Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti and Kriya Shakti

Ancient seers have expressed spiritual experience in verse and in forms and deities that represent the profound secrets of life. One such embodiment of valour, beauty, and intelligence is Karthikeya, also known as Murugan. The word Murugan is formed from the divine trinity. He is present in us and around us in both form and formless aspects. I am also made of the same energy and so are you. All living beings are manifestations of this energy and are also sustained in it.

Life has three energies: Iccha Shakti, Jnana Shakti and Kriya Shakti. Valli,  consort of Murugan, represents Iccha Shakti, desire; Devasena, also consort of Murugan, is a symbol of Kriya Shakti, that is, action, effort; and Murugan is Jnana Shakti, knowledge.

Iccha Shakti forms the very basis of our existence. We need to develop the right attitude towards desires and understand its nature. When a person says, “I don’t want anything in this world,” that is also a desire.

When desires arise, observe them. What happens to your mind when the desire is fulfilled? What is the state of your mind when the desire arises? Were you happy, in anger or in haste? This will indicate whether or not to act upon them. This observation is possible when the mind is without craving or aversion.

Beyond mundane desires of food and shelter, the greatest desire in any being is to be free from bondage. When the desire is to move towards the divine, towards highest knowledge, it is said that Valli, the power of desire, becomes one with Murugan, the power of wisdom.

“Pazham Nee Appa” – you are the fruit – sang poetess Avvaiyar to Murugan, implying that Murugan himself is the fruit of knowledge. Nowhere else do we see such an instance where the devotee reminds the Lord of who he is!

Murugan represents Jnana Shakti. He is himself the secret. It is easy to tide over challenges in life when our mind is aligned with the divine, with Murugan. His Vel, spear, reminds us to be deep-rooted in knowledge, broaden our perspective and have sharp intellect. His mount is the peacock, symbol of the mind. When the mind follows wisdom and is filled with divinity, it dances and is blissful. Murugan’s flag has a rooster. The rooster crows at sunrise without fail, and is a symbol of alignment with the rhythm of nature. All these are qualities that come along with the manifestation of Jnana Shakti in our life.

When you have the right desire and knowledge, it has to be followed by action. This is represented by Devasena, Kriya Shakti. The sign of life is activity. There are no actions in a corpse. However, actions need to be properly channelised.

Often a leader is chosen to channelise the collective energy of society towards particular actions. Here, it is important to choose the right leader. Murugan is a unique leader. He is both king and recluse. Only when you act from the space of helping the other without wanting anything for yourself, you can be a good leader. Actions in the collective consciousness that are done with respect and prayerfulness for the benefit of all, are represented by Devasena.

When both our desires and our actions are directed towards the divine, life becomes a celebration.