Kartikeya

There are ancient references which can be interpreted to be Kartikeya in the Vedic texts, in the works of Pāṇini (~500 BCE), in the Mahabhasya of Patanjali and in Kautilya's Arthashastra.[30] For example, the term Kumara appears in hymn 5,2 of the Rig Veda.[31][note 2] The Kumara of verse 5.2.1 can be interpreted as Skanda, or just any "boy". However, the rest of the verses depict the "boy" as bright-colored, hurling weapons and other motifs that later have been associated with Skanda. The difficulty with interpreting these to be Skanda is that Indra, Agni and Rudra are also depicted in similar terms and as warriors.[32]

Kartikeya with a Kushan devotee, 2nd century CE.

The Skanda-like motifs found in Rig Veda are found in other Vedic texts, such as section 6.1-3 of the Shatapatha Brahmana.[33] In these, the mythology is very different for Kumara, as Agni is described to be the Kumara whose mother is Ushas (goddess Dawn) and whose father is Purusha.[31] The section 10.1 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka mentions Sanmukha (six faced one), while the Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions a householder's rite of passage that involves prayers to Skanda with his brother Ganapati (Ganesha) together.[34] The chapter 7 of the Chandogya Upanishad (~800–600 BCE) equates Sanat-Kumara (eternal son) and Skanda, as he teaches sage Narada to discover his own Atman (soul, self) as a means to the ultimate knowledge, true peace and liberation.[35][36][note 3]

Coins of the Yaudheyas feature Kartikeya, and these are dated to 1st century CE Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.[38]

According to Fred Clothey, the evidence suggests that Kartikeya mythology had become widespread sometime around 200 BCE or after in north India.[39] The first clear evidence of Kartikeya's importance emerges in the Hindu Epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata where his story is recited. In addition to textual evidence, his importance is affirmed by the archeological, the epigraphical and the numismatic evidence of this period. For example, he is found in numismatic evidence linked to the Yaudheyas, a confederation of warriors in north India who are mentioned by ancient Pāṇini.[40] They ruled an area consisting of modern era Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (extending into Garhwal region, Uttarakhand).[40] They struck coins bearing the image of Skanda, and these coins are dated to be from before Kushan Empire era started.[40] During the Kushan dynasty era, that included much of northwest Indian subcontinent, more coins featuring Kartikeya were minted.[40] He is also found on ancient Indo-Scythian coins, where his various names are minted in Greek script.[26][note 4]

Kartikeya was revered in major cultural centers of ancient India. For example, he was a major god for the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, as well as for the Gupta Empire.[42] In south India, eight of the early Pallava dynasty rulers (300-550 CE) were named after Skanda or Kumara, suggesting the significance of Kartikeya by then.[43] Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumārasambhava features Kartikeya.

Kartikeya is mentioned in Shaiva Puranas. Of these, the Skanda Purana is the largest Mahāpurāṇa, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts.[44] The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is part of Shaivite literature,[45] While the text is named after Skanda (Kartikeya), he does not feature either more or less prominently in this text than in other Shiva-related Puranas.[46] The text has been an important historical record and influence on the Hindu traditions related to war-god Skanda.[46][47] The earliest text titled Skanda Purana likely existed by the 6th-century CE,[48][49] but the Skanda Purana that has survived into the modern era exists in many versions.[50]

Skanda Bodhisattva is the Dharma protector in Mahayana Buddhism.[51] Above: Skanda's statue in Anhui province, China.

The earliest mention of Kartikeya in Buddhist texts may be found in the Janavasabha Sutta of the Pali Canon, where he is referred to as Sanankumāra. Here he is introduced as a deva of the rank of Mahābrahmā and a disciple of the Buddha. The Chinese translation of the Dīrgha Āgama features the same deity with the title Brahmā[sanan]kumāra (梵童子). He is described as a manifestation of Mahābrahmārāja. He has five hair coils (頭五角髻), a handsome face (顏貌端正) and emanates purple-golden light (紫金色) that surpasses the light of the other devas. In Chinese Buddhism, Skanda (also sometimes known as Kumāra (鳩摩羅天)) is known as Weituo (韋陀 or 韋馱), a young heavenly general, the guardian deity of local monasteries and the protector of Buddhist dhamma.[52][53] According to Henrik Sørensen, this representation became common after the Tang period, and became well established in the late Song period.[54] He is also regarded as one of the twenty-four celestial guardian deities, who are a grouping of originally Hindu and Taoist deities adopted into Chinese Buddhism as dharmapalas.[55] Skanda was also adopted by Korean Buddhism, and he appears in its woodblock prints and paintings.[54]

According to Richard Gombrich, Skanda has been an important deity in Theravada Buddhism pantheon, in countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Nikaya Samgraha describes Skanda Kumara as a guardian deity of the land, along with Upulvan (Vishnu), Saman and Vibhisana.[56] Similarly, the 16th-century Siamese text Jinakalamali mentions him as a guardian god.

