Skanda Cult and Its Historical Background a Canonical Study
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ISSN 2321 3361 © 2017 IJESC Research Article Volume 7 Issue No.7 Skanda Cult and Its Historical Background a Canonical Study Dr.Prakash Shetty Associate Professor Department of History Government First Grade College, Kolar, Karnataka, India Abstract: Subramanya is almost exclusively a South Indian deity. There are few temples dedicated to him in Western India，except the one at Abbattabad in the Hazara District (now in Pakistan) .3 Contrary to this, there is not a village, however small，which does not possess a shrine for Subramanya in South India. In fact the popularity of the deity with the South Indian is so great as to induce him to build shrines for him in all places，such as towns, villages，gardens，mountain tops, and other odd places. There are not many temples dedicated to Subramanya exclusively in Kerala，but he is worshipped along with God Siva in almost all villages of the State. According to Gopinath Rao， the seated figure of Subramanya is either on a Padmasana or on a peacock. It is laid down as a rule that if the figure is a seated one，it should have only two arms，if a standing one four, and lastly，if it is seated upon a peacock，it may have six，eight， or twelve arms. Subramanya's dwarapalakas (gate-keepers) are Surya and Siva, (who is the same as Agni or Rudra). A dhyna-sloka current in some parts of South India actually describes him as Surya. All these facts clearly point to the Sun-myth as the origin of Subtramanya; his six heads perhaps represent the six ritus or seasons，the twelve arms，the twelve months; the kukkuta or the bowl the harbinger of the rising sun and the peacock whose feathers display a marvellous blending of all colours represent the luminous glory of the sun; the Saktyayudha is also of solar origin. According to the Sritatvanidhi，Kartikeya should have one face with three eyes，ten arms, and the complexion of the rising sun. There should be a fruit (or leaf) of the bilva tree on the head and on the right hands the sula, the chetya and ankusa and the vajra and varada. He should have his peacock vehicle by his side. The complexion of this aspect of Subramanya should also be that of the rising sun. Shanmukha: The colour of Shanmukha should be that of Kumkuma (suffron) and he should be seated on the peacock. Desika- Subramanya: This is the aspect on which Subramanya taught Siva, his own father, the significance 01 the sacred syllable om. As a teacher he should be represented as possessing one face，six arms and as seated upon the peacock. According to Dowson，Kartikeya was born for the purpose of destroying Taraka, a Daitya，whose austerities had made him formidable to the gods. He is represented riding a peacock called Paravani, holding a bow in one hand and an arrow in the other. His wife is Kumari or Sena. I. INTRODUCTION elements in a single being. This is the child of Siva, of mysterious birth, mysterious bringing up, under mysterious THE ADVENT OF SKANDA circumstances, for a mysterious purpose which the gods alone Skanda, the second son of Siva, and the younger brother of knew. The third eye represents the principle of intelligence and Ganesha, is also known as Kumara, Karttikeya, Shanmukha, Skanda, thus, as a revelation through the third eye of Siva, is Subrahmanya, and many other names. His banner is the cock said to stand for an incarnation of Divine Knowledge. and vehicle the peacock which stands clutching a serpent in its talons. His Saktis or inseparable powers are Valli and Kumāra -Skanda-Kārttikeya in Vedic literature Devasena (Deivayanai) whom he assumed in the course of the The evolution of Kumāra-Skanda-Kārttikeya who, during later great history describing his multiformed life of a series of times developed into one of the popular and prominent exploits both in the celestial and temporal realms. The members of the Hindu pantheon, takes its origin from Vedic ti devotees of Skanda form a large part of the population mes. Thetradition ommences from the Rigveda where Kumāra especially of Southern India, and constitute one of the appears as related to god Agni as his father,a feature carried important sections of the religion of the country. The advent of forward down the tradition. Thus Rigveda5.2.1-3 mention Skanda was the background of the occasion when Siva burnt Kumāra as endowed with golden teeth and golden complexion Manmatha with His third eye, a penalty he inflicted on Kama who had been secreted by his mother in a cave ( guhā) --a or the god of love for disturbing him in his meditation. The feature current in later tradition also -- out of sight of his story goes that the sparks which flashed forth from the third father 1. Again, Agni is said to haveseven auspicious mothers eye of Siva rushed through space, which Vayu and Agni ( RV 1. 