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LORD MURUGA ((Tamizh Kadavul)
Lord Muruga is considered essentially as the Tamil God (Tamizh Kadavul)
Tamil Sangam Literature (early centuries CE) mentions Murugu as a nature spirit worshipped with animal sacrifices and associated with a non-Brahmanical priest known as a Velan , a name later used to refer to the deity himself. The worship of Murugu often occurred in the woods or in an open field, with no particular associated structure. The rituals practiced included the Veriyaattu, a form of ritual-trance-dancing, which is still a common part of Murugan worship in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Malaysia. Murugu was believed to hold power over the chaotic and could be appeased by sacrifices and Veriyaattu to bring order and prosperity.
Tolkappiyam, possibly the most ancient of the extant Sangam works, glorified Murugan, " the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as " the favoured god of the Tamils." The Sangam poetry divided space and Tamil land into five allegorical areas (tinai) and according to the Tirumurugarruppatai ( circa 400-450 CE) attributed to the great Sangam poet Nakkiirar, Murugan was the presiding diety the Kurinci region (hilly area). (Tirumurugaruppatai is a deeply devotional poem included in the ten idylls (Pattupattu) of the age of the third Sangam).
The other Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Paripaatal, the Akananuru and the Purananuru
Architectural findings of pottery in several places in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere had ideographic inscriptions of this name as far back as 3rd century BCE According to noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, the ideographs signify a brave warrior capable of killing evil demons to save the devoted.
Thirumurukattruppadai and Paripadal review of references in early Tamil literature points to the conclusion that the worship of Muruga is very ancient among the Tamils.
The work of Thirumurukattruppadai devoted entirely to the extolling of Murugan, is attributed to Nakkirar, a celebrated bard of the early period and the poems in the Paripadal which are exclusively in praise of Chevvel (The Red One) are the earliest and best works available which enable us to study the worship of Muruga.
Besides the two works a number of references are made about Muruga in the oldest Tamil grammar book Tolkapiyam that says that the mountain region is dear to Cheyon (Cheyon Meya Maivaraiyulagamum).
There is also reference in Porulathikaram to veriyadal-to dance in frenzy-the dance of invocation to the god Muruga, which is conducted by a person called Velan so called because he holds a spear in his hand while he dances.
Murugan is hailed as "Thamizh kadavul" - the Lord of Tamils by poets and Tamil cultural exponents who take pride in the uniqueness of Tamil culture. Murugan is a popular deity widely worshiped in Tamil Nadu and also in Kerala, Karnataka and Srilanka. Worship of Karthigeya or Subramanya (other names of Muruga) are at the best sporadic in other parts and linguistic segments of India.
Worship of Subramanya (or Shiva Kumar, the son of Lord Shiva) was in fact one of the formal religious sects recognized and sanctified by Shri Shankaracharya and this sect was known as Koumaram. As Shri Sankaracharya hails from Kerala, it is quite obvious that he was quite familiar with the tradition of worship of Muruga, existing all along in the Hindu culture of the south). .
Muruku in Tamil denotes divineness, handsomeness, youthfulness, happiness, fragrance and sweetness. The Lord is the very manifestation of handsomeness, robust youthfulness, masculinity, fragrance and unmatched valour and the abode of happiness
In many Hindu stories, Murugan is seen as a bachelor. Most of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. Consequently, Murugan is often worshiped as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the Krishna in north India. Other Hindu myths have him married to two wives, Valli and Devayani. The worship of Murugan as a youth (Kumara) was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by Shankara included this sect thereby illustrating its historical importance.
Muruga contains in Himself the three divine eternal functions -- creation (sristi), protection (sthithi) and destruction (samhara) as evidenced by the three first letters in His name: MU -- Mukundan (Vishnu), RU -- Rudra (Siva) and KA -- Kamalan (Brahma)
Kartikeya, also known as Kumara, Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha, or Muruga. He is the Lord of Righteousness, who protects dharma by destroying evil. Lord Shanmukha (depicted as a six-headed Deity, symbolizing five senses and mind must be in harmony for mental, intellectual and spiritual growth. He has two Consorts , Valli (symbolizing Icha Shakti, or desire) and Devasena (symbolizing Kriya Shakti, the power of action).
He also has in his hand a "Vel" (Jnana Shakti) which removes ignorance. The Vel is not a mere weapon. It is a Deity in its own right. The vahana of Lord Subrahmanya is peacock. This is a bird whose behavior is unpredictable, as its moods are influenced by weather conditions. A peacock therefore, symbolizes ego, which causes unpredictable behavior in human beings. Lord Muruga's use of the peacock as His vahana conveys the idea that control of one's ego is necessary for spiritual advancement.
