STORY OF MURUGAN’S UPADESH TO SHIVA (SWAMIMALAI)
This story is from Skanda Purana, where Shiva’s young child Murugan (Lord Karthikeya) was asked to learn about Vedas and scriptures from Lord Brahma. So Murugan went to Lord Brahma and asked him to tell the meaning of the Pranav Mantra “OM”. Lord Brahma insisted him to learn the alphabets, but Murugan wanted to know the highest knowledge first - “OM”.
Unfortunately, Lord Brahma didn’t know the meaning of OM (the primordial sound). Murugan was angry with Lord Brahma and refused to study under him. Disappointed Brahma goes to Lord Shiva and asks Him to teach His own son, as He is the best person to know him and deal with him accordingly.
Hearing this, Lord Shiva asked Murugan about what did he do in his first day of learning that Lord Brahma is so upset about teaching him. To this Murugan replied asked the same question to his father. Incidentally, even Lord Shiva didn’t know the answer. Politely, Lord asked his son to tell the meaning of “OM”.
Murugan placed a condition that only if he is offered the seat of the Guru and Lord becomes his student, can he give the answer. Now how can Lord Shiva find a place higher than Him, for He is the highest and greatest of Gods. So then Lord Shiva lifted Murugan on His shoulders. And then in the ear of the Lord, Murugan explained the meaning of the Pranav Mantra “OM”. Murugan explained that the entire Creation is contained in Om. The Trinity – Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are contained in Om.
The place where this historic incident occurred was came to be known as Swamimalai. Om means that everything is love – unbroken and unshakeable love is Om. This is the essence and also the secret of Om that Murugan narrated to Lord Shiva. 76 Upon hearing this, Goddess Parvati (Mother of Murugan)said ‘You have become a Guru (Swami) to my Lord (Natha)!’ Saying this she addressed her son as Swaminatha, and ever since Murugan also came to be known as Swaminatha. So the essence of the story is this – The Guru Tattva is placed even higher than Lord Shiva Himself! Significance of Murugan (Lord Karthikeya) When the five elements governed by Lord Shiva (Panch Mahabhoota – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether) united with Shakti (Pure Consciousness), Lord Kartikeya was born. Shiva is called Panchaanana – Lord with five heads.
These five heads represent the five elements in Nature. When these five elements united with the sixth: Chaitanya Shakti(Pure Consciousness), they gave birth to the Shadaanana (six headed), also called Lord Kartikeya.
You can understand this in terms of the Kundalini Shakti (the primordial, dormant yet potent energy said to be present in a coiled form at the base of the spine). We have seven chakras (energy centres) within us. When the energy surges through the six chakras and stabilizes at the sixth chakra – the Ajna chakra (present 77 in the middle of the eyebrows), it blossoms as Lord Kartikeya(symbolism of the Guru Tattva -Principle).
The Ajna chakra is the place of the Guru Tattva. It is where the Guru Tattva blossoms and manifests itself. And that Guru Tattva itself is Kartikeya Tattva. Lord Shiva is the unmanifest Divinity, while Lord Kartikeya is the manifest. So one can think of Lord Kartikeya as symbolic of the Kundalini Shakti. Swamimalai Temple Swamimalai is fourth among the six sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Muruga.
The presiding deity here expounded the meaning of the Pranava mantra OM to his own Father Lord Siva Himself. The temple is built on an artificial hill. It is in keeping with this legend that the shrine of Swaminatha is built on the hillock and that of Lord Shiva below the mound.
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