The
most famous temple dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya is Palani
in the district of Dindigul, in South India. In the South,
Lord Subrahmanya is deeply venerated and is held in great
adoration cannot be a temple in the South where a separate
place is not dedicated to Lord Subrahmanya.
Sage
Agastya was praying at Kailasa to Lord Siva and Uma to appear
on the top of two separate hills created by him, one hill
called Sivagiri and the other Saktigiri. They appeared in
fulfillment his wish.
As
Siva and Uma appeared on the two hills, Agastya worshipping
them and wanted to take the two hills to Podikai Hill in
the South, his abode. Lord Siva agreed to this request of
Agastya. Agastya commissioned Idumban, his disciple, to
bring them. To enable Idumban to carry them with ease, the
Sage initiated him in certain mantras, acquainting him also
with the route.
Idumban
bore the hills slung across his shoulders in the form of
a Kavadi, one on either side using the Danda. Of Brahma
as the rod and the snakes of the earth the ropes to tie
thern, and turned towards Podikai Hill, the mountain abode
of Sage Agastya. When he came to Palani he was bewildered
to the route, when he received guidance from a king passing
that way mounted on a horse. He went in the direction shown
to him, but being fatigued, placed the Kavadi at Palani
and took rest.
When
Idumban was resting at Palani, Lord Subrahmanya was coming
away from his parents, discomfited in a contest with his
brother Ganapati. The legend says that Iswara, seated with
Parvati, once called to Him His two sons Ganapati and Subrahmanya,
and addressing them, said: "I have a rare fruit in
my possession and shall give it to that one of you, who
goes round the world and returns to me first."
Subrahmanya,
eager to win the prize, started on his peacock at once,
which flew with its Divine Burden quicker than lightning,
while Ganapati sat quiet until his brother disappeared out
of sight and then, slowly rising, went round his parents
and asked for the fruit, saying: "All the worlds that
are, that were and that will be are within you and, by going
round you, I have gone round all of them. Therefore the
fruit is mine."
Parvati
and Parameswara were delighted with the reply and gave him
the precious fruit (pomegranate). Long after this was over,
Subrahmanya came sweating, on his peacock, only to find
that he had been outwitted.
The
story should not be taken literally. It is the philosophy
in it, which is essential. The lesson briefly stated is,
that God being known, everything else is known and no study
of the external world, however comprehensive that may be,
can ever yield us the precious fruit of wisdom.
"Knowledge
of course will come, but wisdom with its peace and bliss
will linger on the shore." Ganapati outwitted his brother
by sheer wisdom. Lord Subrahmanya was not very much satisfied
with this explanation of his father and in anger came away
to Tiruvannagudi, the place at the foot of the Sivagiri
Hill. Then he came to Sivagiri Hill itself. When Balasubrahmanya
got angry for not receiving the fruit and went into seclusion,
Siva pacified him saying that the fruit was not separate
from him (Subrahmanya) and he himself was the fruit [Pazham
(Palam) -fruit; nee-you].
Lord
Subrahmanya forsook all worldly garments and with kaupeenam
(loincloth only) and a baton staff in hand, he became a
recluse. Finding the two hills nearby, he got on the top
of one and rested. When Idumban wanted to lift his Kavadi
to continue his journey, he could not lift it, as Subrahmanya
had already got on the top of one and it was heavy. He investigated
the reason and, finding an intruder on the top of the bigger
hill, he challenged him to get down.
Subrahmanya
would not Idumban raised his club to attack but Subrahmanya
immediately killed him. Idumbi, finding her husband dead,
looked at the top of the hill and, finding Lord Subrahmanya.
There, she prayed to him to give back the life of her husband
who had acted indiscreetly due to ignorance of the identity
of the intruder.
Agastya
was instantly found to be present on the scene. Agastya
being the preceptor of Idumban imperceptibly protected him
in the journey throughout, as is the custom with Hindu preceptors
who are considered as God incarnate to their disciples.
He also appealed to Subrahmanya for mercy. Idumban was restored
to life and to Subrahmanya's grace.
Idumban
prayed to Muruga that he might be allowed to stand ever
at His portals as dwarapalas, and also that whoever offered
vows with the Kavadi be blessed. Lord Muruga granted these
boons to him. Since then pilgrims to Palani bring they’re
offering on their shoulders in a Kavadi.
The
hill is 450 feet in height, reached by a flight of 689 steps.
The idol is composed of Navapashanam. (Nine different kinds
of poisons) blended together in certain rare proportions,
the resultant substance resembling wax. The mixing of the
nine poisons was done by a Muni called Bhoga. Some say that
the constituent of the image is an amalgam of nine minerals.
The
body of the deity is not smooth and seems to have been either
scraped out or corroded by age. It is said that some Siddha
Vaidyas of the locality, who knew of the miraculous curative
and preservative properties, of the image, scraped the body
of the deity in the unknown Apparently unnoticed and used
the same for curing otherwise incurable diseases of men.
The touch of the body is believed to work cur, wonders.
