devi Durga destroyed her beloved
brother, Mahishasura. Hence, Mahishi began a fearful penance to appease
Brahma, who granted her a boon of being invulnerable to anyone except
the combined strength of Shiva and Vishnu. Drunk in this power, Mahishi
began her dictatorial rule over the whole world.
The gods
requested Shiva and Vishnu to come up with a solution to this problem.
This is when Vishnu decided to assume the form of Mohini yet again, so
as to procreate with Shiva. Vishnu explains the entire matter to Shiva
and the latter requests to give him a glimpse of Mohini's form. Shiva
is overcome with passion on seeing "her" form and unites with her. Lord
Ayyappan is born from this union of Hari and Hara.
Ayyappan
combines the strength of both Vishnu and Shiva and hence, is
invincible. Lord Vishnu gifts the new-born infant with a small bell
necklace and hence this deity is also hailed as Manikanthan Swamy. In
Tamil Nadu, Shasta is also called Ayyanar or Shasthappan. While
in Tamil Nadu, the legend ends with the birth of the god, the story in
Kerala continues with Ayyappan's adoption by the Pandalam Raja, and his
fulfilling the mission of destroying Mahishi.
Shasta's other
names include Dharmasasta, Hariharasutan, Sathanar, Sastan, Cattan,
Ayyanar, Natrayan, Nattarasan, Bhutanathan, Pandala Raja, Kumararaja,
Ariyan, Hariharanputhran and PampaVaasan.
Lord Ayyappan was adopted by the King of
Pandalam, a district in Kerala. Raja Rajasekhara was the ruler Pandalam
at the time. The Raja heard a child wailing on the banks of the River
Pampa when he was on a hunting expedition. Puzzled, he moved in the
direction of the voice to find a beautiful infant there. The
resplendent baby lay there with a gemstone bell tied around his neck.
The king had no children and so, was thrilled by the sight of this
lovely but abandoned child. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and
his queen was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. They had prayed long to their
deities to bless them with a child. Now, the Kind accepted the child as
God's response to their prayers for an heir to the throne.
Manikantan
was given the right kind of education and grew into a handsome
boy, well versed in academics and martial arts such as
Kalaripayattu, then the common tradition in Kerala. The Cheerappanchira
Kalari at Muhamma, in Alappuzha District thoroughly trained him in the
martial arts.
In the meantime, the Rani too gave birth to a
son. But the king still regarded Manikantan as his elder son and hence,
decided to crown him as the Yuvaraja (heir).
The King's minister
was always against Manikantan becoming the heir to the throne, so he,
along with his cronies, manipulated the Rani and asked her to fight the
king's decision. On Manikantan's coronation day, the queen pretended to
suffer from tremendous stomach ache. As planned, a fake practitioner
was called in and prescribed "the milk of a tigress" as the cure of the
queen's illness. As no one else dared to come forward to complete the
task, Manikantan himself volunteered and went to the forest in search
of tigress milk. The king tried in vain to stop him and was constantly
praying for his safety, hoping he would come back alive.
Manikantan
enters the forest, comes face-to-face with the terrible demoness
Mahishi and slays her almost effortlesslly. In doing this, he also
releases a beautiful woman who had been cursed to become Mahishi. This
young lass asks Ayyappan for his hand in marriage, but he declines, as
he has vowed to be a celibate. However, he gives her his word that she
would be would be housed right next to his temple and would be visited
by pilgrims. He also said that he would marry her if the number of new
pilgrims stopped. Now, that young lady is worshiped as
Maalikapurathamma. Some versions of the story say that
Maalikapurathamma was a young girl in Cheerappanchira family where
Ayyappan was trained for Kalari.
Manikantan
then enters the palace riding the very tigress, followed by her cubs.
The minister, convinced of Ayyappan's divinity, confesses to his plot
and prays to him for salvation and the wellbeing of the kingdom.
Manikantan disappeared forthwith, but since the king refused to eat
anything if Manikantan did not come back, he gave his foster father one
more Darshan before ultimately leaving.
Ayyappan embraced
the King, thereby granting him Moksha (salvation). The king requested
the Lord to allow him to build a temple for him. The Lord then shot an
arrow that fell at the peak of Sabrimala and asked the King to
construct the temple there. Ayyappan also explained how the Sabarimala
pilgrimage shall be undertaken, emphasizing the importance of Penance
Vratams (austerities) and what the devotees can attain by His Darshan.
