One of the many legends associated with the origin of Lord Muruga states that Lord Shiva emitted sparks from his third eye and these fell into the Saravana Poikai (lake) to become six infants. The wives of six rishis nurtured the babies and were subsequently rewarded to appear as the constellation Pleiades. When the divine consort Parvati beheld the beauty of these children, she embraced them all forcibly together to become one form with six heads and twelve arms. In this form Lord Muruga is known as Shanmukha or Arumuga Swami.