Thai Pusam

The Hindu festival of Thai Pusam is about faith, endurance and penance. Thai Pusam is a time to say thank you and show appreciation to Lord Skanda, the spiritual son of Lord Siva. On this day the Lance (vel) was given to Lord Skanda by His mother. It is thus a special day for worship of Sri Subrahmanyaswamy and is celebrated in a very grand manner at all Subrahmanyaswamy temples. On the day of Thai Pusam devotees go to different lengths to show their devotion. Some carry pots of milk or “paal kudam” on their heads and some carry elaborate frameworks on their shoulders called “kavadis” as a show of devotion and love to the God.

Thai Pusam falls every year around the full moon day in the Tamil month “Thai” (January / February). On this day the full moon is in transit through the bright star “Pusam “in the zodiac sign cancer. The special significance is that the star Pushya (Pusam) is considered to be the most auspicious star for spiritual development.  Pushya means “nurture” and is in the sign Cancer owned by the Moon, the Mother. The Deity associated with Pushya is also Brihaspati, the Guru or teacher and has the property of inspiring spiritual growth.

Legend of Kavadi

Sage Agasthya wanted to take two hills (Sivagiri and Sakthigiri) to his abode in the South and commissioned his disciple Idumban who was an ardent devotee of Lord Subrahmanya, to carry them from Mount Kailash range. Idumban bore the two hills slung across his shoulders in the form of Kavadi, one on each side. When he reached Palani and felt fatigued, he placed the Kavadi down to take rest. When he resumed his journey, he found that he could not lift the Kavadi of both hills, as Lord Subrahmanya, had made it impossible for him to carry it. Upon the hilltop Idumban spotted a little boy and demanded that he vacate at once so that Idumban could proceed with his task. The boy at his abode in Palani, refused and in the fierce battle that followed Idumban was slain but was later restored to life by Lord Subrahmanya. Idumban on realizing that the boy as none other than Sri Subrahmanya Swamy, prostrated and prayed to Him that whosoever carried on his shoulders the Kavadi (signifying the two hills) should be blessed by Lord Subrahmanya.

Significance of Kavadi – The Symbol of Tapasya and Courage

Lord Shanmukha is readily pleased with His devotees to whom He grants both Bhukti and Mukti (enjoyments here and Moksha hereafter). The benefits that the devotee gains from offering a Kavadi to the Lord are a million fold greater than the little bit of pain that the devotee inflicts upon himself. Generally people take a vow to offer a Kavadi to the Lord for the purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. Though this might, on the face of it, appear materialistic, a moment’s reflection will reveal that it contains in it the seed for the Supreme God-Love. The worldly object is achieved; and the devotee offers the Kavadi. After the ceremony, he gets so much intoxicated with the love of God that his spiritual, inner chamber is opened now. This too ultimately leads to Para Bhakti. Those who offer the Kavadi to the Lord for spiritual progress soon attain Him. Those who do so for the purpose of achieving some earthly things soon acquire Shanmukha-Bhakti which in time leads them to union with Lord Shanmukha.

Spiritual Significance of Thai Pusam

Thai Pusam celebrates the acquisition of the Sakti Vel (spear) by Lord Muruga (also known as Skanda or Subramaniam). Lord Muruga is the son of Lord Siva and His ‘wife’ Parvati. He was created by Lord Siva solely to destroy the manifestations of absolute evil which had enslaved the world, and the Vel, which was the weapon used to fulfill this task, was presented to Him by his mother Parvati. Lord Muruga’s subsequent destruction of the evil force (Padmasura, also known as Surapadman) represents the Hindu belief that no absolute evil exists as a counterpart to a benevolent and loving God. Esoterically, the epic battle upon which Lord Muruga embarked with Padmasura is repeated as the struggle in which the mind engages to gain liberation from the bondages of ignorance. True enlightenment, which is gained only with the knowledge of God, is completed with the destruction of the ego. Without awareness of God, the mind remains subject to the tyranny of instinctive or intellectual passions. The Vel held by Lord Muruga is thus symbolic of spiritual power. The Vel has a lot of significance in the path of bestowing grace. The Vel is also called Jyoti (Light).  The Shakthi Vel is the spear of wisdom, penetrating the intellect, seeking ultimate reality. A deadly foe to the arrogant and the lower natured, it affords strength and protection to the awakened soul. God may be perceived as possessing both “masculine” (Siva) and “feminine” (Sakti, known as Parvati) components. Without the “feminine” aspect, God is remote and unknowable; without the “masculine” aspect, Shakti has no existence. Thus the bestowing by Sakti of the electric spear (Vel), upon Lord Muruga, a deity created by the Absolute, indicates a manifest fusion of God’s Absolute and Generative powers.