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.