Vel- Hindu ArtifactArtifact · Weapon"The Divine Spear"

Parvati's Gift

The Vel is the divine spear of Skanda, the god of war known in the Tamil tradition as Murugan. It takes the form of a leaf-bladed lance, broad and flame-shaped, forged not by any smith but from the concentrated divine energy of Parvati herself. When the demon Tarakasura's tyranny drove the gods from heaven and only a son of Shiva could defeat him under Brahma's boon, Parvati poured her Shakti into a weapon and the Vel blazed into being. She placed the burning spear in the hands of her warrior son and sent him to war.

The Slaying of Tarakasura

Skanda, born from Shiva's divine fire and raised by the six Krittikas, the stars of the Pleiades, marched against Tarakasura at the head of the divine armies. The demon's forces were vast, but the young god cut through them with terrible swiftness. Skanda hurled the Vel at Tarakasura. The spear pierced through every defense the demon's boons had granted him, striking him dead. The exiled gods returned to their celestial thrones.

The Splitting of Surapadman

In the Tamil Kandha Puranam, Tarakasura's brother Surapadman proved an even more formidable adversary. A shape-shifter of enormous power, he assumed the form of a colossal mango tree rooted at the edge of the cosmic ocean. Skanda hurled the Vel, and the spear split Surapadman in two from crown to root. From one half sprang a peacock, which became Skanda's mount. From the other emerged a rooster, which became the emblem on his battle standard.