GOD MURUGAN IS DEFINITELY GOD OF HINDUISM

God Skanda/Karthikeya is a God who being mentioned in Skanda Purana, which is written in
Sanskrit. Skanda Purana is one of 18 Puranas that been produced by Sage Vyasa, son of a fisher
women after God Brahma order him to do so. Tamil word ‘Kandan’ is derived from Sanskrit word
‘Skanda’. Skanda Purana is called as Mahapurana since it is longest Purana compare to other 17
Puranas. Even after all other 17 Puranas been putted together, Kanda Puranam is still the longest
one. Its show how important God Skanda is.

According to Skanda Purana, God Skanda is son of God Shiva (because God Skanda is born
from God Shiva), son of Goddess Parvathi (Because Goddess Parvathi is God Shiva’s wife),
brother of God Ganesh (because God Ganesh is born from Goddess Parvathi), nephew of God
Vishnu (because God Vishnu is brother of Goddess Parvathi), nephew of Goodness Lakshmi
(because Goodness Lakshmi is wife of God Vishnu) and chief commander of the Devas (Angels).
God Skanda who has 6 heads/faces, 12 eyes, and 12 hands hold a unique weapon that given by
Goddess Parvathi in his hand. Besides, God Skanda is descripted as very handsome.

God Skanda is known as God Murugan among South Indian. ‘Murugan’ is pure Tamil word
that been created and used by Tamil people to refer God Skanda who being mentioned in Skanda
Purana. Word ‘Murugan’ is combination of two words, ‘murugu’ and ‘an’. ‘Murugu’ means beauty
and ‘an’ means man. So, word ‘Murugan’ means handsome man. God Skanda is called as God
Murugan since God Skanda descripted as handsome man. Word ‘Murugan’ is refer to God Skanda
because God Skanda is being mentioned as God Murugan in Tamil poems/literatures/divine verses
by following Tamil poets and philosophers as shown in following table.

Tamil poets and philosopher Tamil poems/literatures/divine verses

Kachiyappa Sivachariar Kanda Puraanam, Tamil translation of Skanda Purana
Arunagirinaadhar Thiruppugazh, Thiruvaguppu, Kandar Alangaram, Kandar
Anubhuti, Kandar Andhaadhi, Vel Viruttham, Mayil
Viruttham, Seval Viruttham and Thiru Elukūtrirukkai
Devaraya Swamigal Skanda Sashti Kavasam
Nakkirar Tirumurugarruppatai
 According Skanda Sashti Kavasam, appearance of God Murugan is shown as following
figure:

“Aaru Muhamum Animudi Aarum Neeridu Netriyum Neenda Puruvamum

Panniru Kannum Pavalach Chevvaayum Nanneri Netriyil Navamanich Chuttiyum
Eeraaru Seviyil Ilahu Kundalamum Aariru Thinpuyathu Azhahiya Maarbil
Palboo Shanamum Pathakkamum Tharithu Nanmanipoonda Navarathna Maalaiyum
Muppuri Noolum Muthani Maarbum Sepppazhahudaiya Thiruvayir Unthiyum
Thuvanda Marungil Sudaroli Pattum Navarathnam Pathitha Nartchee Raavum
Iruthodai Azhahum Inai Muzhanthaalum Thiruvadi Yathanil Silamboli Muzhanga’’
- Kanda Sasti Kavasam

Meaning - God Murugan has six-face, wears six bejeweled crowns, has vibhuti-adorned foreheads,
has long eye-brows, has twelve eyes, has ruddy lips, wears various pearled jewels, wears dainty
ear-rings on his twelve ears, wears various flower garlands, wears diadems, wears pearled
ornaments and nine-gemmed chains, wears the sacred thread (poonuul) across his bejeweled chest,
and has beautiful abdomen. God Murugan silken sash and girdle encircle his full waist, with a
nine-gemmed diadem adorning his silken robes. God Murugan has beautiful legs ankleted feet
produce a harmonious blend of melodious notes most pleasing to the ear.
"Aruvamum uruvamāki anādiyai palavai onrai
Brahmanai ninra jothi ppizhampador meniyāki
Karunai koor mugangal ārum karamadu Pannirandum konde
Oru tiru Murugan vandu ānku vudittanan vulakamuyya" -Kanda Puranam (Tamil version)

Meaning - The fiery Mass that stood as Brahmam That which has no beginning, no parents,
assuming a form from formless, from many into One, thus rose a Thirumurugan with six merciful
faces and twelve arms, For the universe to get rescued.