The sacred Sabarimala shrine now lies north of the holy river Pampa.
The
Lord also promised that on the day of the Thai Pongal, that is, January
14 every year, he would manifest and give all darshan as the Makara
Jyoti, a bright flame emerging in the sky, just above the mountainous
region. On this day, all of Ayyappan's Tiruvaabharanam (personal
jewellery) is taken from the palace and transported to the shrine, by
an emissary travelling on foot. A detailed puja and aarti is performed
before taking the jewels from the palace.
Immediately after the
aarti, the Krishnaparintha or an eagle flies overhead, almost as if it
was instructed to do so. It circles around above and follows the
devotees all the way to the shrine. This also serves as a cue to the
temple authorities to make preparations to adorn the deity. This
journey is undertaken on the 12th and 13th of January and reaches
Sabarimala on January 14. There is an Aarti immediately after adorning
the Lord with the jewellery.
Here too, the Lord shows his
devotees a miracle. Just as the Arti concludes, the Makara Jyoti
appears on the east side of the Temple, up above the Hills of
Kanthamalai. The light appears almost instantly after the aarti and
never fails to thrill the millions of devotees who have gathered on the
opposite side to get a darshan of the Lord in His Effulgent Form!
Ayyappan is offered Appam and Aravana Payasam as Naivedyam (ritual offering). One other prasadam offered by the temple to the devotees is the Rthumathikanji, a kind of porridge made with one measure rice and five measures of jiggery. It is believed that Malikappurattamma one day offered this to Manikantan, who liked it very much. Thereafter, he requested her to prepare it for him everyday. Now, it is treated as a holy Prasadam for the devotees.
The
Sabarimala temple, inaugurated by Lord Parasurama (one of the ten
avatars of Vishnu), is quite small, with 18 steps constructed above the
ground, each representing a desire one must conquer in one's life.
These steps have now been coated in gold. The original idol was made of
wood. Devotees commonly chant, "Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa".
The
pilgrimage to Sabarimala commences from the first day of Vrichikam, a
Malayalam month, coming in the middle of November. The Makarasankranti
Day is the most vital and is the first day of the Makara month. It
falls between January 14 and 16. Devotees, having undertaken 41 days of
Vratham, throng the temple on this day. It is believed that a devotee
who does this will attain Moksha. Ayyappan is referred to as
Kaliyugavaradan for this very reason, as he grants liberation during
this difficult epoch of Kaliyuga.
Devotees undertaking the Vratam before
undertaking the Sabarimala pilgrimage have to observe severe
austerities. They initiate the Vratam by wearing a Tulasi (sage) or
Rudraksha necklace. The male and the female pilgrims are addressed as
ayyapan and Maalikapuram respectively. The devotees must practice
simple living and total cleanliness and hygiene. He also abstains from
alcohol, tobacco and non-vegetarian food. Personal adornments, hair
cutting and shaving are forbidden.
The devotee additionally
wears black/blue/saffron clothes and is expected to pray daily, both in
the mornings and evenings. The vratam continues till the pilgrim
returns from his pilgrimage to Sabarimala and removes his `mala' after
breaking a coconut and offering prayers.
The Vratam has to be
undertaken after getting permission from parents and the Guruswamy or
the Periyaswamy. After this the date is fixed to commence the vritham.
The previous day before the said date one has to offer prayers to one's
family deity and make a holy knot with yellow cloth with 1.25 currency
units within and present it to the family deity, thereby taking Her/His
permission to commence the vritham.
The
Elephant-headed Lord, Ganesha, also known as Ganpati, Vighneshwara,
Vinayaka and Pillaiyar, is one of the most popular deities in the Hindu
pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal and extends to
Jains and Buddhists, even to other regions beyond India. Ganesha is
generally regarded as the Remover of Obstacles and the Lord of
Beginnings and Lord of Obstacles, also the Patron of arts and sciences
and the Lord of Buddhi and Siddhi (intellect and wisdom). As
Vighneshwara, He is offered obeisance at the beginning of rituals and
ceremonies and invoked as Patron of Letters. Ganesha emerged a distinct
deity during the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period.
Today, Ganesha is one of the primary Gods in Hinduism.