In Sri Lanka, Skanda as Kataragama deviyo (whose major shrine is at Kataragma), is a popular object of devotion among both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists. While many regard him as a bodhisattva, he is also associated with sensuality and retribution. Anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere has suggested that the deity's popularity among Buddhists is due to his power to grant emotional gratification, which is in stark contrast to sensual restraint that characterizes Buddhist practice in Sri Lanka.[57] There are Buddhist Sinhala shrines such as at Kataragama dedicated to Skanda which have historically been officiated by Hindu priests, which attracted Buddhist devotees and enjoyed royal support.[56] Since the 1950s, states Brian Morris, the Kataragama shrine of Skanda has attracted over half a million devotional pilgrims every year, most being Buddhists.[58][59]

In Mahayana Buddhism, the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra mentions Kumāra as one of the eighty gods (八十神) worshiped by the common people. The Ārya Kaṇikrodhavajrakumārabodhisattava Sādhanāvidhi Sūtra (聖迦抳忿怒金剛童子菩薩成就儀軌經) (T 1796) features a section for the recitation of a mantra dedicated to the deity, where he is also paired with Iśvara. Yi Xing's Commentary of the Mahāvairocana Tantra (大毘盧遮那成佛經疏) clarifies that Kumāra is the son of Iśvara.[60]

According to Asko Parpola, the Jain deity Naigamesa, who is also referred to as Hari-Naigamesin, is depicted in early Jain texts as riding the peacock and as the leader of the divine army, both symbols of Kartikeya.[9]

Worship of Kartikeya in West Bengal, with toys (right side of image)

In West Bengal, Kartikeya is associated with the birth of children. He is worshipped on the last day of the Month of Kartik (October–November). It has become a trend in Bengal that the clay model of the deity is kept at night before the day of worship (usually by friends) for the newly married couple before the door of their house. The deity is worshiped the next day in the evening and is offered toys.[76]

The deity is also worshipped during the Durga Puja festival in Bengal. Goddess Durga is accompanied by her four children Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, and Kartikeya. Kartikeya is the youngest of them visualized as a young man, riding a peacock and wielding a bow and arrows. He is stated to be Kumara, that is, a bachelor as he is unmarried. While Ganesha is paired with the rich Lakshmi, Kartikeya is paired with the learned Saraswati.[77]

Temples also exist in the rest of India in Pehowa in Haryana[78] and Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand,[79] with Kartik swami temples in Manali and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.[80][81]

Kartikeya is worshipped as Kumar in Nepal both by Hindu and Buddhist Communities. The Newah community celebrates Sithi Nakha: Festival dedicated to Sithi Kumar. Sithi Nakha (Kumar Shashthi) is celebrated on this sixth day of the waxing moon, according to the lunar calendar, in the Lunar month of Jestha. The festival is celebrated by cleaning water sources like wells, ponds and stone spouts and ending it with a grand Newah feast of six different varieties of Newarhi food including Wo or Waa (fried lintel bread) and Chatamari (Newah pizza). The Festival is traditional Environment day as houses, courtyards, streets and allies are cleaned during this day. It is believed that cleaning such water sources will bring in rain for good cultivation of crops. It is also celebrated to welcome monsoon as this was the ideal time to set up rice seedbeds. The most of Newah communities also mark the festival as the end of Dewaali, to worship their family deities.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he is worshipped as Subrahmanya, Kumara Swamy, Skanda, Subba Rayudu or depending on the place. Important temples include Mopidevi,[82] Biccavolu,[83] Skandagiri, Secunderabad[84][85] and Mallam[86][87] and as Bala Subrahmanya on Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada.[88][89]

In Karnataka, the deity that is worshipped as Subrahmanya where he is regarded as Lord of the serpents in temples like Kukke Subramanya Temple,[90][91] and Ghati Subramanya.

