Chapter 6: Lord Murukan's Family Relationships

Lord Murukan as the Son of Lord Sivaperumaan

As part of the alangkaaram of Lord Murukan, the saint Arunakirinaathar has also embellished the collection of his sacred songs by drawing everyone's attention to the fact that Lord Murukan is the divine son of Lord Sivaperumaan and Goddess Umaathevi.

Thus in the very first verse itself, Lord Murukan is praised, not only as the Lord of Compassion [Kirupaakaran], but also as the eternally youthful son of Lord Sivaperumaan, whose red-matted hair is adorned with the Gangaa-river, the serpent, the konrai-and-tumbai-flowers as well as the crescent moon: "செஞ்சடா அடவிமேல் ஆற்றைப் பணியை இதழியைத் தும்பையை அம்புலியின்கீற்றைப் புனைந்த பெருமான் குமரன் கிருபாகரனே" [1].

In other verses, Lord Murukan is praised as:

the beloved son of the Lord, who burned down the three-fold-fortresses of arrogance, karmic deeds and illusion: "புரம் எரித்தான் மகன்" [3]
the beloved son of Umaathevi, who has the unique Lord on her right side: "ஒருவரைப் பங்கிலுடையாள் குமாரன்" [13]
the infant of Goddess Umaathevi, who has the triple-eyed Lord on her right side: "திரியம்பகனை பாகத்தில் வைக்கும் பரமகல்யாணிதன் பாலகன்" [80]
the beloved son of the Lord, who wears the serpent on his matted-hair: "அராப்புணை வேணியன் சேய்" [74]
the infant who, not being content with suckling the breast-milk of the six foster-mothers known as a cluster of kaarththikai-asterisms, suckled the breast-milk of Goddess Umaathevi: "தாரா கணமெனும் தாய்மார் அறுவர் தருமுலைப்பால் ஆராது உமைப்பாலுண்ட பாலன்" [81]
the beloved son of the Lord, whose neck is darkish-blue [because of partaking the poison that arose at the time of the churning of the ocean]: "மைவரும் கண்டத்தர் மைந்தன்" [84]
the beloved son Kanthaccuvaami [கந்தச்சுவாமி] of the Lord of the trident [சூலாயுதன்], who could not be fathomed either by Lord Thirumaal with conch and discus, or by Lord Brahmaa: "சங்கு சக்கராயுதன் விரிஞ்சன் அறியாச் சூலாயுதன் தந்தக் கந்தச்சுவாமி" [86]
the beloved son of the Lord, who performs the cosmic dance in the golden arena: "மன்றாடி மைந்தன்" [90]
the beloved son of the Lord, who partook of the poison which arose from the sea: "கடல்மீது எழுந்த ஆலம் குடித்த பெருமான் குமாரன்" [107]

Younger Sibling of Lord Vinaayakarperumaan

As Lord Murukan is the younger sibling of Lord Vinaayakarperumaan, the saintly author Arunakirinaathar lovingly refers to the fact as an alangkaaram while paying homage to both of them in the verse-of-divine-protection [kaappucceyyul காப்புச்செய்யுள்] of the Kantharalangkaaram.

Lord Murukan as the Divine Nephew of Lord Thirumaal

Lord Murukan, as the foremost member of the divine family, is also praised as the divine nephew of Lord Thirumaal. According to one of the songs belonging to the Paripaatal-anthology [19:57] of the late Sangam-era, Lord Murukan is the nephew of Lord Thirumaal by virtue of the Lord's divine mother Goddess Umaathevi being the sister of Lord Thirumaal [Clothey 1978: 65]. As regards the secondary meaning of the term marukan, namely 'son-in-law', there is also the mythological view that Lord Murukan is the son-in-law of Lord Thirumaal by virtue of having as spouses Theyvaanai [Devasena] and Valli-ammai, who were Lord Thirumaal's daughters named Amirthavalli and Sundaravalli, respectively, in a previous life [Clothey 1978: 83].

