The characteristics of his wives complete Murugan as he spends his time equally on earth and in heaven. She represents Earth and theirs was a love match. His second wife, Valli, the gypsy huntress, he keeps hidden in the hills. Murugan’s first wife is Devasena, daughter of Indra through an arranged marriage, and she represents heaven. Murugan solves the problem by creating five additional faces, one for each of his mothers.” Murugan’s six mothers are smitten by the newborn baby god and argue amongst themselves over who is to breastfeed him. When the sages find out they scold their wives, who place the embryo on a Himalayan peak. Agni drops the seed, and it enters the wives, who become pregnant. They’re feeling cold and approach the heat.

This particular location happens to be where wives of seven sages have come to bathe (note 3).

Agni, meanwhile, is unable to bear the heat of Shiva’s fiery seed and flies to the banks of the Ganges to cool off. Uma is enraged at the interruption and curses the gods so that all their wives would be barren. Agni (God of Fire) disguises himself as a dove and enters the bedchamber. Many years pass yet Shiva and Uma continue as before. Led by Vishnu, the entourage travels to Kailash and wait patiently for the newlyweds to emerge. Their lovemaking shakes the cosmos, and the gods become fearful, wondering what a child born of two such powerful deities will be like. “Once married, Shiva and Uma honeymoon at Shiva’s home atop Mount Kailash. The following is one of many legends of his conception His mythology is told in the Skanda Purana which tells mostly of his birth and youth.

Murugan’s origins are probably a composite of the north Indian warrior god, Skanda, and an ancient Tamil hero, Subrahmanya. As revered general of Shiva’s armies, Murugan is the beautiful and eternally youthful bestower of blessings. Murugan is often referred to as God of the Tamils and is arguably the most popular deity in south India (note 2). Murugan is the second son to Shiva and Uma after Ganesha and the most masculine and fierce of the Hindu pantheon (note 1).

Lakshmi – Goddess of Wealth and Happiness.

Saraswati – Goddess of Knowledge and Music.

The Puranas and Epics – That Which is Remembered.

Glossary of Terms – Iconography, Adornment, Attributes, Bhangas, Asanas and Mudras.

Murugan gayatri mantra in tamil