Subramanya Prabhavam

The Nithi shastras say, “देवाधीनं जगत सर्वे” - This earth revolves and sustains by the grace of God.  Everything happens by the will of God.  There are many manifestations of God in Sanatana Dharma as per the nature of each individual being.  In reality, the God is formless.  So, a devotee to approach God will get confused in the different manifestations.  Hence, Shankara Bhagavadpaadhaa considered as an incarnation of God, summarized all methods to approach God, he couldn’t make in one and hence, concised them into six methods to approach God and brought Shanmatha viz,. Shaivam(Shiva), Vaishnavam(Vishnu), ghaanaapathyam(MahaGanapathy), shaaktham(Divine Mother), Koumaram(Kumar) and Souram(Sun).  So all the methods to approach God is subset of one the Shanmatha.  If you observe, we can say Kumaar as son but Kumaar in reality it denotes Subramanya Swamy in Namalinganushasanam(Amarakosham) a thesaurus in Sanskrit written by the ancient Indian scholar Amarasimha.

“Shiva’s son Kartikeya 17 (१.१.९५) कार्तिकेयो महासेनः शरजन्मा षडाननः (१.१.९६) पार्वतीनन्दनः स्कन्दः सेनानीरग्निभूर्गुहः (१.१.९७) बाहुलेयस्तारकजिद्विशाखः शिखिवाहनः (१.१.९८) षाण्मातुरः शक्तिधरः कुमारः क्रौञ्चदारणः”

So also when we say swami, it denotes Muruga only.  So, in Kaumaaram is about the upasana of Kumar.  We get grace of God by Upasana.  Upasana consists of several methods like,

a)        getting Mantras from a Guru and chanting it Akshara Laksham and mastering the Manthra

b)      Do plenty of Havans in Agni and give havirbhavam to Gods(Agni mukha vai devaha', all the Devas (Gods) can be approached only through fire. In a gross way it is shown as, only when the offerings are put into the fire it reaches God. It is not like that. Knowledge is the fire. The inner fire connects you from this world to the subtle world, from which this whole manifestation is happening.)

c)       Shodashpachara that includes sixteen ritual services to the deity like Meditating/invoking, Inviting, Offering seat, Washing feet with holy water, Offering water to rinse hands and mouth, drink, Bathing with various holy, Dressing, Offering clean sacred thread, Applying fresh sandalwood paste, Offering fresh flowers, Spreading incense smoke, Lighting up an oil/ghee lamp, Offering food, Circumambulating the altar and bidding

d)      Dwatrimshat upachara, Chathushashti upachara – an extension of shodashopachara

e)      Parayanam – reciting stotra on Gods which praise God.

There are plenty of stotras on Lord Muruga.  One such is Subramanya Bhujangam.  Word subramanya denote Lord Muruga only.  Hence, Lord Muruga is the brahmanya deva.  This word Subrahmanya is pointed out by the Vedas.

ōm - nigrushvai rasamāyuthaihi - kālair harithvamāpannaihi -

indhrāyāhi sahasrayugu - agnir vibrāshti vasanaha - vāyusvëtha

sikad-dhrūkaha - samvathsarō vishoorvarnaí: hí - nithyāsthënu

charāsthava - subrahmanyōgm - subrahmanyōgm -

subrahmanyōm - śrí subrahmanya swāminë namaha

ओम् निग्रुस्ह्वै रसमायुथैहि कालैर् हरित्वमापन्नैहि
इन्ध्रायाहि सहस्रयुगु अग्निर् विब्रास्ह्ति वसनह वायुस्वेथ
सिकद्ध्रुकह सम्वथ्सरो विसुर्वर्नै हि निथ्यास्थेनु
छरास्थव सुब्रह्मन्योहम् सुब्रह्मन्योहम्
सुब्रह्मन्योहम् स्रि सुब्रह्मन्य स्वामिने नमह्

This mantra comes in Surya Namaskaram.  Here, Veda explicitly points out Subrahmanya.

People do Somayaga, Agnisthoma in 5 days, Vajapayee yaga in 8-10 days etc  Since Muruga is Brahmanya Deva and gives the strength to the mantras recited in the yagyas, they will first welcome him before commencing of every Yagya.  Before the commencement of Yagya in the middle of Yaga vedhi, in a Bamboo Moram full of sweets all the yaga brahmana along with Yajamaan of yagya will welcome Subrahmanya Ahvana(Shatapatha Brahmana) mantras thus