The
name, Ganesha or Ganapati, is a combination of the Sanskrit words, Gana
(group of Ganas or Shiva's attendants) and Isha or Pati
(Lord/Master). The Amarakosha, an early Sanskrit glossary, lists
eight synonyms of Ganesha : Vinayaka, Vighnarāja, Dvaimātura (one
who has two mothers), Gaṇādhipa (same as Ganapati), Ekadanta (one who
has one tusk), Heramba, Lambodara (one who has a pot belly), and
Gajanana (having the face of an elephant).
Ganesha is a very
versatile deity, who is portrayed in many ways. He may be depicted
sitting, reclining, standing, dancing, playing with his family, or
engaging in a range of contemporary situations. Some recent fancy
Ganesha idols available in the market today, even show him in coat and
suit, with a mobile phone in hand!
Ganesha has the
head of an elephant and a big belly. He has four arms and a broken
tusk. His trunk turns to his left or right, depending on the region
where the idol was made. Generally, Ganesha typically holds an axe or a
goad in one upper arm and a noose in the other upper arm. The lower
right hand shows the viewer a gesture of protection or fearlessness
(abhaya mudra), while the lower left hand holds a sweet modak.
Ganesha's vahana (vehicle) is the Mushika (rat) and is often shown as
being seated at His feet.
The Ganesha Purana shows the
Lord wrapping the serpent King, Vasuki, around his neck or even
stomach. Other depictions include him with a yagnopavita (sacred
thread), holding the Trisula (Trident) in one hand and seated on a
throne. Upon Ganesha's forehead is sometimes shown a third eye or the
traditional Shaivite Tilak, which consists of three horizontal lines of
Vibhuti. The Ganesha Purana also talks about Ganesha with a crescent
moon on the forehead – this form is called the Balachandra.
The Mushika or
the rat is a stealthy animal, which is forever running around, causing
a general nuisance to one and all around. The mushika signifies our
stealthy mind, which is always looking for a crooked way out of any
situation. The vahana, resting at Ganesha's feet, signifies that the
Lord takes control of a devotee who surrenders to His will. He keeps
the devotee's mind in his control, preventing it from playing havoc
with the seeker, calming and soothing him down, allowing him to focus
his full attention on the Lord.
Interestingly, Ganesha had
also been portrayed with the lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda,
with a peacock as Vikata and Shesha and with a divine serpent in his
avatar as Vighnaraja. According to the Ganesha Purana, Mohotkata has a
lion, Mayūreśvara has a peacock, Dhumraketu has a horse, and Gajanana
has a rat. Even Jain images of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a
mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram and peacock.
There
are many stories as to how Ganesha became the elephant-headed Lord.
Some texts claim that Ganesha was born with it, but most others relate
that he acquires this head later.
The most popular story
narrates how Ganesha was born with a human head and body and that Shiva
beheaded him when Ganesha came between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then
replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant. Parvati once
collected all the sandalwood paste on her body and made a figure of a
little boy out of it. She then gave it life and asked this son of hers
to guard the gate when she went to bathe. When Shiva tried to enter the
premises, the boy denied him entry, which made the former furious
enough to behead him. When Parvati came out and saw what happened, she
was absolutely devastated and asked Shiva to replace his head
immediately. Shiva, not finding another human head at the time, fixed
an elephant's head on the boy's shoulders.
In another story,
the Shani Devata (Saturn), who is known to have an evil eye, looked at
Ganesha, turning the baby's head to ashes. Vishnu then jumped to the
rescue and replaced the infant's head with that of an elephant.
Lord
Ganesha is also likened to the holy mantra of Aum, the Primordial
Sound that created the whole Universe. The Ganapati
Atharvashirsa, as translated by Swami Chinmayananda, says the following:
(O
Lord Ganapati!) You are the Divine Trinity - Brahma, Vishnu, and
Mahesha. You are Indra. You are Agni (Fire) and Vayu (Air). You are the
Surya (Sun) and the Chandrama (Moon). You are the Brahman (the Supreme
One). You are the three worlds, Bhuloka (earth), Antariksha-loka
(space), and Swargaloka (heaven). You are all this – you are the Om.
In
fact, many depictions of Ganesha's body actually resemble the shape of
the Aum as written in the Devanagari and Tamil scripts.
