GOD MURUGAN IS DEFINITELY A HINDU GOD

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

Thaipusam which is a festival of God Skanda is celebrated on the full moon day in the Tamil
month of Thai to commemorates the occasion when Goddess Parvati gave God Skanda a unique
weapon (Vel) so he could vanquish the evil Asura Soorapadman. Besides, God Skanda is supreme
God in Koumaram, one of six spiritual paths, Sanmargam that sanctified by Sri Shankaracharya.
God Skanda also is worshiped in female form as Koumaari. Koumaari is one of seven Saptha
Kannikas (Brahmi, Maheshwari, Koumaari, Vaishnavi, Vaaraahi, Indraani, Chaamundi).

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 really refer to God
Skanda because God Skanda is being mentioned as God Murugan in Tamil poems/literatures by
following Tamil poets and philosophers:
➢ Kachiyappa Sivachariar (who translated Skanda Purana to Tamil and named it as Kanda
Puraanam)
➢ Avvaiyar
 ➢ Arunagirinaadhar (who write Thiruppugazh, Thiruvaguppu, Kandar Alangaram, Kandar
Anubhuti, Kandar Andhaadhi, Vel Viruttham, Mayil Viruttham, Seval Viruttham and
Thiru Elukūtrirukkai )
➢ Devaraya Swamigal (who write Skanda Sashti Kavasam)
➢ Nakkirar (who write Tirumurugarruppatai)

‘Murugane! Sendhil mudhalvane! Mayon

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

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.

Thinai Flower that was

(Region of Tamil used to name the Landscape of Region God of the land
land) region
Kurinji Kurinji Mountainous region Seyyon (Murugan)
Mullai Mullai Forest region Maayon (Vishnu)
Agricultural region or
Marutham Marutham Indiran
valley

Neithal Neithal Coastal region Varunan

Palai Palai Desert region Kottravai (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
Name of place Kanda Puraanam that associated with
temples
the place
Palani Murugan Place where God Murugan resided after his
Thiruvavinankudi
Temple feud with his family over a divine fruit.
Place where Muruga explained the essence
Swamimalai of the pranava mantra "Om" to his father
Thiruverakam
Murugan Temple Shiva."Om" which sanskrit word is very
divine and important mantra to all Hindus.
Place where God Murugan won a decisive
Thiruchendur
Thirucheeralaivaai victory over Asura Soorapadman by
Murugan Temple
worshipping Lord Shiva.
Place where God Murugan married Indra
Thirupparamkunram
Thirupparamkunram Deven's adapted daughter, Goddess
Murugan Temple
Deivanai.
Place where God Murugan married Tamil
Thiruthani Murugan
Kundruthoraadal Kuravar leader's adapted daughter,
Temple
Goddess Valli.
Place where God Murugan is seen with both
Pazhamudircholai
Pazhamudircholai his consorts Goddess Deivanai and
Murugan Temple
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 Hindu god since he been mentioned in Hindu’s holy scriptures as a
God. Hindus 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 but 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 shown 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