Surapadman was wreaking havoc, and the Devas were clueless. What happened next?
Date : 18/05/2024
In the previous part, we saw in detail about one of Lord Muruga’s abodes, Thiruparankundram. In this article, we travel to the second Aarupadai Veedu, Thiruchendur. This town is located on the coastline in the district of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. It is a holy town mentioned in the Thevaram, an ancient Shaivite literature in Tamil. In ancient Tamil literature, Thiruchendur is referred to as Seyon. It is also named ‘Thirucheeralavai’. It is mentioned even in the Sangam era text of Silapathikaram. It is estimated that Thiruchendur could be as ancient as 2000-3000 years.
Surapadman was an Asura born to an ascetic Kasiyapar and Mayai. He was their first child. Tharakan and Singamagan were Mayai’s other sons. Surapadman married Padhumagomalai and the couple gave birth to a child named Banugopan. Kandha Puranam tells the story of Lord Muruga. According to this text, Surapadman was blessed by Lord Shiva himself with powers to rule the 1008 universes. He also received another boon from the Lord: He would not be destroyed by anyone other than a person born through the union of a woman and Lord Shiva. When Surapadman received these boons from Shiva, the Lord was in deep meditation as Dhakshinamoorthy. Anyone who disturbs Shiva from this meditation was bound to meet their end. All the Gods knew this, so no one came forward to stop the Lord.
Since Shiva was in deep meditation, Surapadman knew that it was not possible for a child to be born. And then the Asura began his evil games. Drunk with power, and confident that there was no one who could defeat him, he wreaked havoc. When he became unbearable, the Devas looking for help, realised that no one other than a child born to Shiva can destroy Surapadman. The Devas sent Manmadha to wake Shiva up from his meditation.
Eventually, Manmadha got burnt to ashes with Lord Shiva opening his third eye. Then Lord Shiva listened patiently to the Devas. After that, the Lord created six fire sparks from the corner of his third eye and ordered Lord Vayu to take them to the Ganges. Those sparks then travelled to Saravana Poigai and turned into six babies. These six babies were brought up by the women of Karthigai and when Mother Parvathi embraced all these children with her arms, Aaru mugan (six faced) Lord Muruga was born. The aim of this Aarumugan was to destroy Surapadman. As Lord Muruga prepared to leave with massive troops to fight Surapadman, Mother Parvathi concentrated all her Shakti as one Spear (Vel) and gave the weapon to Muruga. Along with Veerabagu, his troop commander, Lord Muruga reached Thiruchendur.
The guru of the Devas, Lord Jupiter was in deep meditation awaiting to be blessed by Lord Muruga. The six-faced Lord showed himself to Jupiter and asked him about Surapadman and his brothers. Initially, Muruga wanted to seal a peace deal, and hence sent Veerabagu as a peace emissary to the enemy camp. But Surapadman refused to budge. This forced Muruga to wage a war. He first destroyed Tharakasuran and then Singamugaasuran. Later he faced Surapadman. Thanks to the boons the Asura had, he took various forms and shapes and eventually turned himself to a tree. Lord Muruga used his Holy Spear to tear the tree into two. Those two parts turned to a peacock and a cock. Surapadman then begged the Lord to forgive him and bless him. Muruga accepted the peacock as his vehicle and the cock as the symbol in his flag. WIth Muruga satisfying the wishes of the Devas, the guru of the Devas, Lord Jupiter built a temple for the six-faced Lord at Thiruchendur.
Other than Thiruchendur, the five abodes for Muruga are all hill temples. This is the only coastal town. But Adi Shankara’s Shri Subramanya Bujangam offers proof for the existence of a hill in Thiruchendur. So we would naturally assume that a hill existed in this town once. As proof of that, we can see a small hillock in a place called Valli Caves even today.
Once, Adi Shankara developed a stomach pain which never subsided. He is said to have come to Thiruchendur to request Muruga to cure him. He stood in front of the murthi of Lord Muruga and started worshipping the Lord. At the same time, there was a snake worshipping Muruga as well. It was slithering on and off the murthi and dancing. As a result of the six-faced Lord manifesting himself in Adi Shankara’s heart, songs flowed from the tip of his mouth like a river. These free flow of verses resembled the slithering snake in metres. In Sanskrit Grammar, songs set in such a metre are said to be in “Bhujanga Vritam’. When Adi Sankara applied on him the special holy ash offered at the end of the worship, to his forehead, the snake is said to have disappeared. And so did Adi Sankara’s stomach ailment. This is how Shri Subramanya Bujangam was born in Thiruchendur.
The holy ash offered in Thiruchendur is very special. It is called ‘Pathira Vibuthi’. This ash is offered wrapped in the leaves of the Panneer tree (Indian Rennet). Adisankara beautifully explains the significance of this holy ash in his songs.
After he defeated Surapadman, Muruga offered thanks to Lord Shiva through a Shivapuja. And Muruga manifested himself in the same state, with a lotus flower in his right hand and with a crown of matted hair. And on the left side on the wall behind him in the Tiruchendur temple, there is a linga. The deeparadhana starts with the linga first and is then shown to Lord Muruga everytime. Similarly, there is a linga on the wall behind the murthy of Shanmugar. Since both the lingas are in the dark, only when the deeparadhana lights them up, bhaktas can get a view. Apart from this, to the right of the Murugan shrine is the Panchalinga shrine which is called the ‘padhaala lingam’.
The Thiruchendur temple’s Rajagopuram is 157 feet high, and has nine levels. Normally, the Rajagopuram faces East. And the murthy in the sanctum sanctorum also faces the same direction. But in Thiruchendur, the Rajagopuram faces the West, and Muruga faces East. Since the coast is along the East, the Rajagopuram is said to have been built facing the West. Since the Rajagopuram is taller than the ‘Peedam’ on top of the sanctum sanctorum, the entry through the Rajagopuram has been blocked permanently. Only during the Marriage ceremony that happens during the Kantha Sashti festival, this path is opened. Even then pilgrims are not allowed to enter through the same. Throughout the year, this town has a festive glow.
I will end this article with Adi Sankara’s verses (from the 31st song):
Mayilukkum unakkum vanakkam!
(I bow down to thee, and the peacock!)
Sakthivelukkum unakkum vanakkam!
(I bow down to the Shakthivel, and You!)
Aatukadaavirkum unakkum vanakkam!
(I bow down to the lamb, and You!)
Sevalukkum unakkum vanakkam!
(I bow down to the cock, and You!)
Kadalinukkum akkadalin karaiyilirukkum
Thiruchendur thalathirkum vanakkam!
(I bow down to the sea, and the abode in Thiruchendur
On the sea coast!)
Kandaperumane unakku meendum vanakkam! vanakkam!
(I bow down to you again, Kandha! I bow down!)
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