Kartikeya

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Kartikeya
God of Victory and War
Commander of the Gods
Kartik Purnima
Personal information
Parents
SiblingsGanesha (brother)
Consort

Kartikeya (

IAST: Kārttikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha and Murugan (Tamil: முருகன்), is the Hindu god of war. He is the son of Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha
.

Kartikeya has been an important deity in the

Sangam era. He is regarded as the "God of the Tamil people" and is hailed as the lord of Palani hills, the tutelary deity of the Kurinji region whose cult gained immense popularity. Tamil Sangam literature has several works attributed to Murugan such as Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai by Nakkīraṉãr and Tiruppukal by Arunagirinathar. Archaeological evidence from the 1st-century CE and earlier indicate his iconography associated with Agni
, the Hindu god of fire, suggesting he was a significant deity in early Hinduism.

The iconography of Kartikeya varies significantly; he is typically represented as an ever-youthful man, riding or near an

Surapadma. He is regarded as a philosopher who taught the pursuit of an ethical life and the theology of Shaiva Siddhanta
.

South East Asia notably in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, other countries with significant people of Tamil origin like Fiji, Mauritius, South Africa and Canada, Caribbean countries including Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Suriname, countries with significant Indian migrants including the United States and Australia
.

Etymology and nomenclature

Kartikeya means "of the Krittikas" and the epithet is linked to the circumstances surrounding his birth.[6] According to Skanda Purana, six divine sparks emerged from Shiva which developed into separate baby boys in the Ganges, aided by Vayu and Agni. They were raised by handmaidens known as the Krittikas and were later fused into one by Parvati.[7][8]

While he has 108 names according to existing Hindu literature, he is known by more given names.[9] Most common amongst these include Skanda (from skand-, "to leap or to attack"), Murugan (handsome), Kumara (youthful), Subrahmanya (transparent), Senthil (victorious), Vēlaṇ (wielder of Vel), Swaminatha (ruler of gods), Saravaṇabhava (born amongst the reeds), Arumugha or Shanmukha (six faced), Dhanadapani (wielder of mace) and Kandha (cloud).[10][11][12]

On ancient coins where the inscription has survived along with his images, his names appear as Kumara, Brahmanya, or Brahmanyadeva.[13] On some ancient Indo-Scythian coins, his names appear in Greek script as Skanda, Kumara, and Vishaka.[14][15]

Birth and family

Various Indian literature recite numerous different stories surrounding the birth of Kartikeya. In Valmiki's Ramayana, he is described as the child of deities Rudra and Parvati, whose birth is aided by Agni and Ganga.[16] The Shalya Parva and the Anushasana Parva of Mahabharata presents Skanda's legend as the son of Maheshvara (Shiva) and Parvati.[17] As Shiva and Parvati were making love, they are disturbed, and Shiva inadvertently spills his semen which incubates in Ganges, preserved by the heat of god Agni, and this fetus is born as baby Kartikeya.[6][18]

Murugan seated on a peacock, 12th-century CE

According to the

Tārakāsura, and Simhamukha performed austerities to propitiate Shiva. Shiva granted them various boons, which gave them the ability to conquer the three worlds and near immortality.[4] They subsequently oppressed other celestial beings including the devas, and started a reign of tyranny in their respective realms. When the devas pleaded Shiva for his assistance, he manifested five additional heads, and a divine spark emerged from each of them.[8] Initially, the wind-god Vayu carried the sparks, with the fire-god Agni taking over later because of the unbearable heat. Agni deposited the sparks in the Ganga river. The water in the Ganga started evaporating due to intense heat. Ganga took them to Saravana lake, where the sparks developed into six baby boys.[8] The six boys were raised by handmaidens known as the Krittikas, and they were later fused into one by Parvati. Thus, the six-headed Kartikeya was born.[7]

In the

Vasishtha's wife, because of Arundhati's extraordinary virtuous powers. Svaha deposits the semen of Agni into the reeds of Ganges river, where it develops and is born as the six-headed Skanda.[19]

He is considered as the younger brother of

celibate bachelor, though few Sanskrit texts mention Devasena, the daughter of Indra, as his wife.[4][5] As per Tamil literature, he has two consorts, Devayanai (identified with Devasena) and Valli.[4][5]

