Devasena- Hindu GodDeity"Army of the Gods"
Also known as: Devayanai, देवसेना, and Devasenā
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Description
After Skanda split Mount Krauncha with his lance and the gods named him their commander, Indra offered his ward Devasena as the young war-god's bride. Her name means 'army of the gods.' Whoever weds her commands it.
Mythology & Lore
Origin and Identity
Devasena's parentage varies across traditions. In the Mahabharata, she appears as a maiden under Indra's protection whom Skanda receives as wife upon being consecrated as commander of the devas. The Skanda Purana identifies her as a daughter of Daksha Prajapati. Her name literally means "army of the gods." In South Indian worship of Murugan, she is known as Devayanai and occupies the position of celestial wife alongside Valli, the hunter-maiden whom Murugan wooed in earthly form.
Marriage to Skanda
The Mahabharata's Vana Parva relates that after the young god Skanda demonstrated his martial power by splitting Mount Krauncha with his lance, the gods appointed him generalissimo of their armies. Indra, who had previously held supreme military authority, surrendered his position and offered Devasena to Skanda as his bride.
Tamil Tradition
In Tamil Shaiva literature, the marriage of Murugan and Devayanai takes place at Tirupparankundram, one of Murugan's six sacred abodes in Tamil Nadu. Indra offers his daughter after Murugan defeats the asura Surapadman and restores the gods' freedom. The Kandha Puranam describes the wedding conducted with full ritual: the celestial bride given by one king of the gods to another.
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- Family