Deivathin Kural Series - 132

Om Namah Sivaya.
Deivathin Kural # 132 of 09 Jan 2007.
1. To-day's title is 'Kumaran', ie., 'Son', occuring in pages 590 to 593, in Volume 1 of Deivathin Kural, Tamil version, published by Vanady Padippagam, Chennai.
2. Arunagiri Nathar was a great devotee of Subrahmanya Swami. He has written Thiruppugazh, which contains thousands of songs, all in praise of Subrahmanya Swami's life and exploits. He has described the Adwaita Anubhava, that he got from Subrahmanya, in 'Kandar Anuboothi'.
3. He has ended all his Thiruppugazh songs with the words, 'PerumaLe'. Generally this word 'perumaL', stands for Maha Vishnu only. Easwaran Koil, is Siva Temple and PerumaL Koil is Vishnu Temple. However, his repeatedly ending all his songs with the words, PerumaLe somehow seems most appropriate.
4. In Tamil Nadu, often this Murugan or Kumaran is also referred as 'Marugan'. The reason for this is that Kumaran is not only Siva-Parvathi's Son but also, Parvathi's brother, MahaVishnu's Son-in law too. So He is Thirumal's maru magan, ie.,son-in law. Thirumal is PerumaL and His Son-in-law too gets the special name of PerumaL. His maternal uncle is also His Father-in-law. So He has the double fame of being the son of Siva and son-in-law of Vishnu.
5. But in North India this relationship is not accepted. There, He is forever a celibate. In some of His Temples in the north, ladies are not permitted! He is not known there as Subrahmanya, but Karthikeya.
6. From Parameswara's third eye, six sparks came out and landed in 'Saravana Poigai', and became six babies. They were cared for by the six Kruttika girls, the constellation of stars of that name. Because of their name, He got the name of Kartikeya. As a child, He is Kumara or Kumaraswami. So in North India, Kumar means only Karthikeya. He is the Son of Parvathi-Parameswara.
7. Down South, the son is 'Pillai' or 'Pillayar' stands for Ganesha.
Shiv-Shakthi, the parents of the entire universe, are parents of Ganesha and Kartikeya. But somehow, Ganesha in North India, does not have this Kumar or Kumara name. Kalidasa wrote a Drama on the birth of Kartikeya, known as Kumara Sambhavam. This phrase 'Kumara Sambhavam', first occurs in Valmiki's Ramayana. In Bala Kanda, Sage Viswamitra, tells Rama Lakshmana, the story of the birth of Skanda. (Bala Kandam, 37th Sargam.) Normally, Valmiki refrains from giving 'Phala Sruthi', after a story. In this case however, as an exception he says that,'Once if you become a devotee of Kumara, the devotee will be endowed with all success and welfare in this world and after death will go to Skanda Loka!This one Sargam of 32 Slokas have been elaborated by Kalidasa, having taken the Title 'Kumara Sambhavam', from the 31st Sloka.
8. Using this word, 'Kumara', Subrahmanya Upasana, came to be called Koumaram, as one of the Six Religions or 'Shan Madam', said to have been re-established by Adi Sankara. To pray to Ganapathy as the God, is Ghanapathyam. Worship of the Sun is called, Souram. Siva worship is Saivam. Shakthi worship is Saktham. To consider Vishnu as the be-all and end-all, is Vaishnavam. To worship Kumara as the supreme divinity, is Koumaram!
9. He is also called, 'Skanda'. The root meaning of this word is, to appear or outcome. As the Lightning comes out of the clouds, He came out of the Siva Jyoti. The Puranam of his birth and exploits, is 'Skandam'.
This was written by Kachchiyappa Sivachariyar, in Kanjeepuram, as 'Kanda Puranam'. Skanda becomes 'Kanda' in Tamil. In South He is famous as the Son-in-law, 'Maruman'. In North He remained as 'The Son'. Let us see more of Him in the ensuing e-mails!
Sambhomahadeva.