According to Kundalini Yoga, there are seven chakras or spiritual centers in the subtle body. Ganesha is said to reside in the very first chakra, the Mooladhara. The word, "Mooladhara" is a combination of "Moola" or "original/fundamental" and "Adhara" or "base/foundation". It is said that Ganesha stabilizes and supports all the other chakras in one's sukshma sharira.
Ganesha has a brother named Kartikeya or
Skanda. He is also hailed as Murugan and by other names as well. In
North India, Skanda is said to be the older sibling, while in the
South, Ganesha is considered to be the elder brother. There are many
stories which talk of sibling rivalry between the brothers. One of the
most common is the Jnana Pazham (Fruit of Wisdom) incident.
One
day, the Rishi, Narada, presents a Jnana Pazham to Shiva and Parvati.
The couple is in a fix, as they do not know which of their sons to give
it to. Then Shiva announces a contest, saying that the first child who
goes round the whole world and comes back first would be the one to get
the fruit. Murugan feels thrilled at this prospect. He climbs onto his
vahana, the peacock, and immediately leaves Kailas in order to go
around the world. Ganesha realizes that it would be impossible for him
to fulfil the task, seated on his own vahana, the mouse. He thinks for
a while and then comes up with a brilliant idea.
Ganesha
humbly bows before his parents and after getting their blessings,
circles them three times and then asks them for the fruit. Shiva and
Parvati are surprised and enquire as to how this could happen. To this,
he replies, "You are my world, so by circling you, I've circled the
whole world". Shiva and Parvati are pleased with his wisdom and
humility and at once hand over the fruit to Ganesha.
When Murugan gets back and sees what has happened, he is furious at being tricked and proceeds to Palani.
Ganesha, who is
largely a universally loved God, is generally worshipped before the
start of any occasion, function or even business venture. His most
popular prayers are "Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah and Om Gam Ganapataye
Namah. Devotees also offer Ganesha sweets like modaks and laddus. He is
often shown carrying a bowl of sweets, called a modakapātra. He is also
sometimes worshipped with red sandalwood paste (raktacandana) or red
hibiscus flowers. Durva grass or Cynodon dactylon and other materials
are also used in his worship.
Ganesh Chaturthi, which falls in
the shuklapaksha (the fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of
Bhaadrapada (August/September) is the major festival associated with
the Elephant-headed Lord. This festival ends on Ananta Chaturdashi day,
when Ganesh murtis or idols are immersed in a body of water. Lokmanya
Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family
celebrations into a grand public event in the year 1893. This was done
mainly to bridge the gap between the various Hindu sects in existence
at the time. Today, this has become a global event, with people from
all religions and communities coming together to pray to their
favourite God.
Being
the God of Transitions, Ganesha is placed at the doorway of most Hindu
temples. But in addition to all these, he also has several temples
dedicated just to his worship. The Ashtavinayak temples in Maharashtra
are among the most famous. Each of these eight shrines is located
within about a 100 kilometer distance from Pune and is dedicated to
each of the eight forms of Ganpati. Each of these temples has a legend
of its own. Together, they form the "mandala", forming the sacred
cosmos of Ganesha.
The Siddhi Vinayak temple in Mumbai, India,
is also one of the most famous Ganesha temple in the city, and is said
to be extremely powerful as well. There are also other temples in Wai,
Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi, Gujarat,
Tiruchirapalli, Rameshwaram, Suchindram, Chennai, Karnataka and Andhra
Pradesh.
There are many Ganesha temples in many foreign countries too, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Europe and America.
Kartikeya
or Murugan, also called Subramanian, is another son of Shiva and an
equally popular Hindu deity, especially among Tamil Hindus. Murugan or
Murugan is predominantly revered in regions which have a clear Tamil
influence, such as South India, Singapore , Sri Lanka , Malaysia and so
on. Even Malaysian Tamils pray to Lord Murugan during the period of
Thai Pusam.
Lord Murugan is far more popular in South India than
any other region of India. He is commonly regarded as the God of War
and the protector and patron deity of Tamil Nadu. He is known by many
other names, including Saravana, Senthil, Arumugam or Shanmukha
('one with six faces'), Kumara ('child or son'), Guhan
('cave-dweller'), Skanda, Velan (the one with the spear) and Swaminatha.
