The series so far:
In the 2nd part of the Indic series, the
legends of Skanda are being analyzed. The video
can be watched here.
Since Skanda antedated Vaivasvata Manu, as known
from the mantra of Indradvaja given by Vaivasvata Manu, it is
necessary to investigate the legends of Skanda to get a proper understanding of
what happened before Vaivasvata Manu came into being. From the Tamil literary
sources it is known that Skanda was a real- life character who ruled from a
place called Southern Madurai and inaugurated
the Tamil Sangam Literary Assembly.
From a verse of Brahmanda
Purana it is known that Vivasvan, the sun in whose name Vaivasvata Manu
is identified, was born in the constellation of Vishakha
in Cakshusha Manvantra. The interesting
part of this reference is that the name Vishakha was identified with Skanda in
one of the legends. That legend begins with the description of a fire called ‘Adbhuta’ – a reference to naturally occurring forest
fires caused by the sun’s heat. But there was a time the fire was about to die –
which is a reference to lack of solar heat - corresponding to the time of Ice Age.
Skanda was born to Adbhuta and Svaha who impersonated the wives of six of the seven ‘Sapta rishis’. That was the time the unchanging
positional alignment of the star Arundhati with
the star Vasishtha was recognized. That was the
time the star Abhijit was removed from the
27-star count of the zodiac and was replaced by the star Krittika. This redesign of the zodiac was done by Skanda! The
legend also conveys that at any point of time the zodiac had only 27 stars with
a total of 108 Pada-s.
The legend continues that Devendra
who felt threatened by the growing strength of Skanda attacked him with his Vajrayudha. It split Skanda into two parts, known as Vishakha (divided). But what was split also became
Skanda himself which started spewing fire. This frightened Devendra even more
that he conceded defeat and accepted the supremacy of Skanda. He anointed him
as the Commander in Chief of the Devas.
This legend sounds symbolic of a fierce lightning strike
on the ground which simultaneously witnessed a fissure on the ground or burst
of a volcano spewing fire. Skanda must have lived at that time. The cataclysm caused
widespread damage to life and property that people had started thinking the ‘Vishakha’s children’ were tormenting them. Skanda had
successfully managed to bring succor to the people then.
Vaivasvata Manu had carried the memory of the
calamity and the succor given by Vishakha (Skanda) that his progeny (Ikshvaku) started regarding Vishakha as their family
star.
Further on I am discussing the legend of Shura Samhara which was found to be the case of a
volcano tormenting the people. A chain of volcanoes had burst around the time –
with the probable location along the Sunda trench where
Mt Krakatoa, Mt Samalas, Mt Tarakan and Mt Agung are found. The people had run into safety
from the bursting volcanoes with the nearest place of refuge being South East India – in the region in and around Tiruchendur.
Mt Agung in Bali is
known as Mt Meru - an important location of the
temple Pura Besakih. My investigation takes me to
the conclusion that Besakih
was the probable location of Vishakha – of the Skanda legend. Further
legends are to be discussed in the next episode.