The Tolkāppiyam, one of the most ancient texts of the Tamil literature, mentions cēyōṉ "the red one", who is identified with Murugan, whose name is literally Murukaṉ "the youth"; the other gods referred to in the Tolkāppiyam are Māyōṉ "the dark one" (identified with Vishnu), Vēntaṉ "the sovereign" (identified with Indra) and Korravai "the victorious" (identified with Kali) and Varunan "the sea god".[92] Extant Sangam literature works, dated between the third century BCE and the fifth century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."[93] Korravai is often identified as the mother of Murugan.[94]

In the Tirumurukāṟtruuppaṭai, he is called Murugu and described as a god of beauty and youth, with phrases such as "his body glows like the sun rising from the emerald sea". It describes him with six faces each with a function, twelve arms, his victory over evil, and the temples dedicated to him in the hilly regions.[95]

The ancient Tamil lexicon Pinkalandai identifies the name Vēļ(வேள்) with the slayer of Taraka, that is Murugan among other things.[note 5] Sangam literature (Paripatal) refers to Murugan as Sevvēļ (செவ்வேள் meaning the red Vēļ) and as Neduvēļ (நெடுவேள் meaning the tall Vēļ).[96][97][98] In Tamil, the word Murukku means to kill or slay as in to destroy evil or Asuras.[99]

There is extensive Hindu symbolism and theology associated with Muruga. Regardless of the variance among the legends, his birth is in difficult circumstances, he is born through a surrogate after being left near a river. He is raised not by his natural mother but a host of mothers, but later he is a part of his biological family. Muruga symbolizes a union of polarities.[101] He is handsome warrior and described as a celibate yogi. He uses his creative martial abilities to lead an army against Taraka and other demons, and described as a philosopher-warrior.[10][11] He is a uniter, championing the attributes of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism.[102]

His theology is most developed in the Tamil texts,[17] and in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition.[10][11] He is described as dheivam (abstract neuter divinity, nirguna Brahman), as kadavul (divinity in nature, in everything), as Devan (masculine deity), and as iraivativam (concrete manifestation of the sacred, saguna Brahman).[103]

According to Fred Clothey, as Murugan (also referred to as Murugan, Cheyyon), he embodies the "cultural and religious whole that comprises South Indian Shaivism".[101] He is the philosopher and exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta theology, as well as the patron deity of the Tamil language.[66][104][105]

Basalt Murugan seated on a peacock from 12th-century Andhra Pradesh.

According to Raman Varadara, Murugan was originally a Tamil deity, who was adopted by north Indians.[7] He was the god of war and knowledge in the Tamil legends, and became so elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent too.[7] In contrast, G. S. Ghurye states that according to the archeological and epigraphical evidence, the contemporary Murugan, Subrahmanya and Kartikeya is a composite of two influences, one from south and one from north in the form of Skanda and Mahasena.[106] He as the warrior-philosopher god was the patron deity for many ancient northern and western Hindu kingdoms, and of the Gupta Empire, according to Ghurye. After the 7th-century, Skanda's importance diminished while his brother Ganesha's importance rose in the west and north, while in the south the legends of Murugan continued to grow.[106][107] According to Norman Cutler, Kartikeya-Murugan-Skanda of South and North India coalesced over time, but some aspects of the South Indian iconography and mythology for Murugan have remained unique to Tamil Nadu.[108]

In the Tamil legends he has two consorts, Devayanai (identified with Devasena) and Valli.[6][7] Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular in Tamil Nadu. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India.[71][75]

Murugan with Valli (on left of image) and Devayanai (on right of image).

Murugan is a major deity among the Hindus of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Murugan is considered the god of Tamil language and he is mentioned a lot in Sangam literature.[93] The six abodes of Murugan, together referred to as Aru Padaiveedu (Tamil: ஆறுபடை வீடு), that are mentioned in Thirumurugatrupadai, written by Nakkeerar and in Thirupugal, written by Arunagirinathar.[109][110] Each of these temples, all in Tamil Nadu, has a unique history and different reason to worship Murugan:[111]

• Palani Murugan Temple
• Swamimalai Murugan Temple
• Thiruchendur Murugan Temple
• Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple
• Thiruthani Murugan Temple
• Pazhamudircholai Murugan Temple

Rajagopuram of Thiruchendur Murugan Temple, Tamil Nadu

Temples in Kerala dedicated to Subrahmanya (as Kartikeya is known in the region) include Haripad, Neendoor, Kidangoor, Kodumbu, Panmana[112] and Payyanur.[113] The temple to him in Udayanapuram is historically connected to the temple to his deity father, Shiva, in Vaikom.

