Sri Subramanyar

The peacock is considered to be Skanda's favourite mount. Skanda is always seen armed with a spear - the Vel. The very symbol Vel is held in high regard in Tamilnadu and is symbolic of victory (Vetri Vel). The six faces of Skanda (Shanmukhan) represent the union of the five faced Shiva with Parvati.

Most temples enshrining the Skanda follow the Saiva Agamas in worship protocols. The Skanda shrines in the southern district of Kanyakumari and some temples in vicinity of Tirunelveli such as Tiruchendur follow the Keralite Kumara Tantram form of worship.

Most of the shrines to Skanda are highly endowed and have a rich tradition of grand festivals. The sixth phase of the moon in the bright half of each month Sashti- as well as the Kartikai asterism each month is an occasion for special worship.
Other days sacred to Skanda throughout the year are Thai Poosam, Panguni Uttiram, Vaikasi Vishakam, Aadi Kartikai, Thai Kaartikai, Kartikai Deepam and Skanda Sashti. Most of these special occasions are marked by devotees carrying Kaavadis in procession, in a manner reliving the legend of Idumban at Palani.

Doctrines Worship of Murukan is an eclectic cult reflecting centuries of cultural synthesis. Murukan is not the god of a single culture. On a basis of Tamil religion he has integrated Shaiva and Vaishnava attributes. He is a Tamil hill god that spread to the coast and the towns and then became the son of Shiva as Skanda. He is also known by the names of Kumara, Subramanya, Karttikeya, and Velan. The history of Murukan is the history of South India. Murukan is a manifestation of teyvam, Tamil for the Divine, for his devotees. Other Tamil terms to describe him range from the abstract to his concrete symbols. For some he is a personal being. There is a face of Murukan for everyone. Indeed, the contemporary mythology of Murukan caters for all human needs and emotions. With the development of Shaivism in South India the school of Shaiva Siddhanta emerged and this philosophy has been summarized in the fourteen Siddhanta Sastras in Tamil. Of these the Sivanana Potam by Meykanta Teva and the Sivanana Siddhiyar of Arulnanti Sivacarya are the clearest expositions. Such works combined the Sanskrit and Tamil elements. Of great doctrinal importance are the six pilgrimage centres which are "topocosms" that "sacralize" Tamil Nadu. These are Palani, Tiruchendur, Tiruttani, Tirupparankunram, Swamimalai, and the sixth is Kunratal, 'every hill on which the god dances,' that is, every other Murukan shrine.

Murukan is associated with the number six, having six faces, six parents, and six pilgrimage centres. Each of the faces symbolizes one of the six qualities of the god: felicity, fullness, immortal youth, endless energy, protection from evil, and spiritual splendour. Together they imply divine totality. The god also harmonises with man who has six cakras and is a microcosm. The temple too is a microcosm with six cakras. The six pilgrimage centres represent "a mandala by which Tamil Nadu is itself cosmicized and breakthrough from the cosmos to transcendence is believed possible" .
The Peacock became the mount of Murukan and flew around the world and to the heavens. When the peacock holds a serpent in claws or beak, this symbolizes its control of malevolent cosmic forces. By the medieval period the peacock is also a symbol of the ocean. As a cosmic symbol the peacock represents totality as does Murukan. The cock and elephant are also important animals with Murukan. Of minor importance are the ram, goat, horse, and serpent. Murukan's weapon is the lance, commonly the leaf-shaped Tamil vel, sometimes the Sanskrit sakti. The priest of Murukan is the Velan, a bearer of the lance. When Murukan holds the lance as sakti, he and his lance symbolize Shiva-Shakti, the cosmic pair, god and soul, heaven and earth, god and world. The two extremes of the cosmos, earth symbolized by the peacock and primordial sound symbolized by the cock, are held together by the lance. Murukan is worshipped with water, coconut milk, sandal paste, red millet, honey, rice, blood, and red, yellow, or white flowers. There has been remarkable persistence in the symbols of Murukan over the centuries.

The earliest and sublimest Tamilian concept of Godhead has been as long cherished and venerated in the Tamil land as its Sanskritised concept Subrahmanyam, which means "the all pervading spirit of the Universe, the essence from which all things are evolved, by which they are sustained and into which they are involved." He, in gracious pity for humanity takes form sometimes as the youthful God of Wisdom - Swaminatha; God also of war when wicked Asuras have to be destroyed: Kârtikeyâ; sometimes as the holy child Muruga, the type of perennial tender beauty, always and everywhere at the service of his devotees.
The puranic account runs thus: The Devas were hard pressed by the asuras Surapatuma and his brothers. Siva in Mount Kailâsa was appealed to by the Devas for deliverance. Six sparks of fire issued from the frontal eye of Siva and answered their prayers. These divine sparks of grace were received by Agni, the God of fire, and cast into Ganges from which they passed into the Himalayan lake Saravana. Here they were transformed into six babes. These were suckled by the six Krittikâ nymphs of the constellation Pleiades, and, became one by name Skanda; on being fondly clasped into one by Pârvati, the divine inseparable sakti of Siva. He came to be called Shadânana, Shanmukha, and Arumukha as being six faced, and on account of his youthfulness, beauty and godliness.
As the Warlord of the Gods, as became his divine commission, he was known as Kârttikeya. He then proceeded from Kailâsa to the South on his mission of subduing the Asuras, and freeing the Devas from their cruel bondage. At Tiruchendur, He and his hosts encamped. Kârttikeya desired a shrine of Siva for his worship. Mayan the celestial architect constructed the shrine for Siva at this sea-front.
Kârttikeya, as the son of the supreme Siva Mahadeva, then led his hosts and proceeded with the war against the asuras. For five days Surapatuma's sons, brothers, and their mighty hosts gave battle on land, under the sea, and in the air and most of them perished. On the sixth day, Surapatuma alone survived. The Lord's last bid to show the asura His grace was His Visvarûpa darshan. The asura realised Whom he was fighting but his pride prevailed. He would not give in and be subdued. He still gave battle from region to region. Kârttikeya now took Indra as his charger in the form of a peacock; and his lance, the Vel sought the foe out in his hiding in the ocean. Surapatuma rose at last out of his island fortress 'Vîra-mahendram,' as a frightful and enchanted mango tree and attacked him. The lance pierced the tree and broke it in twain. The broken pieces instantly transformed themselves into a mighty peacock and a chanticleer (rooster). The former attacked Indra who was serving as the Lord's bearer. The asura had spurned his last chance for submission!
Shanmukha's grace however prevailed. As an act of forgiveness, he took the peacock as his permanent charger (relieving Indra) and the chanticleer on his banner. The story goes that the two (cêvalum mayilum) live in His presence ever after. Shanmukha's mission was now fulfilled, and the Devas were freed. He turned again to Tiruchendur, halted and worshipped Siva at the shrine Mayan had built for Him.
"The events leading to the vanquishment of Surapatuma, with the moral significance of the expiation of sin are yearly celebrated by festivals and feasts in Tamil land in the month of Aippasi (October-November) ending on Skanda Shashti the sixth day of the waxing moon. On such occasions, the Kanda Purânam is read and expounded with solemnity; also at times in private houses such readings are deemed efficacious, apart from spiritual benefits, in warding off or alleviating disease and danger and bringing good fortune."