‘Murugane! Sendhil mudhalvane! Mayon

Marugane! Eesan magane! Oru-kai mugan
Thambiye! Ninnudaiya thandaikkal eppozhudhum
Nambiye kai-thozhuven nan’ - 7 Tirumurugarruppatai

Meaning - O’ Lord MurugA! Lord of Senthil [ThiruchchenthUr]! Lord who is the nephew of Lord
ThirumAl! Lord who is the divine son of Lord SivaperumAn! Lord who is the younger brother of
Lord VinAyagar with the trunk as a (fifth) hand! I worship you always with the joined-palms of
my hand with the firm belief in your sacred feet adorned with thaNdai-anklet!

Thaipusam which is a festival of God Murugan is celebrated on the full moon day in the Tamil
month of Thai to commemorates the occasion when Goddess Parvati gave God Murugan a unique
weapon (Vel) so he could vanquish the evil Asura Soorapadman. Besides, God Murugan is
supreme God in Koumaram, one of six spiritual paths, Sanmargam that sanctified by Sri
Shankaracharya as shown in following table.

Sanmargam Supreme God Picture of God

Shauram Suriya Deva
Kanapatyam God Ganesh

Shaivam God Shiva

Shaktam Goddess Shakthi

Vaishnavism God Vishnu

 Koumaram God Murugan

God Murugan also is worshiped in female form which represent internal energy of him as
Koumaari. Koumaari is one of seven Saptha Kannikas as shown in following table.

Saptha Kannikas Female form/internal energy of God: Picture of Saptha Kannikas

Brahmi God Brahman

Vaishnavi God Vaishnavan (God Vishnu)

Maheshwari God Maheshwaran (God Shiva)

Koumaari God Koumaaran (God Murugan)

Indraani Indran Devan

Vaaraahi God Vaaraahan

 Chaamundi Goddess Shakthi

According to Tamil Sangam literature, Tolkāppiyam, Tamil land is divided into five types of
region, Thinai. Each Thinai (Region of Tamil land) was closely related with a particular landscape
and the the landscape’s flowers, trees, wildlife, people, jobs, climate and geography in Tamil
Sangam literatures. The following table shows the detail of each Thinai. God Murugan is the God
of Mountainous Regions, Kurinji.

Flower
Thinai
that was Landscape Picture of
(Region God of the
used to of Region Landscape Picture of God
of Tamil land
name the
land)
region

Seyyon
Mountainous
Kurinji Kurinji (Murugan)
region

Forest Maayon
Mullai Mullai
region (Vishnu)
 Agricultural
Marutham Marutham or valley Indiran
region

Coastal
Neithal Neithal Varunan
region

Desert Kottravai
Palai Palai
region (Kaali)

Āṟupaṭai vīṭu, (Six Battle Houses) is collection of God Murugan’s six main temples which
is very significant and very important for God Murugan. All six Āṟupaṭai vīṭu temples is explained
by Nakkirar in his Tirumurugarruppatai. Āṟupaṭai vīṭu temples is related with events from Kanda
Puraanam as shown in following table.
 Signification of
the place or
event from
Āṟupaṭai vīṭu temples Name of place Kanda Picture of God Murugan
Puraanam that
associated with
the place

Place where
God Murugan
Palani Murugan resided after his
Thiruvavinankudi
Temple feud with his
family over a
divine fruit.

