particularly Ravi ...On the discussions about Muruga..
When did Muruga get his Mayil...my understnading is after Sooran Vadham...
My 8 year old asked me a question after we saw Soorasamharam which Murugan rides on the Peacock...(urchavar) and said If he klled Soora and got the Peacock how did he go on it and how did he go around the world in it(Thiruvilayadam Mango incident?
Any wise answers
Sri
If I can stop one heart from breaking,I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching,Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin, Into his nest again, I shall not live in vain. Emily Dickinson
Dear Sir, Is it that Murugar gets Mayil after Soora samharam or is it the Cock flag he gets after Soora samharam? I remember reading it somewhere as Cock flag... Pls clear my doubt..
We have discussed this subject before (mayil before the samharam). Muruga has avatars like Vishnu, the samharam avatar is different from the mango episode. Another interesting thing is Nakeerar's vision of Muruga travelling to battle on an elephant (airavatham), which toes a different line.
What your child has asked again is a very critical subject for discussion, not because of the topic itself but on the thought that these questions will come over time from our young/future generations and if there is no reasoning done to give a proper explanation and kill superstition brutally while upholding the essence of culture.
The times of blind faith is coming to an end faster than ever.
There is a story of the world being in Ganesha's belly and when my mom was telling the story of ganesha going around his parents for the fruit and muruga flying around, my lil one was so confused and protested.... the point of the kid was... how can Muruga fly around inside Ganesha's belly while ganesha was inside his belly going around his parents :)
Well, as this generation looks towards science, unless our stories have validations we can explain scientifically, we are fighting a losing battle.
This is one reason why this group can actually play an important part in the future generations, eliminating superstition and explaining the core of our belief within the balance of nature.
Dear Member Skanda worship starts from Rig Veda and he is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayanam (Kousalya refers Him as great God and Warrior)and Mahabharatham (In Vanaparva and Salyaparva. Vishnu Puranam, Skanda Puranam and other puranams. But the cock and Kadamba Tree comes after Soora Samharam only. In history, 1 B.C sandstone image of Skandha which belongs to Khushan dynasty found at Rajasthan, is kept at Bharatpur Museum. The coins of Punjab Yaudheya Kings(300-34 0A.D) has onlythe peacock and vel. Have to dig out further deep to know about cock and peacock. Please spare some more time.
I have sent a mail on the simillarities of Lord venkatesa and kanyakumari, which is going into my spam an thinking that for the same to others
I reproducce
The simillarity of the lords of Thiuruvengadam and Kumari who protect both the ends of the tamilnadu.
They have 2 hands ( Balaji's changu charam is metalic attachments and he has only 2 hands) and the posture is strikingly simillar. ( with the mild variation of one holding the japa mala and the other pointing out to salvation)
Dear Vishwak, I'm working on this, too,and finding some definite roosters, pre-peacock. I don't think Skanda originally had any Vahana. Have a few illustrations from web. Will send in separate e-mail. Very interesting stuff. Kathie
The original mail repeatedly went to spam. the balaji showing his feet as the destination for salvation and kumari holding a japa mala is the only diff.
There is a wonderful Murugan done on hardened laterite stone at the Siddeshwar Mukteshwar temple tower at Bhubaneshwar Orissa and I will soon post them in my blog. Also saw Brahma doing abhshekam to Muruga and Mayiladum Muruga with cock besides him, both as relief stones inside the Lingaraja temple at Bhubaneshwar, but unfortunately here and in Puri Jagannath and many other important temples in Orissa, one is not allowed to carry mobile, camera, etc inside the temple premises. The punishments are harsh and heavy.
Chandra
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