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Devasena is the wife of the Hindu god Kartikeya (Skanda), also known as Murugan in south-Indian traditions. She is known as Devayanai, Deivanai or Deivayanai in south-Indian texts. It is also spelled as Teyvanai or Tevayanai (Teyvāṉai).

Devasena is often described as the daughter of Indra, the king of the gods and is betrothed to Kartikeya by her father, when he becomes the commander-in-chief of the gods. In south-Indian accounts, Devasena is many a times depicted as an antithesis of Valli, her co-wife; together they complete the god. Devasena is generally depicted with Kartikeya and often is also accompanied by Valli.

Devasena does not enjoy independent worship, but is worshipped as Kartikeya's consort in most of his temples. She plays a greater role in the Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple, believed to be the site of her marriage.

Etymology

The Sanskrit name of the goddess Devasena means "army of the gods" and thus, her husband is known as Devasenapati ("Lord of Devasena"). The epithet Devasenapati is a pun which also conveys his role as commander-in-chief of the gods.

She is called Deivanai or Deivayanai (Tamil, literally meaning "celestial elephant"), as she was raised by Indra's divine elephant Airavata.

Legends and textual references

In North India, Kartikeya is generally considered as celibate and unmarried. Sanskrit scriptures generally only regard Devasena as the consort of Kartikeya, while in South India, he has two consorts, Devayanai (Devasena) and Valli. Devasena is described as daughter of the king of the gods, Indra and his wife Shachi or at least the adopted daughter of Indra.

The third Book of Mahabharata narrates the tale of the birth of Kartikeya which mentions Devasena. Devasena and Daityasena ("army of demons") are the daughters of Prajapati Daksha. Once when the sisters were enjoying at the banks of Lake Manasa, the asura (demon) Keshi abducted them so that he could marry them. While Devasena refuses, Daityasena consents. Meanwhile, the gods were defeated in battle by the demons and Indra, who is searching for an ideal Devasenapati (commander of the army of the gods), reaches the spot. On Devasena's request, Indra defeats the demon and rescues her. Devasena asks Indra to find her a husband (pati) who can protect her and defeat the gods, the demons and the yakshas. Indra discusses the matter with the god Brahma and they agree that a son of Agni is suitable in the dual role of the devasenapati, the husband of Devasena and the commander-in-chief of the gods. Accordingly, Agni is forced to have a son, who becomes Kartikeya. After many exploits and proving his supremacy over the gods, Kartikkeya is made the general of the army of the gods and is married to Devasena by Indra. At this point in the text, Agni is identified with Shiva, who is proclaimed as the father of Kartikeya. Ultimately, with the aid of Devasena and Kartikeya, the gods defeat the demons. In this narrative, Devasena is identified with many other goddesses like Shashthi, Shri-Lakshmi, Kuhu-Sinivali and others.

The south-Indian manuscripts of the Sanskrit Skanda Purana mentions that Devasena and Valli were daughters of the god Vishnu in a previous birth, thus their husband Kartikeya is regarded as the son-in-law of Vishnu. An interpolation in the southern recensions of the scripture as well as the Kanda Purana (the Tamil version of the Sanskrit Skanda Purana) narrate the story of the marriage of the two maidens to Kartikeya. Both the girls are fated to be married to the god. The elder sister Devasena is born as Amritavalli. She forms the path of traditional Hindu rituals and practices to gain her husband. Appeased by her penance, Indra adopts her as his daughter and marries her to Kartikeya in an arranged marriage followed by custom, after Kartikeya triumphs over the asuras (demons). The Kanda Purana describes Devayanai (Devasena) as the daughter of Indra, without any mention of adoption. The couple settled in the hill town of Thiruttani, where one of Murugan's chief temples, Thiruthani Murugan Temple, stands. Another description says they settle in heaven, the abode of the gods. Meanwhile, Valli is born as Sundaravalli, is adopted by a tribal chieftain and grows up as a huntress. Murugan wins Valli's hand in a colourful way and takes her to Thiruttani. The god is worshipped here flanked by Devasena on his left and Valli on his right. Another ending in texts tells that the trio settle in the abode of the gods. The trio leave in harmony. An alternate ending found in Sri Lankan lore states that Murugan states in the forest with Valli, after their wedding at Kataragama, where his temple stands. Devayanai tries in vain to compel the god to retur to the abode of the gods, but finally herself comes and resides in Kataragama with Kartikeya and Valli.

Unlike the Skanda Purana which talk about peace in Devasena and Valli, Paripatal – part of Tamil Sangam literature – speaks about conflict, resulting into a battle between Devayanai's royal soldiers and Valli's hunter clan; the latter won. Folk ecal tradition also talks about the mistrust and quarrel in them. In one version, where Devayanai and Valli are sisters, Valli the younger sister tries to woo Murugan, before Devayanai's marriage. As per tradition, the elder sister has to be married fist. Infuriated, Devayanai curses Valli to born in the forest in her next birth, when she is born as a huntress. The Jayantipura Mahatmya, which corresponds to most of the Skanda Purana narrates that Devasena and Valli were married to Kartikeya in primal times, however Valli was cursed by her husband to be born on earth as she mocked her sister Devayanai. The Thirumurugatrupadai from Sangam literature describes Murugan being accompanied by his chaste wife Devayanai and is honoured by a procession of gods and rishis (sages).