The
emergence of Murugan as a popular God in Tamil Nadu dates back as early
as the 10th Century B.C. The Tolkappiyam, which is supposedly the
most ancient of the extant Sangam works, glorified Murugan thus:
"the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and
resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils." In fact, the ancient
Sangam Literature talks about Murugu as a certain nature spirit, which
had been worshipped with animal sacrifices and was also associated with
a non-Brahmin priest known as a Velan. This name later came to be used
for the deity himself.
At the time, Murugu had often been
worshipped in the woods and other open places. The rituals practiced
included the Veriyaattu, a form of ritual-trance-dancing, which is,
interestingly, still a common part of Murugan worship in Tamil Nadu,
Kerala and even parts of Malaysia. Murugu was believed to wield power
over the chaotic and could be appeased by sacrifices and Veriyaattu to
bring order and prosperity.
Murugan emerges in Sanskrit literature too, as early as the first millennium BCE. Here, there are references to Subrahmanya in Kautilya's Arthashastra; in the treatises of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam as also in the famous Sanskrit drama, Mricchakatika. Ancient communities of people such as the Kushanas, Yaudheyas, Ikshvakus and Guptas worshipped an image very closely related to that of Skanda. During the time of Adi Sankara, followers of Kumara formed one of the six principal religious Hindu sects. Even today, many Saivait temples have an idol of Subramanya installed at the left side of the main deity.
Sati, the daughter of Daksha, self-immolates at her father's Yagna (sacred fire ritual). When Shiva, her consort, comes to know of this, he is furious and rushes to the site of the Yagna. After having destroyed the Yagna, he picks up Sati's body and walks away into the forest. Shiva is extremely sad and lonely and completely withdraws from the material world and immerses himself in meditation in the Himalayas. Sati is then reborn as Parvati, the daughter of the Mountain King, Himavan.
Parvati is deeply in love with Shiva and visits his cave every single day. She cleans up the place, places flowers at his feet and implores him to look at her. So intense is her desire to appease Shiva that she refuses to eat even a morsel of food or drink a sip of water. She sheds all her clothes and royal finery and meditates, completely immune to the harsh weather conditions in the Himalaya. This is how Parvati gets her name as Uma and Aparna.
At
around this time, the cruel demon Surapadman wreaked havoc on the
earth. The gods realized that only Shiva's offspring would have the
courage and valour to lead the gods to victory over Tarakasuran,
Surapadman and their entire asura clan. They hatch a plan along with
Kamadeva (the God of Love), to shoot flower arrows at Shiva, so as to
make him fall in love with Parvati. Kamadeva aims his arrow and lets it
go to Shiva, who is tremendously incensed at being disturbed during
penance. He opens his third eye and instantly burns down Kamadeva to
ashes. Shiva lays his eyes on Parvati and is immediately attracted
towards her. Together, they leave for Kailas.
The sparks of
this fire are so strong, that even Agni Deva (God of Fire) finds it
impossible to tolerate it. The river Ganga transports the six sparks to
a place located at the mouth of the Ganges, called Saravana Poigai.
Here, the six sparks become six children and are raised by the six
Krittika or Kartika, the stars making up the Pleiades. This is how
Murugan gets his name, Kartikeya.
When Parvati sees the
children, she is appalled, wondering how she would be able to raise six
of them at the same time. The children immediately fuse into one child
with six faces and twelve arms. Hence, his name also came to be
Shanmukha or Aarumukha. His birth at the Saravana Poigai gave him the
name Saravanabhava.
Murugan then went on to become the supreme
general of all the demi-gods and also successfully led armies of Devas
for their fights against asuras. This gave Kartikeya the name,
Devasenapati. He traveled to six sites at while leading his armies
against Surapadman. They are Tiruttanikai, Swamimalai, Tiruvavinankudi
(Palani), Pazhamudirsolai, Tirupparamkunram and Tiruchendur. All these
six sites have become six beautiful, ancient, temples and are
collectively known as "Arupadai Veedu", meaning, the six battle camps
of the Lord.
There
are various legends on Murugan, which are also recounted differently
from treatise to treatise. One such legend shows Kartikeya helping out
Shiva fight and defeat the newborn Ganesha.
The evil demon,
Taraka, has a boon that only a son of Shiva would be able to slay him.