In the Kantharalangkaaram, Lord Murukan is praised as the divine nephew of Lord Thirumaal in several verses, including as the nephew of:

Thirumaal who, as Srii Raama, severed the ten heads and twenty arms of the mad-elephant-like-tyrant Raavana: "வெய்ய வாரணம்போல் கைதான் இருபது உடையான் தலை பத்தும் கத்தரிக்க எய்தான் மருகன்" [22]
Thirumaal who helped in the churning of the ocean by erecting the Manthara-mountain as the churning-rod and the serpent-king Vaasuki as the churning rope: "வெற்பு நட்டு உரகபதித் தாம்பு வாங்கி நின்று அம்பரம் பம்பரம் பட்டு உழல மதித்தான் திருமருகா" [39]
Thirumaal who is in all-knowing-slumber on the coils of the primordial serpent Aathiseshan, who has no legs and only partakes of lots of wind: "காலே மிக உண்டு காலே இலாத கணபணத்தின் மேலே துயில்கொள்ளும் மாலோன் மருக" [41]
Thirumaal who, as Srii Raama, had the causeway built across the sea to Lankaa with the help of simian warriors: "கவியால் கடல் அடைத்தோன் மருகோன்" [43]
Thirumaal who dances on the hood of the great serpent Kaalingkan: "பெரும்பாம்பில் நின்று நடிக்கும் பிரான் மருகா" [50]
Thirumaal who, as Srii Raama, told the sea to show the way to Lankaapuri and went on to set it ablaze by bending the victorious bow of Kothandam: "'இலங்காபுரிக்குப் போகைக்கு நீ வழிகாட்டு' என்று போய்க் கடல் தீக்கொளுந்த வாகைச்சிலை வளைத்தோன் மருகா" [54]
Thirumaal who assumed the form of a boar and split the ancient and huge earth: "தொல்லைப் பெருநிலம் சூகரம் ஆய் கீன்றான் மருகன்" [95]

Lord Murukan's Spouse: Valli-ammai

Though the puraanic-mythology of the post-Sangam-era contains an elaborate account of both Valli-ammai and Theyvaanai [Devasena] as Lord Murukan's spouses, however in the Kantharalangkaaram it is only Valli-ammai who is given prominence — and it is also somewhat puzzling to note that Theyvaanai is conspicuous by her absence. This is perhaps due to the possibility that the saintly author Arunakirinaathar wished to emphasize the ancient Tamil cultural background, especially the Kuriňci-realm, in which the cult of Lord Murukan would seem to have evolved.

This possibility would seem to be strengthened by the fact that Lord Murukan's marriage with Valli-ammai — who is a charming young girl from the hunters' clan of the Kuriňci-realm — is preceded by the pre-marital courtship of Lord Murukan for the hand of Valli-ammai in accordance with the ancient Tamil cultural mode of kalavu [களவு], that is, a clandestine-love-affair. As in the classical Tamil poetic tradition of the early Sangam-era, Lord Murukan appears as the hero encountering the future spouse of his choice and falling in love with her, and in the ensuing courtship the maiden and the hero are appropriately symbolized as the creeper leaning on the vengkai-tree for support. Valli-ammai is also believed to be a metaphysical expression signifying iccaa-sakthi, 'the power of willing, or volition' [Clothey 1978: 84, 85].

Valli-ammai in the Kantharalangkaaram

In the Kantharalangkaaram, Valli-ammai is referred to as a 'mountain-born-creeper-like-playful-girl': "சயில சரச வல்லி" [67]; and Lord Murukan is described as:

'Kumaran who likes the girl of the hunters' clan': "வேடிச்சி விரும்பும் குமரன்" [53]
'one who desired the charming little girl named Valli, who captured the Lord's heart in secret': "கள்ளச்சிறுமி என்னும் வள்ளியை வேட்டவன்" [94]
'one who came to marry Valli': "வள்ளியை மணக்க வந்தவன்" [24]
'the hunter-lord, who secretly wedded the red-deer-like-Valli-ammai': "செம்மான் மகளைக் களவுகொண்டு வரும் ஆகுலவன்" [91]