The 6 Faces of Lord Muruga

“Lord Shiva went into deep meditation, and divine sparks of light radiated from His third eye (representing the element Ether). The Gods of Fire and Wind, Agni and Vayu, gathered these sparks, and transported them into the sacred river Ganga.

Mother Ganga, the Great Goddess of Water, held these divine sparks in Her Womb, known as the beautiful Lake Saravana, and after time, beautiful lotus flowers began to emerge from the deep mud below the lake. From the biggest lotus, a baby with 6 heads was born. So powerful were the cries of 6 faces, spewing divine fire, that they called to the motherly instincts of the maidens of Pleiades, where 6 of the 7 brightest stars descended to care for the baby.

Once placated and nourished by the starry mothers, the Great Goddess Parvati embraced the child and merged all 6 heads as one. She gifted him with his weapon, the Vel, symbolizing his unification and mastery of all the elements. Thus the Commander of the Heavenly Army was born, destined to slay the demon Tarakasura.”

Murugan, which means ‘beautiful’, is also known by many important names. Kartikeya, means ‘son of Kritikka’ (Pleiades); Shanmugan means ‘six faces’; Skanda means ‘quick attack’; Subramaniam means ‘virtuous jewel’.

Senthil, which means ‘formidable one’, is also the namesake of a famous area in KL  

We approach such a powerful energy through the blessings and protection of the Goddess, the 7 Matrikas of Pleiades, whose love could calm the intense fire of Murugan. We spend 3 days preparing energetically for our Batu Caves visit.

“When we climb the steps leading-up to the temple, we are leaving behind our samskaras, those karmic imprints and habits repeated over many lifetimes. Before we can meet Murugan, we must be prepared step through a veil of spiritual fire. A cleansing, humbling, ego-consuming fire.”

Spiritual Fire is known as ‘Tejas’, a crucial aspect in Tantra and Yoga. Tejas enhances our life-force, expands our energy capacity. More importantly it lends us clarity and discernment, the power to pierce through the illusions and distractions of maya — just like Murugan’s divine spear, the Vel.

Tejas manifests as clear and brilliant eyes, radiant skin, and a warm, compelling aura. And without Tejas, one almost never completes — or sustain for long — their sadhana.

S.

15/8/2023