This page provides information about Lord Muruga the son of Lord Shiva. He remains as the core of all the divine energies and is believed to lead one towards.
The Six Temples' location in Tamil Nadu
Six Abodes of Murugan | |
---|---|
Six Holy abodes of Lord Muruga | |
Religion | |
Affiliation | Hinduism |
Deity | Kartikeya |
Festivals | Kaumaram, Thaipusam |
Location | |
Location | Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Pazhani, Pazhamudircholai, Thiruparankundram, Thiruchendur |
State | Tamil Nadu |
Country | India |
Architecture | |
Type | Dravidian Architecture |
Temple(s) | 6 |
The Six Abodes of Murugan (Tamil: Āṟupaṭai vīṭu) are six temples situated in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. The god is known by different names such as Kartikeya, Kanda, Vadivela and Muruga at various temples. The six most sacred abodes of Murugan was mentioned in Tamil sangam literature, 'Thirumurugatrupadai', written by Nakkeerar and in 'Thiruppugazh', written by Arunagirinathar. The six abodes are Thiruthani, Swamimalai, Palani, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparankunram and Thiruchendur.
Murugan[edit]
The story of Lord Murugan is described in Skanda Purana. According to the legend, in the olden days the demon Soorapadman tortured the Devas, who went to complain to Lord Vishnu and Brahma. They assigned Kamadeva to awake Lord Shiva from his penance, who later gave birth to Kartikeya. Karthikeya killed Soorapadman and saved the devas. Muruga is depicted as the god of love and war. Kartikeya married Valli by love and married Deivayanai by winning the war held at Tiruchendur.[1]
In Tamil literature five types of lands are explained. They are Kurinji (mountainous region), Mullai (forest region), Marutham (agricultural region), Neithal (coastal region) and Palai (desert region). Separate gods for these land types are clearly told in Sangam literature. According to the literature Lord Muruga is the god of mountainous region,.[2]
Religious importance[edit]
Arunagirinathar was a 15th-century Tamil poet born in Tiruvannamalai. He spent his early years as a rioter and seducer of women. After ruining his health, he tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the northern tower of Annamalaiyar Temple, but was saved by the grace of god Murugan.[3] He became a staunch devotee and composed Tamil hymns glorifying Murugan, the most notable being Thirupugazh.[4][5] Arunagirinathar visited various Murugan temples and on his way back to Tiruvannamalai, visited Palani and sung praises about Swaminathaswamy.[6] Tiruparamkundram is considered the first of the six abodes, while Palani is considered the most prominent abodes of Muruga.[7]
Traditions[edit]
One of the main traditions of the six temples, is the tonsuring of devotees, who vow to discard their hair in imitation of the Palani deity. Another is the anointing of the head of the presiding deity's idol with sandalwood paste, at night, prior to the temple being closed for the day. The paste, upon being allowed to stay overnight, is said to acquire medicinal properties, and is much sought after and distributed to devotees, as rakkāla chandaṇam.[8] Devotees carry kavadi, an ornamental mount decked with flowers, glazed paper and tinsel work and wearing ochre clothes themselves on foot from long distances is a commonly followed worship practice.[9]
List[edit]
Temple | Original name | Location (North to South) | Picture | Description |
Palani Murugan Temple | திருவாவினன்குடி | Palani, Dindigul district | Located in Dindigul District, on the Palani hill bottom ( Malai Adivaram ) called 'Thiruaavinankudi', where the deity is known as 'Kuzhanthai Velayuthaswami' and was worshipped by Goddess Lakshmi ('Thiru' in Tamil), owner of cows ('Aavinan' in Tamil), living place ('kudi' in Tamil). There is also a Murugan temple on the Palani hill top where 'Dhandayuthapani' is the main deity, in a meditating state, carrying a staff ('danda') as weapon ('ayutha') in his hands ('pani'). This is the place where Murugan resided after his feud with his family over a divine fruit. Here, the main deity is made out of an amalgam of nine minerals popularly called Navabashanam and was established by Saint Bhogar. | |
