Murugan

Ancient Tamil god of war, beauty and the hill-country (kuṟiñci), called the 'god of the Tamils' (Tamiḻ Kaḍavuḷ); wields the vēl, rides the peacock Paravani, and presides over the six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu). Later identified with Skanda/Kārttikeya.

Parentage

• mother: Korravai

Names and tradition associations

• Kārttikeya Hindu · resolvedW. J. Wilkins, Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic (1900), pp.335–341, Karttikeya: separate birth traditions (secondary)

Domains

• kurinci hill country
• war and victory
• god of the tamils

Powers

• Command the army of the devas
• Slay the asura Surapadma with the vēl
• Preside over the six battle-camp abodes

Epithets

• முருகன் tamil · Murukaṉ · epithetThe youthful, beautiful one; the god of the TamilsTirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai (Sangam corpus, Pattuppāṭṭu) (primary)
• சேயோன் tamil · Cēyōṉ · epithetThe Red One; tutelary deity of the kuṟiñci (hill) landscapeTolkāppiyam, Poruḷatikāram (the tiṇai deities); Sangam akam poetry (primary)
• வேலன் tamil · Vēlaṉ · epithetHe of the spear (vēl); the lance-bearing godTirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai; Sangam-era Vēlaṉ veriyāṭṭu cult (primary)
• சுப்பிரமணியன் tamil · Cuppiramaṇiyaṉ · cultSubrahmaṇya; the auspicious one, dear to brahminsTamil Śaiva temple tradition (the Aru Padai Veedu shrines) (secondary)
• கந்தன் tamil · Kantaṉ · cultSkanda; the Tamil form of the war-god's nameKandha Purāṇam of Kacchiyappa Sivacharyar (14th c.) (secondary)

Relations

• spouse: ValliReciprocal of tamil_valli.spouse (alphabetical family sweep). (auto reciprocal)
• regional cult form: KartikeyaIdentification does not replace the independent Tamil family.Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai (Sangam corpus); Paripāṭal hymns to Cevvēḷ (primary); Kamil Zvelebil, Tiru Murugan (1981); Fred Clothey, The Many Faces of Murukan (1978) (secondary); W. J. Wilkins, Hindu Mythology, Vedic and Puranic (1900), pp.335–341, Karttikeya: separate birth traditions (secondary)

Sources

• existence: Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai (Sangam corpus); Tolkāppiyam (primary)