This is soon after Sati's death, so Taraka takes it for granted that
Shiva would not at all get remarried, and hence, would not have a son
to call his own. It is believed that Murugan manifested for the sole
purpose of killing Tarakasura.
After Murugan shifts to Palani
following the Jnana Pazham incident, Shiva rushes to him in order to
console him. Shiva says that he (Murugan) was himself the Fruit of
Wisdom. Hence, the term ‘Pazham Nee' (you are the fruit) came to be
coined later as ‘Palani'.
Lord
Kartikeya is portrayed as a very beautiful deity, with six heads and
twelve arms. This is also one reason why he is often termed as Azhagan
(the handsome one). The six heads represent the six siddhis or
spiritual powers. This also corresponds to his role as the bestower of
the six siddhis. Murugan is often shown riding a peacock, holding
his Vel or the Divine Spear or Lance, flanked by his two wives, Valli
and Devayani. He is sometimes also depicted wielding other weapons like
a sword, mace, discus, javelin and bow.
The spear, with which
he is usually portrayed, symbolizes his being capable of purifying
human ills and protecting his devotees from negative forces. Murugan's
vahana, the peacock, stands for the destruction of ego and vanity that
the peacock stands for.
It is said that Murugan split the asura
Surapadman into two halves, one of which became his mount, the peacock
and the other, the rooster flag, which he holds in his left hand.
Murugan's
marriage with Valli is actually a very interesting incident. The King
Nambi Rajah of Chittoor was the king of the hunter tribe and had seven
sons. He was desperate to have a beautiful daughter. In the
meantime, the sage Sivamuni, who was in penance in the forest, happened
to catch sight of a female deer and his mere sight resulted in the
animal becoming pregnant. It so happened that the deer delivered a baby
girl and abandoned her.
King Nambi, who had been on a hunting
expedition in the forest, saw the lovely babe, brought her home and
treated her as his own daughter. She was named Valli. She nurtured the
thought of Murugan even from her tender age and was determined to have
Him as her Husband and none else. When she came of marriageable age,
Nambi Rajah, sent her to 'tinaippunam' (field growing the tinai
millet). She was asked to keep vigil sitting on a high rise rostrum, so
as to protect the crop from birds and the like. At this time, Valli
also received guru diksha from sage Narada who foretold that Murugan
would end up marrying her. The sage also informed Murugan about how much
in love Valli was with him.
Murugan decided he would not accede
to marrying Valli all too easily. So he began to play a leela with her.
He first came to her as a hunter but she did not respond to his
overtures. He then turned into a giant venkai tree when Valli's father
suddenly came to visit her. He then took the form of a very hungry old
man and greedily ate up the millet flour and honey mixture offered by
Valli. Then, much to the chagrin of Valli, he proposed marriage to her.
Valli became aggressive and proceeded to chide him for his
misdemeanour. Finally, Murugan invoked the blessings of His elder
brother Ganesha for success of His mission. Ganesa appeared at once,
taking the form of a wild tusker and began to chase Valli. Terrified by
the elephant, Valli ran for protection and came straight into the arms
of Murugan.
Valli
and Devayani, Murugan's consorts, were actually Sundaravalli and
Amudavalli. It is said that they were born out of the tears of
joy of Narayana when He incarnated as Trivikrama. Both these beautiful
damsels did intense penance for attaining status as Murugan's consorts.
Pleased with their prayers, Murugan appeared before them and ordained
that Amudavalli would be born in Devaloka as Indra's daughter, while
Sundaravalli would take birth on the earth in a hunter tribe.
Murugan
also promised to marry both Valli and Devayanii. The marriage of Murugan
and Devayani took place with great pomp and with full Vedic rights at
Tirupparankundram. Devayani was gifted to Murugan by Lord Indra as a
symbol of his gratitude for the heroism and valour displayed by Murugan
as the Devasenapati and His ultimate triumph over the asuras.
The
Kavadi Attam is a dance performed at the time of the ceremonial worship
of Murugan, during Thai Pusam, revering him as the God of War. This is
symbolic of the devotees carrying a physical burden, imploring the Lord
to release them from material bondage.
