Why Murugan Became a Renunciate

Why Murugan Became a Renunciate

Of all the stories of Murugan, none is more poignant than his departure from Kailash to become a renunciate on the hill of Palani. It is a story of a divine contest, a father's impartiality, a mother's love, and a son's profound realization that the ultimate prize is not a fruit but the truth itself.

The Celestial Mango

One day, the sage Narada arrived at Mount Kailash carrying a magnificent celestial mango — the Jnana Pazham (fruit of wisdom). The mango was no ordinary fruit; it was said that whoever ate it would attain supreme knowledge (jnana) and immortality.

Narada presented it to Shiva and Parvati, but there was a problem: both Murugan and Ganesha wanted the fruit. Shiva, in his impartial wisdom, declared: 'Whoever circumambulates the entire universe first shall receive the fruit.'

The Contest

Murugan immediately mounted his peacock and flew at tremendous speed to circle the cosmos. He passed through the seven worlds, across the oceans, over the mountains, and through the celestial realms. His peacock's feathers fanned the stars as he raced against his brother.

But Ganesha, ever wise, took a different approach. He walked slowly around his parents Shiva and Parvati, folded his hands, and said: 'You are my universe. You are my entire cosmos. Circumambulating you is circumambulating all of creation.'

The Prize and the Loss

Shiva and Parvati, moved by Ganesha's wisdom, declared him the winner. The Jnana Pazham was given to Ganesha. When Murugan returned, exhausted from his cosmic journey, he found that the fruit had been given to his brother.

Murugan felt a deep sense of hurt. It was not jealousy — it was the pain of feeling that his parents' love had been divided. He understood the logic of Ganesha's answer, but he also understood something deeper: that attachment itself was the root of suffering.

The Departure

Murugan renounced all his celestial glory. He removed his royal garments, took only a simple staff (danda), and wrapped himself in a single loincloth. Thus he became Dandayuthapani — 'the one who holds the staff.' He walked away from Kailash, down the Himalayas, through the forests of central India, until he reached the beautiful hill of Palani in the Tamil country.

There he sat in meditation, a young renunciate, stripped of all identity, all kingdoms, all relationships — seeking not the fruit of wisdom but wisdom itself, not love but the source of love.

The Mother's Grief and the Father's Teaching

Parvati was heartbroken. She sent messengers, then went herself to Palani to bring Murugan back. But Murugan, now immersed in the bliss of the ascetic, refused to return to Kailash. He told his mother, 'I have found what I was seeking. The fruit you gave to Ganesha was the fruit of the world. The fruit I seek has no seed, no skin, no end.'

Shiva, however, understood. He blessed Murugan from afar and declared, 'Palani shall be forever blessed by my son's renunciation. Those who seek me without wanting anything — the true ascetics — shall find my son waiting for them there.'

The Navabashanam Idol

Centuries later, the Siddha sage Bhogar created the most famous idol of Murugan at Palani — the Navabashanam (nine poisons) idol. Using nine poisonous substances — lead, sulfur, copper sulfate, mercury, arsenic, turmeric, red lead, borax, and camphor — he combined them through alchemical processes to create a unique murti that is said to be medicinal and absorbs cosmic energy.

Characters

• Murugan — The divine warrior who becomes a renunciate after the cosmic contest
• Ganesha — The wise elder brother who circumambulates his parents
• Shiva — The impartial father who declares the contest and later blesses Murugan's path
• Parvati — The loving mother who grieves her son's departure
• Narada — The cosmic sage who brings the celestial fruit to Kailash

Locations

• Mount Kailash — The celestial abode where the fruit contest took place
• Palani — The hill where Murugan became a renunciate, the third Arupadai Veedu
• Palani Hills — The twin hills Sivagiri and Sakthigiri

Moral Lessons

• True wisdom is not about speed or accomplishment but about seeing the divine in the immediate
• Renunciation is not rejection but the highest form of love — Murugan left not out of anger but out of a deeper seeking
• Detachment from outcome is the path to peace — Murugan's response to 'losing' was to transcend the contest entirely
• The divine is found where we least expect it — in a loincloth on a hill, not in celestial palaces

Related Temples

• Palani — The third Arupadai Veedu, where the Navabashanam idol resides
• Swamimalai — Where Murugan taught the Pranava mantra
• Thiruthani — Where Murugan found peace after renunciation