The culmination of the six-day worship of Lord Muruga or Kartikeya, older son of Shiva and Parvati and sibling of Ganesha, falls on the sixth day after Deepavali, the festival of lights. Called Skanda Sashti, the occasion celebrates the victory of Skanda, the supreme commander of divine forces, over demons Tarakasura and Surapadman.
The numeral six is special to Skanda. There are six holy abodes of His in Tamil Nadu: Palani, Swamimalai, Thirupparangunram, Pazhamudircholai, Thiruthani and Thiruchendur. The legend goes that He was born of the six rays of light that emerged from Lord Shiva’s third eye. This event happened in the month of Kartik (November), hence Kartikeya is one of His names. The six rays fell in Sara Vana, the forest of reed grass, hence His six-syllable name Saravanabava. The mantra is so potent that its recitation is believed to attract people (Sa), wealth (Ra), removes debt and disease (Va), suppresses problems (Na), charms others (Ba) and stops negativity (Va).
The six rays turned into six babies, each looked after by one of the six maidens of the constellation of Kritikai (Pleiades). The six babies were united into one by Goddess Parvati when she held them in her arms. So, He was called Shanmukha, the sixfaced one. The six faces bestow six divine attributes to the devotee: Jnana or wisdom, Vairagya or detachment, Bala or strength, Kirti or fame, Sree or wealth, and Aishwarya or divine powers.
Muruga’s weapon is the spear called Vel. The Vel represents Shakti, the universal power that destroys the effects of sins and grants liberation. He is married to Devayani, daughter of Indra, and Valli, a tribal chieftain’s daughter, signifying that class does not matter. When He killed Surapadman, the demon’s body split into two. One half became a peacock, His vehicle, and the other half turned into a rooster that features on his flag. The snake below the peacock’s feet symbolises conquest of ego and fearlessness. The rooster heralds the dawn of wisdom with removal of the darkness of ignorance.
Muruga is the preceptor of
Once, Arunagirinathar, a devotee, was disillusioned with life and was about to end his life by jumping off the temple
Most temples dedicated to Kartikeya or Muruga — including the Malai Mandir in
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