Subrahmanya Swamy Temple

Subrahmanya Swamy Temple
Subrahmanya Swamy Temple

Of the Aaarupatai Veetu of Lord Muruga, Tiruchendur alone is situated in the seashore; the other five are hill temples. Those who face impediments for their marriage, pray to this Lord; they are blessed with good wedlock. The Devas were hard pressed by the asuras Surapatuma and his brothers. Siva in Mount Kailasa was appealed to by the Devas for deliverance. Six sparks of fire issued from the frontal eye of Siva and answered their prayers. These divine sparks of grace were received by Agni, the God of fire, and cast into Ganges from which they passed into the Himalayan lake Saravana. Here they were transformed into six babes. These were suckled by the six Krittika nymphs of the constellation Pleiades, and, became one by name Skanda; on being fondly clasped into one by Parvati, the divine inseparable sakti of Siva. He came to be called Shadanana, Shanmukha, and Arumukha as being six faced, and on account of his youthfulness, beauty and godliness. He then proceeded from Kailasa to the South on his mission of subduing the Asuras, and freeing the Devas from their cruel bondage. At Tiruchendur, He and his hosts encamped. Karttikeya desired a shrine of Siva for his worship. Mayan the celestial architect constructed the shrine for Siva at this sea-front. Karttikeya, as the son of the supreme Siva Mahadeva, then led his hosts and proceeded with the war against the asuras. For five days Surapatuma s sons, brothers, and their mighty hosts gave battle on land, under the sea, and in the air and most of them perished. On the sixth day, Surapatuma alone survived. The Lord s last bid to show the asura His grace was His Visvarupa darshan. The asura realised Whom he was fighting but his pride prevailed. He would not give in and be subdued. He still gave battle from region to region. Karttikeya now took Indra as his charger in the form of a peacock; and his lance, the Vel sought the foe out in his hiding in the ocean. Surapatuma rose at last out of his island fortress V