This expansive Hindu epic concerns Lord Muruga, also known as Kartikeya, son of the Krittikas. The film narrates the story of his birth, marriage, and acceptance of the post of the head of the army of heaven, commander-in-chief of the gods.

The Hindu god Shiva gives a sacred mango fruit, brought by the sage Narada, to his elder son Vinayaka as a prize for outsmarting his younger brother Muruga in a competition. Angry with his father, Muruga (dressed as a hermit) goes to Palani. He meets Avvaiyar, one of his devotees, along the way. Despite her attempts to convince Muruga to return to Mount Kailash, he remains adamant about his decision to leave his family. His mother, the goddess Parvati, arrives there and tells the stories of four of Shiva's divine games to calm Muruga.

A middle-aged upper-caste man, living unhappily in a loveless marriage, finds solace in his friendship with a boatman's daughter.