Swamimalai Murugan Temple | திருவீரகம் | Swamimalai, Thanjavur district | Located at 5 km from Kumbakonam, the temple is built on an artificial hill. The temple commemorates the incident where Muruga explained the essence of the pranava mantra 'Om' to his father Shiva. | |
Thiruchendur Murugan Temple | திருசீரலைவாய் | Thiruchendur, Thoothukudi district | Located on the sea-shore near Tuticorin amongst the remains of Gandhamadana Parvatam or Santhanamalai (Sandal Mountain). The temple commemorates the place where Murugan won a decisive victory over demon Soorapadman by worshipping Lord Shiva. | |
Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple | திருப்பரங்குன்றம் | Thiruparankunram, Madurai district | Located on the outskirts of Madurai on a hillock where Kartikeyan married Indra's daughter Deivanai. Nakkeerar worshipped Murugan in this shrine and is said to have worshiped Lord Shiva here as Parangirinathar. This is the first of the Arupadaiveedu. | |
Thiruthani Murugan Temple | குன்றுத்தோறடல் | Thiruttani, Thiruvallur district | Located near Chennai, Murugan reclaimed his inner peace after waging a war with Asuras and married Valli here. | |
Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple | பழமுதிர்ச்சோலை | Pazhamudircholai, Madurai district | Located on the outskirts of Madurai on a hillock with a holy stream nearby called 'Nupura Gangai'. Murugan is seen with both his consorts Deivanai and Valli. |
Lord of the Regions[edit]
According to Tamil sangam literature five types of lands are seen, where Lord Muruga is the God of Mountainous Regions.
Region (Tamil) | Region (English) | Chief God |
Kurinji | Mountainous region | Murugan (Lord Karthikeya) |
Mullai | Forest region | Maayon (Lord Vishnu) |
Marutham | Agricultural region | Indiran (Indra) |
Neithal | Coastal region | Varunan (Varuna) |
Palai | Desert region | Kaali (Kali) |
References[edit]
- ^'Arupadaiveedu'. The Hindu. 12 November 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2010.Cite uses deprecated parameter
|deadurl=
(help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^V.K., Subramanian (2007). 101 Mystics of India. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 109. ISBN81-7017-471-6.
- ^Aiyar, P.V.Jagadisa (1982), South Indian Shrines: Illustrated, New Delhi: Asian Educational Services, pp. 191–203, ISBN81-206-0151-3
- ^Zvelebil, Kamil (1975), Tamil literature, Volume 2, Part 1, Netherlands: E.J. Brill, Leiden, p. 217, ISBN90-04-04190-7
- ^Zvelebil 1991, p. 53
- ^Economic Reforms and Small Scale Industries. Concept Publishing Company. 2009. p. 25. ISBN9788180694493.
- ^Clothey, Fred W. (1972). 'Pilgrimage Centers in the Tamil Cultus of Murukan'. Journal of the American Academy of Religion. Oxford University Press. 40 (1): 82. JSTOR1461919.
- ^Mohamed, N.P.; A.J., Thomas (2003). 'N.P. Mohamed in Conversation with A.J. Thomas'. Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. 47 (1): 147. JSTOR23341738.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Six_Abodes_of_Murugan&oldid=913639678'
Lord Murugan, the son of Shiva and Parvati, is a much revered deity of Hindus especially in South India. He is known by various names like Murugan, Shanmukha (Shanmuga), Subramanian, Shadanana, Guha, Senthil, Saravana, Kumaraswamy and Skanda ( Refer 108 Names of Lord Murugan). Murugan is quintessentially brave, intelligent, and perfection personified because of which he is worshiped as the god of war and victory. He is also the brave leader of god’s forces and was created to destroy demons, symbolizing negative tendencies of human beings. In North of India, Murugan, also called Kartikeya, is believed to be the elder son of Shiva and Parvati but his devotees in South believe him to be the younger son with Ganesha being the elder offspring of Shiva and Parvati.
