Kartikay
Encyclopedia
Kartikay, also known as Subhramanya, Kartik or Kartikkeya, is a central deity of the Hindu
tradition of India
. He is greatly revered by shaivites as a son of Shiva
. In Vaishnava, Advaita and Smarta traditions he is held as a manifestation of Brahman
.
Kartikay is usually known as a god of war in Advaita, Smarta, Vaishnava and Shaiva traditions. His role in Hindu thought
is as a bestower of spiritual powers or siddhis, gained through spiritual accomplishments. His role, as bestower of siddhis complements his brother Ganesha
's role as Remover of Obstacles.
Traditionally Kartikay is the name of the god of war. In the Puranas
the deity is identified as Kartikay or Kartikkeya. However in certain myths he is known by six different names to represent the fact that he has six heads. These are: Kartikay, Subramaniam, Skanda, Guha, Shadannana and Sanmukha.
and Sati, who immolated herself at her father Daksha's feast. In some versions Parvati
is his mother. Shiva retreated into many years of yogic meditation after the death of Sati.
At this time the demon Taraka had been granted a boon of invulnerability to all but a son of Shiva, by Brahma
, the creator god. As Shiva had retreated to a life of asceticism, Taraka assumed Shiva would never marry again, and rampaged across the Earth.
The reincarnation of Sati, Parvati (or sometimes Uma) was persuaded to be married to Shiva. Kama
, the god of love and sexual desire fired a flower at Shiva in an attempt to cause Shiva to marry Parvati. Kama was obliterated by the light of Shiva's third eye.
However, Shiva was later persuaded to marry Parvati and have a son with her. Shiva then offered his seed to the god of fire, Agni
. Agni was unable to bear the brightness and intensity of the heat and they were given for safekeeping to Ganga. The seeds then matured into six children who were raised by the Kartika
or Pleiades
. Parvati was then united with the children, whom she transformed into one child.
Kartikay was then sent out to do battle with the asura
, Taraka, accompanied by the devas
. He later slew Taraka after seven battles in different sites across India
. After his defeat of Taraka, Kartikay is said to have become the general of the gods and to have led them to victory on various occasions. He later earned the title of war god and general of the demi-gods.
he was said to have been born by Shiva and Parvati to defeat the demon Mahisha, who later became the adversary of the goddess, Durga
. He is also said to have been attacked by Indra
who saw Kartikay as a threat to his position. Shiva, however, intervened and had Kartikay's life spared.
follows the same order as in other Sanskrit
literature. Sati is known as Dakshayani
, and is said to be the granddaughter of Brahma
, and Kama is known as Manmatha. However, Kartikay is said to have defeated Taraka as a young boy rather than as a youth.
His javelin is used to symbolise his far reaching protection, his discus symbolises his knowledge of the truth, his mace represents his strength and his bow shows his ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolises his destruction of the ego.
His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development. This corresponds to his role as Bestower of Siddhis.
Historically, Kartikeya enjoyed immense popularity in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana
is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), Krishna
, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."
Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta
age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta
, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta
. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara
. Kalidasa
made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam.
In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit
play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill the demon Taraka and his brothers (in the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house).
However, Kartikeya's popularity in north India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala
in Punjab
, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune
, Maharashtra
. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal
, where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja
festivities alongside Durga
.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
tradition of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is greatly revered by shaivites as a son of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. In Vaishnava, Advaita and Smarta traditions he is held as a manifestation of Brahman
Brahman
In Hinduism, Brahman is the one supreme, universal Spirit that is the origin and support of the phenomenal universe. Brahman is sometimes referred to as the Absolute or Godhead which is the Divine Ground of all being...
.
Kartikay is usually known as a god of war in Advaita, Smarta, Vaishnava and Shaiva traditions. His role in Hindu thought
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
is as a bestower of spiritual powers or siddhis, gained through spiritual accomplishments. His role, as bestower of siddhis complements his brother Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
's role as Remover of Obstacles.
Traditionally Kartikay is the name of the god of war. In the Puranas
Puranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
the deity is identified as Kartikay or Kartikkeya. However in certain myths he is known by six different names to represent the fact that he has six heads. These are: Kartikay, Subramaniam, Skanda, Guha, Shadannana and Sanmukha.
In Sanskrit Literature
In Sanskrit literature, Kartikay is the son of ShivaShiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
and Sati, who immolated herself at her father Daksha's feast. In some versions Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
is his mother. Shiva retreated into many years of yogic meditation after the death of Sati.
At this time the demon Taraka had been granted a boon of invulnerability to all but a son of Shiva, by Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, the creator god. As Shiva had retreated to a life of asceticism, Taraka assumed Shiva would never marry again, and rampaged across the Earth.
