Soora Samharam 2198

From the Kanda Puranam

Surapadman was a mighty asura, the son of the sage Kashyapa and Maya. With his brothers Simhamukha and Taraka he did hard penance to Lord Shiva and won great boons. Proud of them, he ruled the three worlds with cruelty. He drove out the gods, and Indra's son Jayanta and many gods lay in his prisons.

The gods prayed to Shiva. From Shiva came divine sparks, and from them was born Murugan, Kumara, with six faces and twelve arms. Murugan sent his hero Virabahu across the sea to Surapadman's city, Mahendrapuri, to tell him to free the gods, but Surapadman would not listen. Then came the war. One by one Surapadman's sons, brothers and armies fell, until at last Surapadman himself faced the six faced Lord.

He fought with every trick of magic he had. He spread a vast darkness, but Murugan's Vel, blazing like a thousand million suns, swept the darkness away. In fury Surapadman went into the middle of the sea. There he became a giant mango tree, its branches stretching to the sky and the ends of the directions, its shade covering the oceans, the heavens and the whole earth. Its ripe fruits shone like rubies and its young fruits like emeralds, and even the moon, the sun and the great elephants of the directions trembled.

Murugan hurled his Vel. It cut down the mango tree. When Surapadman rose again in his own form with his sword, the Vel tore through his chest and split his body in two. Then it bathed in the Ganga of the heavens and came back to rest in the Lord's hand.

But by Shiva's old boon, Surapadman did not perish. The two halves of his body rose again as a rooster and a peacock and came at Murugan to fight. Then the Lord looked on them with grace. In that glance all the hatred left Surapadman, and his mind became clear and calm. The Kanda Puranam says it was like dark iron turned into shining gold. Even one who has done great evil, it says, becomes pure on coming before Kumara.

Murugan told the rooster to become the banner on his chariot, and it rose and took its place there, crowing loudly. He then mounted the peacock, and from that day the peacock carried him across the earth and the skies.

Murugan sent Virabahu to free Jayanta and all the imprisoned gods. Then, praised by the gods, he left Mahendrapuri, crossed the sea, and came back to Senthil, Tiruchendur. There he alighted from his peacock, and Brahma, Indra and all the gods bowed before him and worshipped him.

Another story

This is the tradition of Tiruchendur and of families who keep Kanda Sashti; the Kanda Puranam itself does not place Surapadman's end on the sixth day. In this telling the final battle with Surapadman took place at Tiruchendur by the sea, and Murugan won it on the sixth day, Shashti. That victory is remembered every year as Soora Samharam, on the sixth day of the Kanda Sashti festival.