Observations placeholder
Shaivism - Concepts and symbols - Higher spirit [Murugan, Kumara, Skanda]
Identifier
022554
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Skanda is our Higher spirit, the hero in us, the direct link to the Intelligences and Intelligence hierarchy. A web of myths and legends have built up around Skanda which have muddied the waters somewhat, and Danielou’s description of Skanda being a ‘clone’ is inaccurate, as this implies a complete copy, whereas the idea is we are ‘a chip off the entire block’.
The Puranam is better’ the expression of my power’ – a co-creator, made male because symbolically the masculine is the creator – the feminine the receiver of the creative urge.
A description of the experience
Alain Danielou – Gods of Love and Ecstasy: The traditions of Shiva and Dionysus
Skanda, the god of Beauty, who became the leader of the army of gods, was born without the intervention of a female being. He is the expression of the very nature of the god, his most direct revelation. Skanda is in fact a clone, a sort of double Shiva, and their cults have been mingled in India as elsewhere.
The Tamil Kanda puranam ,l, chap. 14, 13-21.
The goddess asked what were the child's virtues. Shiva replied, 'l myself have six aspects. These aspects are reunited in this six-faced boy. He is none other than the expression of my power. As for qualities, there is no difference between him and me... This carrier of the hunting-spear (Cevvel) will himself take over the functions of the Creator of the world'.