Surapadman- Hindu DemonDemon"Lord of the Asuras"

The Tyrant's Boon

Surapadman was the eldest of three asura brothers born to the sage Kashyapa. Through prolonged austerities, he obtained boons from Brahma: sovereignty over the three worlds, shape-shifting powers, and the condition that he could be killed only by a son of Shiva. Since Shiva was an ascetic with no interest in marriage, the condition seemed impossible. Surapadman conquered heaven, imprisoned Indra and the gods, and forced them into servile labor. The Kandha Puranam describes his capital at Veera Mahendrapuri, a cosmic fortress from which he dispatched armies to crush any resistance.

The gods' prayers to Shiva eventually bore fruit. Parvati's love moved Shiva to produce a son: Murugan, the six-faced war god.

The War

Murugan marshaled a divine army and launched a campaign against Surapadman's forces. He defeated Surapadman's brother Tarakasura and slew Simhamukhan. At Tiruchendur on the southeastern coast, Murugan confronted Surapadman himself. The demon deployed his shape-shifting powers, expanding to cosmic proportions, becoming a darkness that swallowed the sky. In his final transformation he became an enormous mango tree, rooting himself in the cosmic ocean and extending his branches through all three worlds.

The Vel

Murugan hurled his vel, the divine lance forged from Shiva's third-eye fire and given to him by Parvati. The vel struck the tree and split it in two. From one half emerged a peacock, which became Murugan's mount. From the other emerged a rooster, which became the emblem on his battle flag.