The reincarnation of Sati, Parvati (or sometimes Uma) was persuaded to be married to Shiva. Kama
Kamadeva
Kāmadeva is the Hindu god of human love or desire. Other names for him include; Atanu , Ragavrinta , Ananga , Kandarpa , Manmatha , Manasija ,...
, the god of love and sexual desire fired a flower at Shiva in an attempt to cause Shiva to marry Parvati. Kama was obliterated by the light of Shiva's third eye.
However, Shiva was later persuaded to marry Parvati and have a son with her. Shiva then offered his seed to the god of fire, Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
. Agni was unable to bear the brightness and intensity of the heat and they were given for safekeeping to Ganga. The seeds then matured into six children who were raised by the Kartika
Kartika
Kartika or Karthika may refer to:* alternative transliteration of Kartik** Kartikeya, the son of Shiva in the Indian mythology* alternative transliteration of Karthika, a feminine name in Indian languages** Kartika Rane, Indian actress...
or Pleiades
Pleiades (Greek mythology)
The Pleiades , companions of Artemis, were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione born on Mount Cyllene. They are the sisters of Calypso, Hyas, the Hyades, and the Hesperides...
. Parvati was then united with the children, whom she transformed into one child.
Kartikay was then sent out to do battle with the asura
Asura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
, Taraka, accompanied by the devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
. He later slew Taraka after seven battles in different sites across India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. After his defeat of Taraka, Kartikay is said to have become the general of the gods and to have led them to victory on various occasions. He later earned the title of war god and general of the demi-gods.
In the Mahabharata
In the MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
he was said to have been born by Shiva and Parvati to defeat the demon Mahisha, who later became the adversary of the goddess, Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
. He is also said to have been attacked by Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
who saw Kartikay as a threat to his position. Shiva, however, intervened and had Kartikay's life spared.
In the Puranas
The story of Kartikay in the PuranasPuranas
The Puranas are a genre of important Hindu, Jain and Buddhist religious texts, notably consisting of narratives of the history of the universe from creation to destruction, genealogies of kings, heroes, sages, and demigods, and descriptions of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and geography.Puranas...
follows the same order as in other Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
literature. Sati is known as Dakshayani
Dakshayani
Dākshāyani or Satī is a Hindu Goddess of marital felicity and longevity. She is worshipped particularly by Hindu women to seek the long life of their husbands...
, and is said to be the granddaughter of Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, and Kama is known as Manmatha. However, Kartikay is said to have defeated Taraka as a young boy rather than as a youth.
Symbolism
Kartikay symbols are based on the weaponry he carries and his mount the peacock. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding a sakti or spear. This symbolises his purification of human ills.His javelin is used to symbolise his far reaching protection, his discus symbolises his knowledge of the truth, his mace represents his strength and his bow shows his ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolises his destruction of the ego.
His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development. This corresponds to his role as Bestower of Siddhis.
Worship
Skanda Purana
The Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."
Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta
Skandagupta
Skandagupta was a Gupta Emperor of northern India. He is generally considered the last of the great Gupta Emperors.-Rule:Skandagupta's antecedents remain unclear. Later official genealogies omit his name, and even the inscriptions of his own age omit the name of his mother...
, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta
Elephanta Caves
The Elephanta Caves are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri in Mumbai Harbour, to the east of the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra...
. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara
Kathasaritsagara
Kathasaritsagara is a famous 11th-century collection of Indian legends, fairy tales and folk tales as retold by a Saivite Brahmin named Somadeva....
. Kalidasa
Kalidasa
Kālidāsa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language...
made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam.
In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill the demon Taraka and his brothers (in the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house).
However, Kartikeya's popularity in north India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
in Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
festivities alongside Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
.
See also
- Skanda (Buddhism)Skanda (Buddhism)Skanda is a Mahayana bodhisattva regarded as a devoted guardian of Buddhist monasteries who guards the Buddhist teachings...
- Skanda PuranaSkanda PuranaThe Skanda Purana is the largest Mahapurana, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text is devoted mainly to the lilas of Kartikeya , a son of Shiva and Parvati. It also contains a number of legends about Shiva, and the holy places associated with him...
- KataragamaKataragamaKataragama is a pilgrimage town popular with Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and indigenous Vedda communities of Sri Lanka and South India. The town has Ruhunu Maha Kataragama devalaya, a shrine dedicated to Skanda-Murukan also known as Kataragamadevio...
- Katirkamam (Hindu temple)
- Kukke Subramanya Temple
- Matrika
- KaliKali' , also known as ' , is the Hindu goddess associated with power, shakti. The name Kali comes from kāla, which means black, time, death, lord of death, Shiva. Kali means "the black one". Since Shiva is called Kāla - the eternal time, Kālī, his consort, also means "Time" or "Death" . Hence, Kāli is...
- MuruganMuruganMurugan also called Kartikeya, Skanda and Subrahmanya, is a popular Hindu deity especially among Tamil Hindus, worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the...