They all appealed collectively to Lord Siva to come to their rescue. 12 He 'rose' to protect gods who were subject to extreme tormentation and cruelty by demon Surapadma. The epic Skanda Purana, one of the eighteen puranas created by Veda Vyasa, vividly narrates the circumstances which led to the divine 'appearance' of Muruga, His glory and heroic achievements. Muruga's 'appearance' on this planet is analogous to this eternal phenomenon. We come to know of its existence when it rises again in the morning. 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. This explains His evergreen youthfulness. 9 Muruga, on the other hand, has neither a beginning nor an end He is not born nor dead. They are again born in this world not necessarily in the same form as they were in their previous births. 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. One would be endowed with everlasting youthfulness only when he or she is not getting old. The Lord is the very manifestation of handsomeness, robust youthfulness, masculinity, fragrance and unmatched valour and the abode of happiness. Muruku in Tamil denotes divineness, handsomeness, youthfulness, happiness, fragrance and sweetness. Muruga shines as the very essence of the Vedas and mantras. 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. Cock and peacock represent nada and bindu. The glittering spear of Muruga is venerated by devotees as Sakti Vel or Veera Vel signifying its extraordinary power and strength. Parvati wishing Him victory over asuras (titans) led by the tyrannous Surapadma. Vel signifies jñanasakti (power of wisdom) this was given to Muruga by His Divine Mother. The three integral elements of Muruga's personality are spear (vel) in His hand, peacock as His mount and cock adorning His banner. 6 Muruga contains in Himself the three divine eternal functions - creation ( sristi), protection ( sthithi) and destruction ( samhara) as evidenced by the three first letters in His name: MU - Mukundan (Vishnu), RU - Rudra (Siva) and KA - Kamalan (Brahma). 5 And in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna declares that among all commanders, He is Skanda. 4 Kausalya, Lord Rama's mother invoked the blessings of Skanda when Rama took leave of her prior to his departure to the forest as per King Dasaratha's wish. He is venerated as Kaliyuga Varada, the God who blesses and protects those who ardently seek His grace (in this Age of Quarrel). Muruga's glory and pre-eminence arise due to three reasons: He 'arrived' on this planet as the son of Lord Siva, as the younger brother of Lord Ganesa and as the nephew of Lord Narayana. 3 Nakkeerar, Poyya Mozhi, Auvvaiyar, Kacciyappa Sivachariyar, Kumara Gurupara and Arunagirinatha are the other names instantly coming to one's mind they were all close to Muruga's heart and who composed priceless and soul-stirring devotional gems in Tamil. The occasion was Siva's marriage with Parvati when large multitudes of sages and devotees flocked to Kailasa, causing sinkage of the earth's north side (Himalayas) and upturn of the southern portion. The dwarfish Agasthya, according to legends, had gone to Podiyamalai in the South and maintained the earth's equilibrium at Lord Siva's command. Great sages like Agasthya had worshipped Him and secured His grace. He is the repository of Jñana (Knowledge) and the very fountainhead of the three branches of Tamil literature - prose ( iyal), verse ( icai) and theatre ( natakam). Lord Muruga is considered essentially as the Tamil God ( Tamizh Kadavul). 2 This is particularly discernible in the southern parts of India and some countries in the Far East where Tamil-speaking people form a significant segment of the population. In the Holy Pantheon of Hindu gods and goddesses, Muruga has been given pride of place. Kanta Puranam by Kacciyappa Sivachariyar 1 Extracted from Chapter One of the book Grandeur of Thiruppugazh: The Hallowed Hymns of Arunagirinatha (Bombay: Bharata Vidya Bhavan, 1996) with the author's permission.
0 kommentar(er)
