Deivayanai
Encyclopedia
Deivayanai(Tamil
:தெய்வானை) is a Hindu goddess
and a divine consort of Lord Murugan
. She is the daughter of God Indra
, the King of Heaven.
The Goddess is also known as Deviyani, Deivanai, Jayanti and Devasena.
, who assigned his white elephant Airavata
or Airavatham, to take care of the baby. The elephant brought up the girl child with care and affection, and therefore she was named Deivayanai (Tamil
-the divine one brought by the elephant).
The Goddess in her previous birth was Amritavalli, the daughter of Maha Vishnu
. She along with her sibling Sundaravalli, undertook severe penance to become the consort of Lord Murugan. The Lord pleased by their devotion, appeared before them and gave the boon of marriage in their next birth.
. The boon was that Soorapadman would not be defeated by anyone other than a son born to Lord Shiva
, who was under severe penance and also being separated from His consort, Goddess Parvati
. Soorapadman thought that Lord Shiva's penance cannot be disturbed and there would be no offspring born to Him. Armed with the boon, the demon along with his allies tormented the Devas, drove out Lord Indra and conquered Swargalokam (the Heaven). All the devas went to Lord Vishnu and Brahma and pleaded for help.
Lord Vishu, along with the Devas planned to get Lord Shiva married to Goddess Parvati. They requested Lord Kamadevan to arouse the passion within Lord Shiva. But during his attempt, Lord Shiva was disturbed from His penance, and He realised that it was the work of Kamadevan. The God opened His third eye and reduced Kamadevan to ashes.
The effulgent was given to God Agni, who deposited it in the Saravana Poigai, and it became six babies. They were found by the six karthigai maidens and Goddess Parvati united the six babies to form one with six heads and twelve hands. Therefore Lord Arumugan (six faced lord) or Lord Murugan
came into form. He was destined to vanquish the demon Soorapadman.
-one of the Arupadai Veedu (six battle camps of the Lord in Tamil nadu
). At the end of the war, Soorapadman threw a discus at Lord Murugan, who bore it on His chest and attacked the demon with the Vel ( the divine lance gifted by His mother Parvati). Soorapadman was split into two and in his last moments prayed to Lord for forgiveness. The Lord granted moksha to the demon and ended the war.
Lord Murugan restored the Kingdom of Heaven to Lord Indra, and gifted the discus to Lord Vishnu. Lord Indra requested Him to marry his daughter Deivayanai. Lord Murugan consented and the wedding took place in a celestial manner at Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple
, which is also one of the Arupadaiveedu
. The wedding is celebrated as the festival of Panguni Uthram in South India.
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
:தெய்வானை) is a Hindu goddess
Devi
Devī is the Sanskrit word for Goddess, used mostly in Hinduism, its related masculine term is deva. Devi is synonymous with Shakti, the female aspect of the divine, as conceptualized by the Shakta tradition of Hinduism. She is the female counterpart without whom the male aspect, which represents...
and a divine consort of Lord Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
. She is the daughter of God Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, the King of Heaven.
The Goddess is also known as Deviyani, Deivanai, Jayanti and Devasena.
Birth
Goddess Devaiyanai is the daughter of God IndraIndra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, who assigned his white elephant Airavata
Airavata
Airavata is a mythological white elephant who carries the Hindu god Indra. It is also called 'Ardha-Matanga', meaning "elephant of the clouds"; 'Naga-malla', meaning "the fighting elephant"; and 'Arkasodara', meaning "brother of the sun". 'Abharamu' is the elephant wife of Airavata. Airavata has...
or Airavatham, to take care of the baby. The elephant brought up the girl child with care and affection, and therefore she was named Deivayanai (Tamil
Tamil people
Tamil people , also called Tamils or Tamilians, are an ethnic group native to Tamil Nadu, India and the north-eastern region of Sri Lanka. Historic and post 15th century emigrant communities are also found across the world, notably Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, South Africa, Australia, Canada,...
-the divine one brought by the elephant).
The Goddess in her previous birth was Amritavalli, the daughter of Maha Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
. She along with her sibling Sundaravalli, undertook severe penance to become the consort of Lord Murugan. The Lord pleased by their devotion, appeared before them and gave the boon of marriage in their next birth.
The Birth of Lord Murugan and His destiny
The demon Soorapadman was granted with a boon by Lord BrahmaBrahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
. The boon was that Soorapadman would not be defeated by anyone other than a son born to Lord Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, who was under severe penance and also being separated from His consort, Goddess Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
. Soorapadman thought that Lord Shiva's penance cannot be disturbed and there would be no offspring born to Him. Armed with the boon, the demon along with his allies tormented the Devas, drove out Lord Indra and conquered Swargalokam (the Heaven). All the devas went to Lord Vishnu and Brahma and pleaded for help.
Lord Vishu, along with the Devas planned to get Lord Shiva married to Goddess Parvati. They requested Lord Kamadevan to arouse the passion within Lord Shiva. But during his attempt, Lord Shiva was disturbed from His penance, and He realised that it was the work of Kamadevan. The God opened His third eye and reduced Kamadevan to ashes.
The effulgent was given to God Agni, who deposited it in the Saravana Poigai, and it became six babies. They were found by the six karthigai maidens and Goddess Parvati united the six babies to form one with six heads and twelve hands. Therefore Lord Arumugan (six faced lord) or Lord Murugan
Murugan
Murugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...
came into form. He was destined to vanquish the demon Soorapadman.
The War and the Wedding
Lord Murugan led the army of devas and defeated the demon Soorapadman's forces at TiruchendurTiruchendur
Thiruchendur is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This town has a different name called Thirucheer Alaiwai.-Demographics:...
-one of the Arupadai Veedu (six battle camps of the Lord in Tamil nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
). At the end of the war, Soorapadman threw a discus at Lord Murugan, who bore it on His chest and attacked the demon with the Vel ( the divine lance gifted by His mother Parvati). Soorapadman was split into two and in his last moments prayed to Lord for forgiveness. The Lord granted moksha to the demon and ended the war.
Lord Murugan restored the Kingdom of Heaven to Lord Indra, and gifted the discus to Lord Vishnu. Lord Indra requested Him to marry his daughter Deivayanai. Lord Murugan consented and the wedding took place in a celestial manner at Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple
Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple
Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple, one of the Arupadaiveedu, the six main abodes of Lord Muruga, the temple at Tiruparankunram offers a mystic beauty. It is carved in rock and is monstrous in size for such an architecture...
, which is also one of the Arupadaiveedu
Arupadaiveedu
The Arupadaiveedu are the most important shrines for the devotees of Muruga in Tamilnadu, India.They are:*Palani Murugan Temple *Swamimalai *Thiruthani...
. The wedding is celebrated as the festival of Panguni Uthram in South India.