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THE STORIES OF LORD KATHIKEYA V

The Lords Vahan (Mount): Muruga from Elephant to Peacock



Vikasi Visakam Lord Murugas Birthday
The star Visakam. The Tamil month of Vikasi (May-June). This year (2014) the Lords
Birthday was celebrated on June 11, 2014 (Wednesday).

As the young God led the Army of Demi-Gods (Devas) to war against the Demons he
rode the sacred white elephant and mount Airavata, presented to him by the King of the
Devas Indira as dowry when Subramanya wed his daughter Devasena (a.k.a.
Devayanai) and became Devasenapathy (See The Stories of Lord Kathikeya IV).
Thus it is that in the ancient pre-war temples Lord Murugas mount is the elephant,
which faces away from the Lord (faces East) as it owed allegiance to the God of Rain,
Thunder and Lightning Lord Indira. When Lord Swamynatha offered the elephant back
to Lord Indira (the latter started becoming poorer after giving away the sacred elephant
symbolic of all Indian fathers becoming poorer after marrying off their daughters
accompanied by heavy dowries!) the King of the Gods refused as it was not custom to
take back Dowry. They compromised by allowing the mount/vehicle/vahan to face away
from his new master towards his old one!
When Guha fulfilled the purpose of his creation, and faced and defeated the demon
Soorapadman (Soorasamharam Annihilation of Sooran) brother to Tarakasura and
Krauncha who together reined terror on the Devas. The tricky demon king disguised
himself as a mango tree to avoid destruction. Lord Skanda couldnt be tricked he let
loose his mothers gift to him the Vel (See The Stories of Lord Kathikeya III), which
flew straight and true to its target and pierced the heart of Soorapadman in the process
splitting his tree form in two. The ever merciful Lord Saravana acknowledged the
Demon-kings last minute surrender to his Grace (saranagadhi) and transformed the two
halves of the mango tree to form his vehicle Parvani the peacock and the Sevval Red
Rooster that became the symbol on his Victory Banner.
Thus it is the national bird of India the peacock became the warrior Gods
Devasenapathys vahana (vehicle/mount).
The peacock vehicle of Skanda thus while also representing splendor and majesty, under
the control of Muruga the peacock's vanity is vanquished just as the demon
Soorapadman was vanquished. Hence the Lord Guhas peacock mount also symbolizes
his destruction of the ego.
More on the War, Soorasamharam, Taking of Tarakasura and Destruction of Krauncha,
and the benefits to the Gods will be retold in the months that follow on Kirthigai days.
May 28, 2014, Wednesday (Kirthigai) to June 11, 2014 (Vikasi Visakam)
Uploaded: June 16, 2014, Monday.

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