Literature

Vedic text and epics

There are ancient references which can be interpreted to be Kartikeya in the

Atman (soul, self) as a means to the ultimate knowledge, true peace and liberation.[24][25][note 3] The first clear evidence of Kartikeya's importance emerges in the Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata where his story is recited.[6][18]

Sanskrit literature

Skanda from Kannauj, 8th century CE

Mentions of Skanda are found in the works of

Hindu religious texts.[29] The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is part of Shaivite literature.[30] While the text is named after Skanda (Kartikeya), he does not feature either more or less prominently in this text than in other Shiva-related Puranas.[31] The text has been an important historical record and influence on the Hindu traditions related to war-god Skanda.[31][32] The earliest text titled Skanda Purana likely existed by the 6th-century CE, but the Skanda Purana that has survived into the modern era exists in many versions.[33][34][35]

Tamil literature

Paripatal refers to Murugan as Sevvēļ ("red spear") and as Neduvēļ ("tall spear").[40][41][42]

Buddhist

In

Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra mentions Kumāra as one of the eighty gods worshipped by the common people. The Ārya Kaṇikrodhavajrakumārabodhisattava Sādhanāvidhi Sūtra (T 1796) features a section for the recitation of a mantra dedicated to the deity, where he is also paired with Iśvara. Yi Xing's Commentary of the Mahāvairocana Tantra clarifies that Kumāra is the son of Iśvara.[43] The 16th-century Siamese text Jinakalamali mentions him as a guardian god.[44]

Iconography and depictions

The six-headed Kartikeya with his two consorts on a peacock, painting by Raja Ravi Varma (1848–1906)

Ancient

Scythian dress, likely reflecting the local dress culture prevalent during the time with a rooster like bird that may be a Parthian influence that symbolizes Kartikeya's agility and maneuverability as a warrior god.[49] Kartikeya's iconography shows him as a youthful god, dressed as a warrior with attributes of a hunter and a philosopher.[50]

He wields a divine spear known as the vel, granted to him by Parvati and signifies his power or shakti.[51] The Vel symbolism is associated with valor, bravery and righteousness.[9] He is sometimes depicted with other weapons including a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow.[52][53] His vahana or mount is depicted as a peacock, known as Paravani.[54][55] While he was depicted with an elephant mount in early iconography, his iconography of a six faced lord on a peacock mount got firmly entrenched after sixth century CE along with the increasing transformation of his role from a warrior to a philosopher teacher and his increasing role in the Shaivite cannon.[56] According to Skanda Purana, when he faced asura Surapadman, he turned into a mango tree, which was split in half by Kartikeya using his Vel. One half of the tree became his mount, the peacock while the other half became the rooster entrenched on his flag.[9]

Theology and historical development

Guha (Muruga)

You who has form and who is formless,
you who are both being and non-being,
who are the fragrance and the blossom,
who are the jewel and its lustre,
who are the seed of life and life itself,
who are the means and the existence itself,
who are the supreme guru, come
and bestow your grace, O Guha [Murugan]

Kantaranuputi 51, Arunagirinathar
(Translator: Kamil Zvelebil), [57]

Regardless of the variance among the legends, his birth is in difficult circumstances, he is born through a surrogate and is raised by a host of mothers, later reuniting with his biological family. According to Fred Clothey, Muruga thus symbolizes a union of polarities.[58] He is considered a uniter, championing the attributes of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism.[59] His theology is most developed in the Tamil texts and in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition.[6][60] He is described as dheivam (abstract neuter divinity, nirguna Brahman), as kadavul (divinity in nature, in everything), as Devan (masculine deity), and as iraivativam (concrete manifestation of the sacred, saguna Brahman).[61] According to Fred Clothey, as Murugan, he embodies the "cultural and religious whole that comprises South Indian Shaivism".[58] He is the philosopher and exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta theology, as well as the patron deity of the Tamil language.[62][63]

Originally, Murugan was not worshipped as a god, but rather as an exalted ancestor, heroic warrior and accomplished

Kurinji landscape. In that role he was seen as a custodian who consistently defended the Tamils against foreign invasions with the stories of his astonishing and miraculous deeds increasing his stature in the community, who began to view him as god.[64] Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth which encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God.[16]