Kausalya, Lord Rama's mother invoked the blessings of Skanda when Rama took leave of her prior to his departure to the forest as per King Dasaratha's wish.
And in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna declares that among all commanders, He is Skanda.
The epic Skanda Purana, one of the eighteen puranas created by Veda Vyasa, vividly narrates the circumstances which led to the divine 'appearance' of Muruga,
Pandiyan Kings patronised Tamil language in a great way.They created Sangams to develop the language.The "Mudhal Sangam" was established in Southern Madurai which was situated in the land Kumari by the river called "Kanni".Iraiyanaar was the first scholar to preside over the Mudhal Sangam.Iraiyanaar,then popularly came to be known as "Thiripuram Eriththa Virisadaik Kadavul".
Later, the capital was shifted to "Kabaadapuram" due to sudden and violent change in nature.This place was on the banks of river "Kumari" which is situated to south of Kanyakumari.The second Tamil Sangam or "Idai Sangam" is said to have been held in Kabaadapuram.Lord Muruga, who presided over this Idai Sangam hence came to be known as "Kundram Erintha Kumaravel".The famous epic "Tholkappiyam" was written during this period.
The Pandiyan Kings then shifted their capital to present Madurai, after a debacle.The third Tamil Sangam or "Kadai Sangam" was held here.The great Literary Compositions like "Ettuththogai" and "Paththu Paattu" belong to this period.Lord Shiva performed his "Thiruvilayaadals" with Tharumi and Nakkeerar during this "Kadai Sangam" period. Many works belonging to "Pathinen Kizh Kanakku" were composed during this period.Tamil literature reached its glory during this period.This period is an epoch in the history of Madurai.
This is said to be the connection between Lord Muruga and Tamil Language.
These are faiths and beliefs which took root in Tamil Culture
and Muruga is considered by Tamils as their Tamil GOD
I do not think that any other language is so passionately associated with any God like Tamils associating themselves with their GOD, Lord Muruga
http://www.madurai.com/sangam.htm
Sources: Web Search
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights
Lord Muruga is considered essentially as the Tamil God (Tamizh Kadavul)
Tamil Sangam Literature (early centuries CE) mentions Murugu as a nature spirit worshipped with animal sacrifices and associated with a non-Brahmanical priest known as a Velan , a name later used to refer to the deity himself. The worship of Murugu often occurred in the woods or in an open field, with no particular associated structure. The rituals practiced included the Veriyaattu, a form of ritual-trance-dancing, which is still a common part of Murugan worship in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Malaysia. Murugu was believed to hold power over the chaotic and could be appeased by sacrifices and Veriyaattu to bring order and prosperity.
Tolkappiyam, possibly the most ancient of the extant Sangam works, glorified Murugan, " the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as " the favoured god of the Tamils." The Sangam poetry divided space and Tamil land into five allegorical areas (tinai) and according to the Tirumurugarruppatai ( circa 400-450 CE) attributed to the great Sangam poet Nakkiirar, Murugan was the presiding diety the Kurinci region (hilly area). (Tirumurugaruppatai is a deeply devotional poem included in the ten idylls (Pattupattu) of the age of the third Sangam).
The other Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Paripaatal, the Akananuru and the Purananuru
Architectural findings of pottery in several places in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere had ideographic inscriptions of this name as far back as 3rd century BCE According to noted epigraphist Iravatham Mahadevan, the ideographs signify a brave warrior capable of killing evil demons to save the devoted.
Thirumurukattruppadai and Paripadal review of references in early Tamil literature points to the conclusion that the worship of Muruga is very ancient among the Tamils.
The work of Thirumurukattruppadai devoted entirely to the extolling of Murugan, is attributed to Nakkirar, a celebrated bard of the early period and the poems in the Paripadal which are exclusively in praise of Chevvel (The Red One) are the earliest and best works available which enable us to study the worship of Muruga.
Besides the two works a number of references are made about Muruga in the oldest Tamil grammar book Tolkapiyam that says that the mountain region is dear to Cheyon (Cheyon Meya Maivaraiyulagamum).
There is also reference in Porulathikaram to veriyadal-to dance in frenzy-the dance of invocation to the god Muruga, which is conducted by a person called Velan so called because he holds a spear in his hand while he dances.