Murugans’s weapon is Vel (spear) in one hand, which is also called as Shakti since his mother Parvati has given all the power to the spear, and he blesses his devotees with the other. The god of war mounts a peacock symbolizing piety and subjugation of all sexual desires and destruction of bad habits and negative influences symbolized by the serpent that is clutched in the peacock’s claws. Murugan represents power and strength and worshiping him can get rid of woes and give the worshiper strength. Murugan destroyed the demon Tarakasur on the seventh day of his birth. He is known to be the most masculine and fierce among Hindu gods. Known for his valor and as the protector of dharma, Murugan has slained several demons like Krauncha, Banasura and Pralamba. He is also always youthful, which gives him the name Kumara (Sanskrit for youth). As Shadanan, Murugan has six heads, each standing for the five senses and the mind. The six heads also help him keep an eye in all directions so that he can combat problems coming from any direction. As war god with six faces, Murugan also teaches his devotees to battle through life fighting off bad people who could lead you to the wrong path of lobha(greed), kaama (sex), krodh (anger), moha (passion), mada (ego), and matsarya (jealousy).
Iconography of Lord Murugan
The three integral elements of Murugan’s personality are spear (Vel) in His hand, peacock as His mount and cock adorning His banner. Vel signifies jñanasakti (power of wisdom); this was given to Murugan by His Divine Mother, Parvati wishing Him victory over asuras (titans) led by the tyrannous Surapadma. The glittering spear of Murugan is venerated by devotees as Sakti Vel or Veera Vel signifying its extraordinary power and strength. Cock and peacock represent Nada and Bindu. The peacock displays the divine shape of Omkara when it spreads its magnificent plumes into a full-blown circular form, while the cock proclaims loudly the Pranava sound OM or Aum. Murugan shines as the very essence of the Vedas and mantras.
Muruku in Tamil denotes divinity, handsomeness, youthfulness, happiness, fragrance and sweetness. The Lord is the very manifestation of handsomeness, robust youthfulness, masculinity, fragrance and unmatched valor and the abode of happiness. One would be endowed with everlasting youthfulness only when he or she is not getting old. Human beings take birth in this earth, pass through different stages such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age and ultimately met with the inevitable death. They are again born in this world not necessarily in the same form as they were in their previous births. This process goes on endlessly. Murugan, on the other hand, has neither a beginning nor an end; He is not born nor dead. Age does not wither Him away. This explains His evergreen youthfulness. The sun is not visible to us temporarily at night; for this reason one cannot conclude that the sun has ceased to exist, for when darkness engulfs a part of the globe, the sun is shining bright somewhere else. We come to know of its existence when it rises again in the morning. Murugan’s ‘appearance’ on this planet is analogous to this eternal phenomenon.
Birth of Lord Murugan
According to the Skanda Purana, Shiva’s first wife Sati angrily immolated herself after she felt insulted by her father Daksha when he didn’t invite Lord Shiva for a Yagna Ceremony and further insulted Him. An irate Lord Shiva then destroyed the Yagna with the help of ganas. An ascetic Shiva was married with great difficulty the first time around and a second marriage was nearly impossible. Taking advantage of this fact the demons Tarakasur and Surapadma thought the boon of being killed only by Lord Shiva’s son would make him invincible.
Skanda Purana, vividly narrates the circumstances which led to the divine ‘appearance’ of Murugan, His glory and heroic achievements. He ‘rose’ to protect gods who were subject to extreme tormentation and cruelty by demon Surapadma. They all appealed collectively to Lord Siva to come to their rescue. Moved by their plight, Shiva willed to bring forth a powerful divine personality, an element of Himself, but yet distinct from Him, Who would have unparalleled bravery and who alone would be able to slay Surapadma and his clan.
The extremely powerful spark which emanated from His third eye was carried by the Fire God (Agni) and was deposited in Saravana (‘stand of reeds’) Lake; there arose six cute tiny tots who were looked after by six Kritika maidens; the six forms later united to become a single Six-Faced Child with resplendent beauty. Added to Shiva’s five faces Sadhyojata, Vamadeva, Aghora, Tatpurusa and Ishanawas Adhomurka; thus He became Shanmukha. He is known as Saravanabhava as He emerged out of Saravana Lake, and Murugan since six Kritika maidens took the six babies in their arms and showered affection on them.
Brahma, the Creator, happened to slight the young Murugan during one of his visits to Kailasa. Murugan wished to teach a lesson to the Creator for his act of imprudence. He asked the four-faced Creator the meaning of the Pranava. When he could not explain satisfactorily, Murugan taunted Brahma and not content with that imprisoned him too. He concluded that Brahma was not fit to perform the assigned job. He then assumed the role of the Creator! Murugan freed Brahma from prison when Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Indra prayed at His lotus Feet and requested for the release of the Creator.