Yaudheyas
featuring Kartikeya

According to Raman Varadara, Murugan, originally regarded as a Tamil deity, underwent a process of adoption and incorporation into the pantheon of North Indian deities.[5] In contrast, G. S. Ghurye states that according to the archeological and epigraphical evidence, the contemporary Murugan, Subrahmanya and Kartikeya is a composite of two influences, one from south and one from north in the form of Skanda and Mahasena.[65] He as the warrior-philosopher god was the patron deity for many ancient northern and western Hindu kingdoms, and of the Gupta Empire, according to Ghurye. After the 7th-century, Skanda's importance diminished while his brother Ganesha's importance rose in the west and north, while in the south the legends of Murugan continued to grow.[65][66] According to Norman Cutler, Kartikeya-Murugan-Skanda of South and North India coalesced over time, but some aspects of the South Indian iconography and mythology for Murugan have remained unique to Tamil Nadu.[67]

According to Fred Clothey, the evidence suggests that Kartikeya mythology had become widespread sometime around 200 BCE or after in north India.[68] In addition to textual evidence, his importance is affirmed by the archeological, the epigraphical and the numismatic evidence of this period. For example, he is found in numismatic evidence linked to the Yaudheyas, a confederation of warriors in north India who are mentioned by ancient Pāṇini.[69] During the Kushan era, that included rule over the northwest Indian subcontinent, more coins featuring Kartikeya were minted.[69] He is also found on ancient Indo-Scythian coins, where his various names are minted in Greek script.[70][note 5]

Skanda was regarded as a philosopher in his role as Subramanhya while similarly Murugan was regarded as the teacher of Tamil literature and poetry. In the late

Vijayanagara period, when he was accepted as a single deity diverse facets.[56]

Other religions

Mahayana Buddhism[72] Above: Skanda's statue in Anhui
province, China

In

Tang period, and became well established in the late Song period.[75] He is also regarded as one of the twenty-four celestial guardian deities, who are a grouping of originally Hindu and Taoist deities adopted into Chinese Buddhism as dharmapalas.[76] Skanda was also adopted by Korean Buddhism, and he appears in its woodblock prints and paintings.[75]

According to Richard Gombrich, Skanda has been an important deity in

Theravada Buddhism pantheon, in countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Nikaya Samgraha describes Skanda Kumara as a guardian deity of the land, along with Upulvan (Vishnu), Saman and Vibhisana.[44] In Sri Lanka, Skanda as Kataragama deviyo, is a popular among both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists. While many regard him as a bodhisattva, he is also associated with sensuality and retribution. Anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere has suggested that the deity's popularity among Buddhists is due to his power to grant emotional gratification, which is in stark contrast to sensual restraint that characterizes Buddhist practice in Sri Lanka.[77]

According to Asko Parpola, the Jain deity Naigamesa, who is also referred to as Hari-Naigamesin, is depicted in early Jain texts as riding the peacock and as the leader of the divine army, both symbols of Kartikeya.[78]

Worship

India

Palani Murugan Temple, one of the Six Abodes of Murugan
South India

Murugan being known as the God of the Tamils, has many temples dedicated to him across

.

Places of worship dedicated to Subramanya in

Kidangoor and Kodumbu.[80][81] In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he is worshipped as Subrahmanya, Kumara Swamy or Skanda with major temples at Mopidevi,[82] Biccavolu,[83] Skandagiri,[84][85] Mallam,[86][87] and Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada.[88] In Karnataka, the deity that is worshipped as Subrahmanya where he is regarded as the lord of the serpents in Kukke Subramanya Temple and Ghati Subramanya.[89][90]

Other parts of India

In West Bengal, Kartikeya is associated with the birth of children and is worshiped on the last day of the month of Kartik wherein a clay model of the deity is kept at night before the day of worship (usually by friends) for the newly married couple before the door of their house. The deity is worshipped the next day in the evening and is offered toys.[91] The deity is also worshipped during the Durga Puja festival wherein Kartikeya is visualized as a young man, riding a peacock and wielding a bow and arrows. He is stated to be Kumara, that is, a bachelor as he is unmarried.[91] Temples also exist in the rest of India in Pehowa in Haryana, in Manali and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh.[92] and Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand,[93][94][95]

Outside India

Kartikeya is worshiped as Kumar in Nepal. Sithi Nakha (Kumar Shashthi) is celebrated on the sixth day of the waxing moon, according to the lunar calendar, in the Lunar month of Jestha. The festival is celebrated by cleaning water sources and offering a feast.[96]