Murugan is hailed as "Thamizh kadavul" - the Lord of Tamils by poets and Tamil cultural exponents who take pride in the uniqueness of Tamil culture. Murugan is a popular deity widely worshiped in Tamil Nadu and also in Kerala, Karnataka and Srilanka. Worship of Karthigeya or Subramanya (other names of Muruga) are at the best sporadic in other parts and linguistic segments of India.
Worship of Subramanya (or Shiva Kumar, the son of Lord Shiva) was in fact one of the formal religious sects recognized and sanctified by Shri Shankaracharya and this sect was known as Koumaram. As Shri Sankaracharya hails from Kerala, it is quite obvious that he was quite familiar with the tradition of worship of Muruga, existing all along in the Hindu culture of the south). .
Muruku in Tamil denotes divineness, handsomeness, youthfulness, happiness, fragrance and sweetness. The Lord is the very manifestation of handsomeness, robust youthfulness, masculinity, fragrance and unmatched valour and the abode of happiness
In many Hindu stories, Murugan is seen as a bachelor. Most of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. Consequently, Murugan is often worshiped as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the Krishna in north India. Other Hindu myths have him married to two wives, Valli and Devayani. The worship of Murugan as a youth (Kumara) was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by Shankara included this sect thereby illustrating its historical importance.
Muruga contains in Himself the three divine eternal functions -- creation (sristi), protection (sthithi) and destruction (samhara) as evidenced by the three first letters in His name: MU -- Mukundan (Vishnu), RU -- Rudra (Siva) and KA -- Kamalan (Brahma)
Kartikeya, also known as Kumara, Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha, or Muruga. He is the Lord of Righteousness, who protects dharma by destroying evil. Lord Shanmukha (depicted as a six-headed Deity, symbolizing five senses and mind must be in harmony for mental, intellectual and spiritual growth. He has two Consorts , Valli (symbolizing Icha Shakti, or desire) and Devasena (symbolizing Kriya Shakti, the power of action).
He also has in his hand a "Vel" (Jnana Shakti) which removes ignorance. The Vel is not a mere weapon. It is a Deity in its own right. The vahana of Lord Subrahmanya is peacock. This is a bird whose behavior is unpredictable, as its moods are influenced by weather conditions. A peacock therefore, symbolizes ego, which causes unpredictable behavior in human beings. Lord Muruga's use of the peacock as His vahana conveys the idea that control of one's ego is necessary for spiritual advancement.
Kausalya, Lord Rama's mother invoked the blessings of Skanda when Rama took leave of her prior to his departure to the forest as per King Dasaratha's wish.
And in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna declares that among all commanders, He is Skanda.
The epic Skanda Purana, one of the eighteen puranas created by Veda Vyasa, vividly narrates the circumstances which led to the divine 'appearance' of Muruga,
Pandiyan Kings patronised Tamil language in a great way.They created Sangams to develop the language.The "Mudhal Sangam" was established in Southern Madurai which was situated in the land Kumari by the river called "Kanni".Iraiyanaar was the first scholar to preside over the Mudhal Sangam.Iraiyanaar,then popularly came to be known as "Thiripuram Eriththa Virisadaik Kadavul".
Later, the capital was shifted to "Kabaadapuram" due to sudden and violent change in nature.This place was on the banks of river "Kumari" which is situated to south of Kanyakumari.The second Tamil Sangam or "Idai Sangam" is said to have been held in Kabaadapuram.Lord Muruga, who presided over this Idai Sangam hence came to be known as "Kundram Erintha Kumaravel".The famous epic "Tholkappiyam" was written during this period.
The Pandiyan Kings then shifted their capital to present Madurai, after a debacle.The third Tamil Sangam or "Kadai Sangam" was held here.The great Literary Compositions like "Ettuththogai" and "Paththu Paattu" belong to this period.Lord Shiva performed his "Thiruvilayaadals" with Tharumi and Nakkeerar during this "Kadai Sangam" period. Many works belonging to "Pathinen Kizh Kanakku" were composed during this period.Tamil literature reached its glory during this period.This period is an epoch in the history of Madurai.
This is said to be the connection between Lord Muruga and Tamil Language.
These are faiths and beliefs which took root in Tamil Culture
and Muruga is considered by Tamils as their Tamil GOD
I do not think that any other language is so passionately associated with any God like Tamils associating themselves with their GOD, Lord Muruga
http://www.madurai.com/sangam.htm
Sources: Web Search
This post is for sharing knowledge only, no intention to violate any copy rights