Vel ( ta, வேல், lit=Vēl) is a divine javelin or spear associated with
Murugan, the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
god of war.
Significance
According to
Shaiva tradition, the goddess
Parvati presented the Vel to her son
Murugan, as an embodiment of her
shakti, in order to vanquish the
asura Surapadman. According to the
Skanda Purana, in the war between Murugan and Surapadman, Murugan used the vel to defeat all the forces of Surapadman. When a complete defeat for Surapadman was imminent, the
asura transformed himself into a huge mango tree to evade detection by Murugan. Not fooled by asura's trick, Murugan hurled his vel and split the mango tree into two halves, one becoming a rooster ( ta, சேவல், lit=Cēval), and the other a peacock ( ta, மயில், lit=Mayil). Henceforth, the peacock became his
vahana or mount, and the rooster became the emblem on his battle flag.
Vel, as a symbol of divinity, is an object of worship in the temples dedicated to Murugan. The annual
Thaipusam festival celebrates the occasion when Murugan received the divine vel from his mother. During this festival, some of the devotees pierce their skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers while they undertake a procession towards the Murugan temple.
''Adi-vel'' is a major festival observed in
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
by Tamil Hindus in the month of July/August, known as ''Adi''. The festival take place cities such as
Katharagama
Kataragama ( si, කතරගම, translit=Kataragama , ta, கதிர்காமம், translit=Katirkrāmam) is a pilgrimage town sacred to Hindu, Buddhist and indigenous Vedda people of Sri Lanka. People from South India also go there to ...
and
Colombo.
The alternative interpretation of vel is that it is a symbol of wisdom/knowledge. It symbolically shows that wisdom/knowledge should be sharp as in the vel's tip, as broad and tall as the javelin. Only such wisdom is supposed to be able to destroy the darkness of ignorance.
Gallery
File:Stone vel Saluvankuppam.jpg, Stone vel from the Sangam period, Saluvankuppam, Tamil Nadu
File:Vel spear murugan karthikeyan kurunji aandavar temple kodaikaanal.jpg, Vel, used to worship in temple
File:Murugan statue srisailam.jpg, Statue of Murugan with Vel
File:Karttikeya With Spear And Cock in a coin of Yaudheyas.jpg, alt=Coin of the Yaudheyas 200 BCE, depicting Murugan with the Vel., Coin of the Yaudheyas 200 BC, depicting Murugan with the Vel.
See also
*
Trishula
*
Kaumodaki
Kaumodaki () is the gadā (mace) of the Hindu deity Vishnu. Vishnu is often depicted holding the Kaumodaki in one of his four hands; his other attributes are the chakra, the conch, and the lotus. The ''gada'' is also found in the iconography ...
*
Sudarshana Chakra
Sudarshana Chakra (Sanskrit: सुदर्शन चक्र, lit. "disc of auspicious vision", IAST: Sudarśana Chakra) is a spinning, celestial discus with 108 serrated edges, attributed to Vishnu and Krishna in the Hindu scriptures. The Sud ...
References
External links
vel Worship in Sri Lankavel – Meaning & Definition
Weapons in Hindu mythology
Indian melee weapons
Javelins
Kaumaram
Hindu mythology
Tamil mythology
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