Murugan turned a guru or teacher when He explained the essence of Pranava to His Father who received the Upadesa in all humility as a disciple. He thus came to be known as Swaminatha.
Murugan and Ganesha
Another interesting anecdote links Murugan’s taking a full round of the universe mounted on His mighty peacock. The legend has it that sage Narada once visited Kailasa, the abode of Shiva, and presented Him with a divine pomegranate fruit. As is usually the case with fathers, Shiva wanted to give it to His children Ganesha and Murugan rather than consuming it Himself. In this process, He hatched a plot as a prelude to an eventful drama. He would not allow the fruit to be shared by two brothers. Instead, He announced that the fruit would be given to either of the two who returned first after taking a round of the universe.
No sooner had Shiva said this than young Murugan started off riding on the back of His peacock. His elder brother Ganesha acted in a different manner. To Him, His eternal Parents Shiva and Goddess Parvati represented the world and circumambulating them would be equivalent to circling the world. With this well-reasoned thought fixed in His mind, He took a round of His Parents and instantly annexed the prized fruit. Murugan, on return from His whirlwind trip around the universe, learnt that His elder brother had already won the competition.
A disappointed Murugan left Kailasa and proceeded straight to Palani Hill in South India. The name Palani is in fact the derivative of Pazahm Nee as addressed by His Parents who rushed to Palani to soothe the enraged Murugan.
Lord Murugan and His Consorts
Murugan’s consorts are Valli and Devasena. They represent Inch Sakti and Krill Sakti. They were in reality Sundaravalli and Amudavalli, who were born out of the tears of joy of Narayana when He incarnated as Trivikramah. Both the celestial’s damsels did intense penance with the object of attaining the exalted 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. The Lord promised to marry both Valli and Devayanai.
The marriage of Murugan and Devayanai took place at Tirupparankundram attendant with full Vedic rites. Devayanai was in fact gifted to Murugan by Devendra in grateful acknowledgment of heroism and valour displayed by Murugan as the Supreme Commander of divine forces and His triumph over the deadly race of titans. Deva Senapati (General of the Gods) thus became Deva Senapati (Husband of Devasena).
Murugan’s wedding with Valli is replete with many interesting interludes. Murugan chose to engage in a few frolics before accepting Valli as His Consort. King Nambi Rajah of Chittoor, the head of the hunter tribe, had seven sons and he was aspiring to have a daughter. He was deeply devoted to Murugan. The sage Sivamuni, who was doing Tapasya in the forest, chanced to see a female deer and his mere sight resulted in the animal becoming pregnant. The animal delivered a beautiful baby girl and left the place. King Nambi, who had gone to the forest with his sons to hunt, saw the bewitching babe and brought it home and began to foster the child as his own daughter. As the girl was found among Valli creepers, she was named Valli.
Valli ceaselessly nurtured the thought of Murugan even from her tender age and was determined to have Him as her Husband and none else. When she became of marriageable age, Nambi Rajah, in tune with the hunter tribe custom, sent her to ‘tinaippunam’. She was to keep vigil perched on a high rise rostrum and protect the crop from wandering birds until the crop was ready to harvest.
It was at this time that Valli got guru diksha from sage Narada who met her and said to her that Murugan would be the ideal match for her. The words of the sage pleased Valli highly. She was in fact having this very thought for years! Narada went to nearby Tiruttani where the Lord was. The sage reminded Murugan about His assurance to marry the two maidens and told that one girl remaining to be wed, Valli, was yearning intensely and persistently for Him.
Murugan’s leela began now. He first appeared as a hunter and did not find any positive response from Valli to His clever approaches. He turned into a giant venkai tree when Valli’s father suddenly appeared on the scene. Thereafter, He took the form of a trembling old man and ate millet flour and honey mixture offered by Valli feigning that He was feeling very hungry. He proposed to wed her, much to the chagrin of Valli. Finally, Murugan invoked the blessings of His elder brother Ganesha for success of His mission. On the fervent appeal of His younger brother, Lord Ganesha appeared as a wild elephant in the forest and began to chase Valli. Terrified by the mighty pachyderm’s menacing advance, Valli ran for protection and came straight into the arms of Murugan.