Palani Muruga – Kshetra Purana – I

It was a pleasant scene at Kailash, the Devas and saints used to frequent Mount Kailash for offering their prayers to Lord Shiva and Parvati, who were greatly pleased to see the saint’s meditating, Nandi praying for God’s blessing, Lord Muruga playing at the feet of Lord Shiva, and Ganapati dancing with his trunk.   At this time Narada arrived there. Playing his veena and chanting  “Hara-Hara! Shambo Maha Deva!” .  Seeing  Narada, Lord Shiva welcomed him gracefully. After worshipping the God and Goddess, Narada offered them a very special mango fruit.

Upon seeing the fruit, Muruga and Vinayaga anxiously waited to receive this fruit (Gñâna Pazham) had unparalleled taste. So Lord Shiva decided to conduct a contest to choose the right person for the fruit. The winner should circle the world first. Goddess Uma watched them with a smile.  The brave young Kandavel (Muruga) started his journey around the world at once.

“Within a second I will go around the world upon my blue peacock,” he said.

Contest Begins - Muruga takes off on his peacock vehicle. Ganapati is too heavy to fly.
The blue peacock fluttered its wings like a golden chariot an flew around the world in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Vinayaga realised his disadvantage, he just had a rat. Going around the world on a rat would be time consuming.  He quickly of a solution.

He went around his father and mother three times and worshiped them.

Then Lord Shiva asked his son, “Vinayaga! What did you do?”

Ganesha spoke thus, “Because of you only, this world arises and falls. Father and mother are the world,” so I have went around you and so saying he claimed the prize fruit.

Shiva and Uma were pleased by this act of Vinayaga and presented the fruit to him.


Muruga returns and feels cheated. "Pillaiyar did not circle the world like I did!"
Lord Muruga reached his father Lord Shiva within a second to claim the fruit. But it had already been won by his brother Ganapati!  Muruga was very surprised, angry and felt cheated. At that time Shiva told Lord Muruga that Ganapati had completed the contest faster by circling his parents.  Lord Muruga could not accept this reason. Hence he became hard-hearted and his lips became reddish.

Angry Lord Muruga decides to  leave home and heads south.  Goddess Parvati’s runs towards her son to stop him  but Muruga flew away on the peacock.  This happened for the welfare of the people in the world. This is known as “Grace Play” and “Grace Anger”.

From Mount Kailasa Lord Muruga traveled to the extreme South and landed at Tiru Avinankudi Hill and settled there. To cool the heat of Lord Muruga’s anger, the God and Goddess followed him.

They consoled him by saying you need not worry about this fruit. “You are the fruit (Pazham nee),” said Lord Shiva to Palani Muruga.  From that day onwards, Lord Palani Muruga sheds His grace upon devotees.


Dandhayudhapani
Lord Muruga showed his grace just like a saint  in Tiru Avinankudi.

His bright face in equal to the rising sun; His very sight pours grace upon the devotee. His forehead displays tilakam, sandal and tiruneeru (vibhuti).

His broad chest having a cord with danda (staff) gives safety for others; His left hand on thigh shows abundant grace; His jeweled ankles shine with beauty; He shows grace to all wearing only a kaupîna (loincloth) along with the blue peacock.

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