Place where
Muruga
explained the
essence of the
pranava mantra
"Om" to his
Swamimalai Murugan father God
Thiruverakam
Temple Shiva."Om"
which sanskrit
word is very
divine and
important
mantra to all
Hindus.
 Place where
God Murugan
won a decisive
Thiruchendur Murugan victory over
Thirucheeralaivaai
Temple Asura
Soorapadman
by worshipping
Lord Shiva.

Place where
God Murugan
married Indra
Thirupparamkunram
Thirupparamkunram Deven's adapted
Murugan Temple
daughter,
Goddess
Deivanai.

Place where
God Murugan
married Tamil
Thiruthani Murugan
Kundruthoraadal Kuravar leader's
Temple
adapted
daughter,
Goddess Valli.
 Place where
God Murugan is
seen with both
Pazhamudircholai
Pazhamudircholai his consorts
Murugan Temple
Goddess
Deivanai and
Goddess Valli.

God Murugan is often referred to as "Tamil Kadavul" ("God of Tamils") by Tamil peoples and
Tamil poets because of following reason:
 God Murugan is favorite God of the Tamil peoples.
 Worshiping of God Murugan is very popular among Tamil peoples.
 God Murugan is representation/symbol of Tamil language.
1. 12 hands of God Murugan represent twelve vowels of Tamil (அ, ஆ, இ, ஈ, உ,
ஊ, எ, ஏ, ஐ, ஒ, ஓ, ஒள).
2. 12 hands and 6 faces (18 in total) of God Murugan represent eighteen
consonants of Tamil. (க் , ச், ட், த், ப் , ற் ங் , ஞ் , ண், ந், ம் , ன் ய் , ர், ல் ,
வ் , ழ் , ள் )
3. 6 faces of God Murugan represent vallinam (க், ச், ட், த், ப் , ற் ), mellinam
(ங் , ஞ் , ண், ந், ம் , ன்), idayinam (ய் , ர், ல் , வ் , ழ் , ள் ) since each set has 6
alphabets.
4. Vel, unique weapon of God Murugan represents aaydham alphabet of Tamil
(ஃ)
5. Words, ‘murugu’ is combination of three Tamil alphabet (மு, ரு, கு), where
each of them comes from mellinam, idayinam and vallinam. dsd
 God Murugan been mentioned in Tamil Sangam literatures.
 God Murugan is believed to be member in Tamil Sangam.
 Lots of Tamil divine verses such as Kanda Puraanam (Tamil version), Thiruppugazh,
Thiruppugazh, Thiruvaguppu, Kandar Alangaram, Kandar Anubhuti, Kandar Andhaadhi,
Vel Viruttham, Mayil Viruttham, Seval Viruttham, Thiru Elukūtrirukkai, Skanda Sashti
Kavasam dan Tirumurugarruppatai is written for God Murugan by Tamil poets.
  Murugan is the God of Mountainous Regions, Kurinji, one of five Thinai (Region of Tamil
land).
 All six Āṟupaṭai vīṭu temples are located within Tamil Nadu.

God Skanda was obviously a god of Vedic religion/Sanātana dharma/Hinduism god since he
been mentioned in Sanātana dharm’s holy scriptures as a God. Hindus, follower of Sanātana
dharma can refer him as God Murugan since Kachiyappa Sivachariar, Avvaiyar,
Arunagirinaadhar, Devaraya Swamigal and Nakkirar do so. Even though, worshiping of God
Murugan is less popular among North Indian Hindus, they never derecognize God Murugan as
God. There were temples for God Murugan in North India. Kartikeya Mandir in Pehowa township,
Haryana at North Indian is dating back to the 5th century B.C. In North India, during Navratri
festival, God Murugan is also celebrated together with Goddess Durga. Character of God Murugan
was acted by North Indian actors in following North Indian Hindi Purana television serials:

 Om Namah Shivay by Dheeraj Kumar

 Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev by Nikhil Sinha

 Vighnaharta Ganesh by Abhimanyu Singh
  Mahakali– Anth hi Aarambh hai by Loknath Pandey

By Naveen