Iconography

Deivanai is generally depicted with her husband, particularly in an iconographic form called Senapati. She sits on the left thigh of six-headed and twelve-armed Kartikeya. One of his arms hold her waist. Numerous depictions of the two exist at Tirupparamkunram, the location of their marriage. However, in many south-Indian representations, when Murugan is depicted only with one consort, Valli is favoured over Devasena. In most South-Indian depictions, Murugan is depicted with both his consorts standing besides him; Devasena is on his left-hand side. Her complexion is yellow and she is often depicted adorned with a crown, earrings, necklaces and ornaments. She wears a traditional sari and has two arms. She holds a lotus in her left arm, while his right hand hangs down.

Symbolism

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The presence of the two consorts is said to denote dual of Murugan, as the god of heaven and earth. Devasena, the celestial wife, is married in a traditional arranged marriage while the earthy Valli is won by Murugan, resulting in a love marriage. The consorts also represent a syncretism between the Shaiva and Vaishnava sects. The son of Shiva, Kartikeya, becomes the son-in-law of Vishnu, due to the marriages. Both the consorts are identified with the soul (Atman), while their husband (pati, Lord) represents God. The marriage of Devasena conveys Shaiva ideals, where the soul (Devasena) remains detached from the God; she has her own relative autonomy and earns the love of the god by her own merit. In contrast, the Vaishnava philosophy says that God is attached to the soul (Valli) and hence he woos her. The Paripatal contains a Tamil panegyric dedicated to Murugan. It praises him as the god is allowed to have two wives, Devasena – the daughter of Indra and Valli, a hunter princess. Murugan is described to equally spend his time on earth and in heaven. This is also conveyed by his wives, Devasena is a daughter of the heavens, while Valli is an earthly maiden.

Another interpretation regards the trio as three eyes of Shiva. Devasena and Valli as representations of kriya shakti (the power of action) and Iccha-shakti (will-power) respectively; while their Lord Kartikeya is the third eye, the symbol of the transcendental jnana-shakti (the power of knowledge). In Tamil literature, two kinds of love are mentioned: karpu ("chastity"), love bound in the traditional marriage, represented by Devasena and kalavu, love before marriage, conveyed by Valli. Devasena represents "the conventional, control, rituallized approach to worship" God, while Valli is worship through "ecstasy and self-abandonment". Devasena is the epitome of chastity and purity. In trinity of gunas, she is the middle guna – Rajas, symbolizing "rulership, fixity, and stability". Kartikeya is the most superior Sattva (pure), while Valli is the inferior tamas (dark).

Worship

Thirupparamkunram Murugan Temple in Tirupparamkunram near Madurai is dedicated to Murugan and Deivanai. It is believed that she was married to the god at this location. A festival icon depicts the god seated close to their divine consort. The Latankovil temple at Yanaimalai is the one of the earliest temples dedicated to the divine couple.

Notes

1. James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 185–6. ISBN 978-0-8239-3179-8.
2. Clothey p. 214
3. ^ Clothey p. 79
4. ^ Roshen Dalal (2010). The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths. Penguin Books India. pp. 190, 251. ISBN 978-0-14-341517-6.
5. Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. p. 213. ISBN 0-8426-0822-2.
6. Clothey pp. 51–53
7. Asian Mythologies. University of Chicago Press. 15993. pp. 93–6. ISBN 978-0-226-06456-7. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
8. Johannes Adrianus Bernardus Buitenen; J. A. B. van Buitenen (1981). The Mahabharata, Volume 2: Book 2: The Book of Assembly; Book 3: The Book of the Forest. University of Chicago Press. p. 656. ISBN 978-0-226-84664-4.
9. Clothey pp. 83–84
10. Handelman pp. 44–45
11. Handelman p. 55
12. Handelman p. 56
13. Clothey p. 225
14. ^ Clothey pp. 64–5
15. Daniel Jeyaraj (23 September 2004). Genealogy of the South Indian Deities: An English Translation of Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg's Original German Manuscript with a Textual Analysis and Glossary. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 1-134-28703-8.
16. ^ Clothey pp. 84–85
17. Handelman p. 47
18. Clothey p. 142
19. ^ Handelman p. 46
20. Handelman p. 52
21. Clothey pp. 76, 125–6
22. Clothey p. 76

References

• Fred W. Clothey (1978). The Many Faces of Murukan̲: The History and Meaning of a South Indian God. Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-90-279-7632-1.
• Don Handelman (2013). "Myths of Murugan". One God, Two Goddesses, Three Studies of South Indian Cosmology. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-25739-9.

• Hindu goddesses
• Tamil deities