Journey to God

[Guest guest]

Thaipusam falls on a full moon day in the auspicious 10th Tamil

month of Thai when the constellation of Pusam, the star of well-

being, rises over the eastern horizon. Many hindus especially in

Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur flock to Batu Caves, one of the most popular

sites in Malaysia. But for us, we decided to head up northwest in

the island of Penang of Peninsular Malaysia.

 

What's so special about the Thaipusam festival in Penang.

 

Firstly, you will never go hungry and thirsty. There's free flow of

water and food throughout. All sponsored by big corporation and

organization such as Telekom Malaysia, OSRIM, Motorola. The Penang

Indian lawyer's society etc. Not to mention the various tents [

gosh I cant remember what's is called : Pathanil? Can somebody in

Malaysia help me!] Basically these are tents for devotees and family

to rest. Each tent will have a altar, with various deities,

beautifully decorated. I'm told they even have a competition for the

best decorated tent/alter.

 

But that is not the reason we decides to go there. We went to

Penang 2 years ago and really enjoyed ourselves. Having been in

Malaysia for more than 8 yrs, and never really got the chance to see

the Chariot. But it was in Penang that we eventually witness the

beautifully decorated Chariot pulled by the bulls and the breaking

of the coconuts. Even the ethnic-Chinese community also take part

in the festivities

 

Spectacular edifices or kavadis are often carried or pulled by the

devotees with chains and ropes anchored in the skin of their backs

or chests. Some devotees carry a small pot of milk up the steps to

be poured on the vel. Some parents carry newborn babies slung in a

cloth-cradle hung on a pole shouldered at both ends by the mother

and the father as thanks for a safe birth. But what really got my

attention is a group of people from Sri Sathya Sai Baba Centre of

Brown Garden and volunteers from various groups. Instead of carrying

the kavadi or the milk pot, they carry disabled people or those

elderly who are too weak to walk up... to the hill. I wanted to help

up to carry but im told only for the men. So I like to do my part.

Im going to tell others about them and their honourable deed.

 

They indeed are carrying a Kavadi as it should be, in their Journey

To God.

 

 

http://nmadasamy.com/Thaipusam.html

[Guest guest]

Wow this is great. What is "vel" please ? You mention 'Some devotees carry a

small pot of milk up the steps to

be poured on the vel.'

 

Thank you

 

NMadasamy <nmadasamy wrote:

 

What's so special about the Thaipusam festival in Penang.

 

Some devotees carry a small pot of milk up the steps to

be poured on the vel.

 

http://nmadasamy.com/Thaipusam.html

[Guest guest]

Namaste.

 

The Vel is the signature weapon of Lord Murugan. It is an ornate

Spear/Lance like weapon, and is sometimes called his Shakti. In the

Puranas, Lord Karttik uses the Vel to slay many Asuras. These demons are

mythological, but also correspond to the sadhaka's internal ego and

malignant psychic forces. Lord Murugan's grace can allow one to pierce the

veil of Avidya and gain Jnana. Some say Kumara's Vel can have esoteric

connections to the Six Chakras and the Kundalini Shakti.

 

Here is Swami Sivananda's ebook on Murugan:

http://www.dlshq.org/download/shanmukha.htm

>From this:

"In the picture, Lord-Subrahmanya holds the *Vel *or Spear in His hand, just

as Lord Siva holds the Trident or Trisula. The Vel is an emblem of Power,

and indicates that He is the ruler of this Universe. Devotees of Lord

Subrahmanya do obeisance to the Vel."

 

"The *Vel, *peacock and cock are the emblems which assist the Lord in the

fulfilment of His functions. The *Vel *is the Jnana Sakti of the Lord. It

destroys ignorance and restores the *Jiva *to its original abode of pristine

glory. The peacock and cock tear asunder the veil of Maya over the devotees

and help them onwards on the path of God-realisation."

 

"The Spear or *Vel *is the weapon which pierces through the demon of

ignorance. This is the Ekagra Chitta or one-pointed mind so much insisted

upon in Raja Yoga without which progress is impossible for a Yogi. It is the

preliminary for concentration, meditation and absorption (Dharana, Dhyana

and Samadhi) all of which together constitute the Yogic Samyama. In the

legend, it is Surapadma, the Asura who is slain by the *Vel. *That Asura is

none other than Ignorance."

 

"The *Vel *or Spear was given to Subrahmanya by Parvati, the embodiment of

Siva Sakti. It, therefore, indicates that the Spear is the symbol of True

Knowledge as coming out of Parvati, the Para Sakti. The shape of *Vel *also

shows that Knowledge in the form of Jyotis will start from the Muladhara

Chakra, represented by the bottom of the *Vel, *pass through the

intermediate Nadis (which are represented by the body of the *Vel*) and

pierce through the thousand-petalled Brahmarandhra, which is represented by

the sharp, leaf-shaped end of the *Vel, *and in the end will shine

resplendent in the top beyond all these Chakras or Nadis. Shanmukha's

Vahana, the peacock, shows the shape of the Pranava or !. It is of the shape

of the Bindu. When the peacock spreads out its tail, it has the round shape

of the Pranava. Within it is the Para Brahma Jyoti, which is the form of

Murugan or Subrahmanya. The subordinated serpent kept in check by the

peacock's feet shows that Maya or impurity is completely overpowered by the

power of Pranava."

 

Om Skandaya Namah.

--

-Santo

"Aum Shanti Shanti Shantih."

 

 

On 2/15/06, Vir Rawlley <redderred wrote:

>

> Wow this is great. What is "vel" please ? You mention 'Some devotees

> carry a small pot of milk up the steps to

> be poured on the vel.'

>

> Thank you

>

> NMadasamy <nmadasamy wrote:

>

> What's so special about the Thaipusam festival in Penang.

>

> Some devotees carry a small pot of milk up the steps to

> be poured on the vel.

>

> http://nmadasamy.com/Thaipusam.html

>

>

>

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you very much for this enlightening explaination. I had never realised

that Lord Murgan is asociated with our Kundilini. This is wonderful. Near

where I live (10 minutes stroll) in Delhi, Vasant Vihar, is the Malai Mandir

atop a small hill formerly a rock-garden. Below is a temple to my sweet Kali,

but in the same complex as the Kartik temple below are temples to Shree

Meenakshi, Lord Shiva and and sweet Ganesha.

 

Santo Sengupta <s.santo.sengupta wrote: Namaste.

 

The Vel is the signature weapon of Lord Murugan. It is an ornate

Spear/Lance like weapon, and is sometimes called his Shakti. In the

Puranas, Lord Karttik uses the Vel to slay many Asuras. These demons are

mythological, but also correspond to the sadhaka's internal ego and

malignant psychic forces. Lord Murugan's grace can allow one to pierce the

veil of Avidya and gain Jnana. Some say Kumara's Vel can have esoteric

connections to the Six Chakras and the Kundalini Shakti.

 

Here is Swami Sivananda's ebook on Murugan:

http://www.dlshq.org/download/shanmukha.htm