Festivals pertaining to Murugan are:

• Thai Poosam during January – February month is celebrated as a 6-day festival. On Thai Poosam day, Kavadis and Palkudams are taken by devotees in procession around Chhedanagar. Special Abhishekams are performed to the Moolavar and Utsavar. Annadhanam is provided to all devotees participating in the functions. In the night, Murugan is taken in procession accompanied by Nadaswaram, Veda Parayanam around Chhedanagar.
• Vaikasi Visakam day, (during May –June month), Kavadis and Palkudams are taken by devotees in procession around Chhedanagar.
• Skanda Sashti during October–November month is celebrated as a 6-day festival. Spiritual discourses by learned scholars and/or music concerts by popular artists from South or from Mumbai are organized.

Thaipusam festivities near the Batu Caves, Malaysia

Murugan is revered by the Tamil people in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Thaipusam is one of the important festivals celebrated. Sri Subramanyar Temple at Batu Caves temple complex in Malaysia is dedicated to Murugan, which has a 42.7-m-high statue of Murugan at the entrance, the largest Murugan statue in the world.[114][115] There are some other temples in Malaysia such as:

• Kallumalai Temple in Ipoh[116][117][118]
• Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Temple, Penang and Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple, Penang
• Sannayasi Andavar Temple in Cheng, Malacca[116][119]
• Sri Marathandavar Bala Dhandayuthapani Alayam, Maran, Pahang
• Sri Kandaswamy Kovil, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

In Sri Lanka Muruga is worshipped by Sri Lankan Tamils as Murugan and also by the Sinhalese as Kataragama deviyo , a guardian deity of Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favourite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon. In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, he is worshipped at the Kataragama temple, where he is known as Kathiravel or Kataragama deviyo. Local legend holds that Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local girls. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple and the Sella Channithy Temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murugan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelayutha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition. Almost all Buddhist temples house a shrine room for Kataragama deviyo reflecting the significance of Murugan in Sinhala Buddhism.

The Sri Lankan Nallur Kandaswamy temple (Jaffna) is dedicated to Murugan.

By the 16th century, the Kataragama temple had become synonymous with the worship of Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[120] The town was popular as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India and Sri Lanka by the 15th century. The popularity of the deity at the Kataragama temple was also recorded by the Pali chronicles of Thailand such as Jinkalmali in the 16th century. There are a number of legends both Buddhist and Hindu that attribute supernatural events to this very locality.[120] Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that the rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple indicate Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence, they believe that the area was important in Vedda culture and was later taken over by Buddhists and Hindus in the medieval period.[121]

A Murugan Temple known as London Sri Murugan Temple located at Manor Park, London.

There are a lot of Murugan Temples in the United Kingdom that are built by British Tamils. Sri Murugan Temple at Manor Park in London and Murugan Temple in Highgate Hill, London to name a few.[122][123] Throughout the year Tamils in United Kingdom, celebrate Murugan Festivals like Thaipusam, Skanda Shasti, Karthikai Deepam, Vaikasi Visakam, Mahasivarathri in grand fashion.[124]

Tamil devotees of Murugan take part in Kavadi possession on Thaipusam day every year and this practice is followed by Tamils in Europe and North America as well.[125][126] It's worth to take note of the temple chariot (Ther) procession every year organized by the London Sri Murugan Temple. It was estimated that more than 15000 people attended during the annual event in 2022.[124]

The Highgate Hill Murugan Temple also known as Archway Murugan Temple located in London is a famous temple with the main deity as Murugan. In 1966, Hindu British Tamils formed the Hindu Association of Great Britain to foster the tamil Saiva Siddhanta religion and its form of worship and be a unifying force among Tamils from various parts of the world.[127] In 1973, a Thiruchendur Murugan vigraham (statue) was specially made from Kumbakonam was installed with special rites in October 1973. The advent of the Murugan vigraham and the regular abhishekams and poojas further intensified religious fervour. Subsequently, to meet the spiritual needs of the devotees of Murugan, a Temple was built in 1979. The Prana Prathishtha for Murugan at this temple was held on the auspicious day of Vaikasi Visakam in May 1982. The temple celebrates all Murugan festivals along with an annual temple chariot festival.[128]

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple is a major Hindu temple in Singapore.[129] Murugan temples also exist in several western countries like United States of America,[130][131] Canada,[132] United Kingdom,[133][134][135][136][137] Australia,[138][139][140] New Zealand,[141][142] Germany[143][144] and Switzerland.[145]