There is a story behind
this Kavadi. Lord Shiva once entrusted the dwarf saint sage Agastya to
carry two hillocks and install them in South India. But the sage asked
his disciple, Idumban to get them instead. Idumban could not initially
lift the hillocks, until he obtained divine help. Idumban put the
hillocks down to rest awhile, near Palani. When he attempted to
continue with his journey, he found that the hillocks were immovable.
Idumban
then sought the help of a scantily dressed youth, who said that the
hillocks belonged to him. In the ensuing scuffle, Idumban was defeated.
Idumban realized then that the youth was none other than Lord Murugan.
Idumban pleaded to be pardoned and asked that anyone who comes to the
hills to worship Murugan with an object similar to the two hillocks
suspended by a rod, may be granted his heart's desire. Idumban's wish
was granted. That is how the kavadi came to play its role in Hindu
festivals.
The Kavadi is made up of twin semicircular pieces of wood or steel, bent over and attached to a cross structure that can be balanced on the shoulders of the devotee. It is usually decorated with flowers and peacock feathers. Some of the Kavadis can weigh up to 30 kilograms!
The
Vel Kavadi is the most spectacular object of worship. A sort of altar
up to two meters tall, it is decorated with peacock feathers and
attached to the devotee through 108 vels or spears, pierced into the
skin on the chest and back. Fire walking may also be practiced. It is
claimed that devotees, at this time, are able to enter a trance, feel
no pain, do not bleed from their wounds and have no scars left behind.
But
not all Kavadi types involve extreme physical endurance. Some devotees
merely carry a brass jug of milk on their heads while others carry
small pots with offerings for their Lord.
Murugan is particularly worshipped for a
six day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known
as the Skanda Shasti. He is also venerated during Thai Pusam,
celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide, near the full moon of the
Tamil month Thai. This is symbolic of the day when Murugan was given a
Vel by his mother, Parvati, in order to vanquish the asuras.
Thirukarthigai or the full moon of the Tamil month of Karthigai
signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also
dedicated to the worship of Murugan.
Kartikeya's popularity in
North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and except in some
regions of Haryana, his name was almost totally unknown. There is a
very famous Murugan temple in Pehowa town in Haryana. Women stay away
from this temple, as it celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya.
Other temples include those at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab; one
on top of a hill in Pune, Maharashtra and in Bengal, where he is
worshipped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga.
In
Kerala, the Subramanya temple in Haripad and the Udayanapuram
Subrahmanya Swamy temple in Kottayam are two of the several temples
dedicated to the worship of Murugan. In Tulu Nadu, there is the famed
temple called Kukke Subramanya Temple, where Murugan is worshipped as
the Lord of the serpents.
In
Sri Lanka, Murugan is venerated by both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese
Buddhists. Several temples exist throughout the island. He is a
favorite deity in this part of the world and it is believed he never
hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon.
In
the south of Sri Lanka, Kartikeya is worshipped at the temple in
Kataragama (Kathirkamam), where he is hailed 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 long courtship, they got married.
The Nallur
Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram temple and the Sella Channithy
temple near Valvettiturai are important Murukan temples in Jaffna. The
Chitravelautha temple in Verukal on the Trincomalee border and the
Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa are equally famous. 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.
The most
famous Murugan temple in Malaysia is located at the Batu Caves, very
close to Kuala Lumpur. There is a 42.7m high statue of Lord Murugan at
the entrance to the Batu Caves, which is the largest Lord Murugan
statue in the world. Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road,
Singapore, is yet another major Hindu temple where each year the Thai
Pusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Murugan carrying
Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.
The Highgate
Hill Murugan temple in the UK is one of the oldest and most famous. In
London, Sri Murugan temple in Manor park is a well known temple.
In
Sydney, the Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill) is a major Hindu
temple for all Australian Hindus, whereas, in the USA, teh Shiva
Murugan Temple in Concord, Northern California and The Murugan Temple
of North America in Maryland, Washington DC region are extremely
popular. In Toronto, Canada, Canada Kanthasamy Temple is known amongst
many hindus in Canada.
The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located
in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu
temple in Switzerland.
This article was written by:
Priya Viswanathan, a teacher/performer of Bharata Natyam, Classical Music and Classical Instrumental Veena. A recipient of several awards for both music and dance, Priya is also a freelance writer online. She currently writes for About.com, a subsidiary of IAC - the parent company of Ask.com. (http://mobiledevices.about.com)
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