141.2) 2 and also born of seven mothers 3, aspects carried and dropped into the river Ganga. Ganga, being unable which betray resemblances to the purānic Skanda. to contain the divine energy, shoved it on to her banks, upon a shrub of reeds known as Sara. There is thus a combination of SRI KARTTIKEYA AND TARAKASURA ACCORDING the ether, air, fire, water and earth principles in the depositing TO SKANDA MAHA PURANA—MAHESVAR KHANDA of the Tejas or energy of Siva in the world. The cumulative After Bali, Kal Khanja, Maharoudra, Kalakeya, Nivata force which combined the forms of the five elements Kavacha, etc., were born as enemies to Indra. Tarakasura, son impregnated with the divine power of Siva (Divya-Tejas) of Namuchi, did severe Tapasya or penance. Brahma was manifested itself as a sixfold divinity with six faces pleased. Tarakasura wanted to be Ajar, Amar and Ajeya (Shanmukha), including both the unmanifest and manifest (imperishable, immortal and invincible). Brahma gave him the International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, July 2017 13850 http://ijesc.org/ boon of Ajayatvam (living invincible or unconquerable). He released. These Rishipatnis in turn were cursed by their attacked and conquered the Devas (the gods) again and again. husbands, the Rishis. The Krittikas were changed into birds The gods approached Vishnu. Vishnu asked them to find out (Khecharas); and the Rishipatnis, being ashamed of themselves some means to get Siva married, who was then in Samadhi; and very sorry for their conduct (Vyabhichara), vomited the Sati had burnt her body in Daksha‟s Yajna and was born by Retas (rays) on the Himalayas. All these rays in turn were then as daughter to Himavan, the Mountain-King, Parvati by thrown into the Ganga by the „Kichakas‟, and there on the name. The gods approached Himavan and persuaded him to Ganga bank, out of these rays appeared the „six-mouthed‟ or get his daughter Parvati married to Siva and thus serve the six-headed Shanmukha as purpose of the Devas, who were oppressed by Tarakasura. Since none but one born of Siva alone could kill Tarakasura, (i) Karttikeya, Himavan took his eight-year old daughter Parvati to Siva. He (ii) Gangeya, prayed to Siva for permission to come to Him daily for (iii) Shaka, „Worship‟. Siva granted this boon but desired Himavan not to (iv) Vishakha, bring Parvati with him anymore. Parvati protested and (v) Atibala and reminded Him of His divine nature and entreated Him to let (vi) Mahabala. her continue her worship to Him. Pleased with her arguments and reasoning, Siva allowed her to do so. After sometime, The gods were overjoyed to hear of Shanmukha‟s birth Parvati slowly got fixed up in her Tapasya on Siva. In the through Ganga. Parvati was taken unawares. She became meanwhile, „Cupid‟ (Kamadeva) as desired by the gods, Prasruta-stani, a mother with milk pouring from her breasts. approached Siva to distract Him from His Samadhi. Kamadeva Immediately Narada came and informed them of Shanmukha was burnt to ashes in the attempt; Siva opened His third eye having been born on the Ganga bank. Parvati with Siva and Kamadeva was burnt by the Rays emerging from it. At that hastened to the Ganga bank followed and surrounded by all the time Parvati was there to worship Him as usual; and the Devas Devas, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Siddhas, etc. They all prayed to also approached Siva. The gods received their desired boon. Karttikeya, the child, the Kumara shining gloriously shedding Kamadeva‟s wife, Rati, also performed severe Tapasya to get divine rays of bliss. Parvati took „Kumara‟, the child, in her lap back Kamadeva, and Siva was pleased to restore Kamadeva to and fed him at her flowing breasts. Karttikeya in Siva‟s lap his original position but as Ananga (unembodied or without a began to play with the snakes round his neck and specially body). Rati was taken away by Shambara, a demon, and she oppressed Vasuki with his many playful tiny hands! was there with Shambara, as Mayavati. According to Skanda Thereafter, as desired by Siva, the gods, led by Brahma, Purana, Parvati did Tapasya, for Rati‟s sake, and got the installed Karttikeya as „Senapati‟ and gave him the power to desired boon from Siva. Siva was again in deep Samadhi, lead the unconquerable „Sena‟ (army); also gave Sena, the while by his side, Parvati, too, was performing her severe most beautiful daughter of Mrityu, the Death-god, as his Tapas. Again the gods petitioned Siva. And Siva, satisfied with consort. With Sena as his consort, Karttikeya killed in battle Parvati‟s intense devotion to Him, in the guise of a Vatu (a Tarakasura, as desired by the gods.