In the labyrinth of world mythologies, certain divine figures emerge repeatedly, wearing different names and cultures as masks but retaining the same spiritual essence. One such enigmatic figure is the Tamil god Seyon, also known as Murugan, Skanda, or Subrahmanya—a radiant war god, youth eternal, commander of celestial forces, and revealer of supreme truth. But what if this god, so deeply rooted in Tamil spiritual tradition, is also the veiled deity behind Mount Zion, the heart of the Jewish spiritual geography?
This is not a superficial linguistic coincidence, but a forgotten link in the esoteric history of human civilization. Let us decode how Seyon became Zion, and how Murugan—the god of fire, war, and divine gnosis—guided the Israelites to YHWH (Shiva), the hidden, formless supreme being.
Mount Seyon: Lost in Translation
The Tamil god Murugan is often called Seyon (சேயோன்), meaning "the red one", "the noble youth", or "he who glows with sacred fire." He is the god of the mountains, especially Mount Muruga or Mount Krauncha, and associated with high places where divine knowledge is revealed through inner war and fire. The word Seyon predates even Sanskrit influence in South India and represents a pure Dravidian concept of divinity—fiery, fierce, and compassionate.
Now consider the name Zion—the sacred mountain in the Hebrew Bible where God resides, the place associated with King David, divine law, and spiritual warfare. Linguistically and phonetically, Zion and Seyon overlap significantly. In ancient Hebrew script, vowels were not always recorded, and foreign transliterations were often filtered through scribal conventions. The transformation of “Seyon” into “Zion” is a likely misrendering or adaptation of a Dravidian divine name by ancient Near Eastern peoples who encountered the cult of the fiery mountain god.
Zion as the City of David – David as the Avatar of Murugan?
In Tamil tradition, Murugan is not just a war god but a ruler of a sacred city, often depicted on high mountains, ruling with justice, poetry, and divine spear. In Jewish tradition, King David establishes Zion as his capital—a city of music, battle, mysticism, and divine covenant. David, like Murugan, is a warrior-poet, a slayer of giants (like Goliath), and chosen by God to lead a people born for war and divine revelation.
The city of Zion, then, can be seen as the Hebrew echo of the original Tamil metaphysical city of Seyon, where the chosen people—spiritual warriors—were prepared to receive the fiery commandments of YHWH, who is none other than Shiva in his supreme, formless, ineffable state.
Mount Moriah = Mount Muruga
Mount Moriah, where Abraham nearly sacrificed his son and where the Temple of Solomon was built, is the most sacred site in Jewish tradition. But when we step into its phonetic and symbolic meaning, it reflects Mount Muruga—a symbolic mountain of initiation, sacrifice, and divine instruction. In Tamil tradition, Murugan tested his devotees on mountains and offered them wisdom after trials. The very story of Abraham mirrors a spiritual initiation, akin to the fiery tests given by Seyon.
Moriah is not just a location—it is a ritual state. The root “Mar” can also mean bitter or testing (like "Mara" in other traditions), and the connection to fire and divine instruction parallels how Murugan imparts wisdom through spiritual battles. Murugan’s mountain is not geographical but cosmic—a space where souls ascend through war against ego and ignorance.
The Israelites: The People of Seyon (Muruga)
The ancient Israelites were known as warrior nomads, fierce and undefeated, guided by a pillar of fire by night—echoing Murugan’s nature as the god of fire and light. The spear (Vel) of Murugan burns ignorance and falsehood. In the wilderness, Moses sees a burning bush that is not consumed, a symbolic nod to the Vel of Seyon—burning truth that illuminates but does not destroy.
The Israelites are referred to as the children of the Most High, the chosen ones, born for war, yet sanctified by divine law. This identity mirrors the Tamil mythos of those devoted to Seyon, who were not ordinary humans but divine warriors, initiated in inner fire, made to battle ignorance, and restore Dharma.
YHWH as Shiva: The Formless Fire Behind the Veil
YHWH, the unspeakable name of God, was always shrouded in mystery. He appears as a cloud, fire, thunder, and silence, not unlike Shiva, the formless cosmic force who is both destroyer and liberator. Murugan (Seyon) is said to be the revealer of Shiva, the Guru who opens the eyes of souls to the cosmic reality.
In ancient Tamil scriptures, Murugan is said to have taught even Shiva—a reference to his role as the awakened divine intelligence within all beings. Likewise, in the hidden Jewish mystical tradition (Kabbalah), there is a belief that the true God is Ein Sof—formless, beyond name, beyond image. This aligns perfectly with the supreme Shiva Tattva known to Tamil Siddhars.
Thus, Seyon (Murugan) becomes the way, the fire, and the teacher who guides the Israelites—spiritual warriors—to YHWH (Shiva), the ultimate God beyond all form.
Reclaiming Seyon, the Lost Flame of Zion
The god known to the ancient Tamils as Seyon, who wielded fire, stood on mountaintops, and trained souls for divine truth, did not vanish with time—he was simply veiled in myth, renamed, and worshipped in silence by other nations. In Mount Zion, Mount Moriah, the pillar of fire, and the undefeatable Israelites, we find the hidden symbols of Murugan’s eternal fire.
The story of Seyon becoming Zion is not about converting gods, but recovering the unity of divine truth hidden in human history. The city of David, the mountain of Zion, and the spear of spiritual war all speak in the voice of Murugan, the son of Shiva, commander of divine will, and guardian of the esoteric flame.
The world may have forgotten Seyon—but the fire burns still.
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Written by Sreekesh Puthuvassery
(Author of "The Depth of Ultimate Nothingness")