Nallur Kandaswamy temple at Jaffna is dedicated to Murugan

In Sri Lanka, Murugan is predominantly worshiped by Tamil people as Murugan and by the Sinhalese as Kataragama deviyo , a guardian deity. Numerous Murugan temples exist throughout the island including Kataragama temple, Nallur Kandaswamy temple and Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple.[97][98]

Murugan is revered in countries with significant population of Tamil people and people of Tamil origin including

Balathandayuthapani Temple and Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple, Marathandavar Temple and Kandaswamy Kovil.[102][103][104][105] Sri Thendayuthapani Temple is a major Hindu temple in Singapore.[106] Murugan temples also exist in several western countries like United States of America,[107][108] Canada,[109] United Kingdom,[110][111][112][113][114] Australia,[115][116][117] New Zealand,[118][119] Germany[120][121] and Switzerland.[122]

Festivals

Thaipusam procession

Festivals pertaining to Murugan are:

  • cow milk as an offering and also do mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers.[99]
  • Panguni Uthiram occurs on the purnima of the month of Panguni on the confluence of the star Uttiram.[124] The festival marks the celebration of Murugan's marriage to Devasena.[125]
  • Karthika Deepam, a festival of lights celebrated on the full moon day of the Kartika.[126]
  • Vaikasi Visakam, celebrates the birth anniversary of Murugan and occurs during the confluence of star Visakam in the month of Vaisakha.[127]
  • Kanda Sashti falls in the month of either Aippasi or Kartikai of the Tamil calendar and commemorates the victory of Murugan over the demon Surapadman.[128]

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ Karthikeya's marital status varies across regions. In South Indian traditions, he has two wives — Deivanai (identified with Devasena) and Valli whereas some Sanskrit scriptures only mention Devasena (also known as Shashthi) as his wife. He is also considered celibate in parts of North India.[4][5]
  2. ^ कुमारं माता युवतिः समुब्धं गुहा बिभर्ति न ददाति पित्रे । अनीकमस्य न मिनज्जनासः पुरः पश्यन्ति निहितमरतौ ॥१॥ कमेतं त्वं युवते कुमारं पेषी बिभर्षि महिषी जजान । पूर्वीर्हि गर्भः शरदो ववर्धापश्यं जातं यदसूत माता ॥२॥ हिरण्यदन्तं शुचिवर्णमारात्क्षेत्रादपश्यमायुधा मिमानम् । ददानो अस्मा अमृतं विपृक्वत्किं मामनिन्द्राः कृणवन्ननुक्थाः ॥३॥ क्षेत्रादपश्यं सनुतश्चरन्तं सुमद्यूथं न पुरु शोभमानम् । न ता अगृभ्रन्नजनिष्ट हि षः पलिक्नीरिद्युवतयो भवन्ति ॥४॥ (...) Hymn 5.2, Wikisource;
    English: "The youthful Mother keeps the Boy in secret pressed to her close, nor yields him to the Father. But, when he lies upon the arm, the people see his unfading countenance before them. [5.2.1] What child is this thou carriest as handmaid, O Youthful One? The Consort-Queen hath bome him. The Babe unborn increased through many autumns. I saw him born what time his Mother bare him. [5.2.2] I saw him from afar gold-toothed, bright-coloured, hurling his weapons from his habitation, What time I gave him Amrta free from mixture. How can the Indraless, the hymnless harm me? [5.2.3] I saw him moving from the place he dwells in, even as with a herd, brilliantly shining. These seized him not: he had been born already. They who were grey with age again grow youthful. [5.2.4]
    – Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith, Wikisource
  3. ^ Verse 7.26.2 states Kumara is Skanda, but there are stylistic differences between this verse and the rest of the chapter. This may be because this verse was interpolated into the text at a later date.[26]
  4. ^ Not only are king of Chalukyas defined as "Velpularasar" in the Tamil lexicons but the name Vel is expressly stated to have belonged to them as stated in the following passage of Pinkalandai:Vēļ means either the slayer of Taraka, the king of Chalukyas or the god of love.[2][3]
  5. ^ Richard Mann states that Skanda-Kumara may be composite deity linked to Greek deities pair called Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux), given the numismatic overlap in their iconography and similar warrior-god mythologies.[71]

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General bibliography

External links