117-530: Karthikeyan [REDACTED] Kartikeya mounted on a peacock . Indian painting from 1875. Gender Male Origin Region of origin India Other names Related names Karthika , Karthikeyan, Karthik, Murugan, Aarumugan, Kartika Karthikeyan (in short Karthikeya , Karthik , Kartik) is an Indian masculine given name derived from
234-418: A mango tree, which was then 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. 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
351-527: A peacock and a rooster , respectively. After Surapadma was killed, Kartikeya took the peacock as his vahana and the rooster as his pennant . Indian religious literature describes Kartikeya and Ganesha as sons of Shiva and Parvati. Shavite puranas such as Ganesha Purana , Shiva Purana and Skanda Purana state that Ganesha is the elder of the two. Mahabharata and the Puranas mention various other brothers and sisters of Skanda or Kartikeya. In
468-402: A Tamil deity, underwent a process of adoption and incorporation into the pantheon of North Indian deities. In contrast, G. S. Ghurye states that according to the archeological and epigraphical evidence, the contemporary deity worshipped as Murugan, Subrahmanya and Kartikeya is a composite of two influences: Skanda from the south, and Mahasena from the north. He as the warrior-philosopher god was
585-415: A beard, pot-bellied and holding in his right hand a amrtaghata (nectar-pot). Many of these early carvings and early statues show just one head, but elaborate details such as ear-rings made of three fruits, a detailed necklace, a slightly smiling face wearing a crown, and flames engraved into the hairs at the back of Agni's statue. The iconographic statues and reliefs of god Agni are typically present in
702-519: A cardinal direction, world body, eye and knowledge, and the abstract principle of Brahman which the Upanishad states is in everything and is everywhere and he becomes a boy sage. Agni appears in section 1.13 of Chandogya Upanishad as well. In verse 18 of the Isha Upanishad , Agni is invoked with, "O Agni, you know all the paths, lead me on to success by the good path, keep me away from
819-476: A class of reincarnated beings and is discussed in its texts with the equivalent term Tejas . Traditional Sanskrit अग्नि ( Agni ) continues one of two core terms for fire reconstructed to Proto-Indo-European , * h₁n̥gʷnis , other reflexes of which include Albanian : *Enj-i ( [ɛɲi] ), the reconstructed name of the fire god in the Albanian pagan mythology , which continues to be used in
936-519: A function, and twelve arms, and tells of the temples dedicated to him in the hilly regions and of his victory over evil. The ancient Tamil lexicon Pinkalandai identifies the name Vel with the slayer of Tarakasura. Paripatal , a Sangam literary work from the third century CE, refers to Kartikeya as Sevvel ("red spear") and as Neduvel ("great spear"). In Mahayana Buddhism , the Mahaparinirvana Sutra mentions Kumara as one of
1053-979: A hill, there will be a temple dedicated to Murugan. As he is venerated as the lord of Kurinji , which is a mountainous region, most of his temples are located on hillocks. Most renowned among them are the Six Abodes of Murugan , a set of six temples at Thiruparankundram , Tiruchendur , Palani , Swamimalai , Tiruttani , and Pazhamudircholai which are mentioned in Sangam literature. Other major temples dedicated to Murugan are located at Kandakottam , Kumaran Kundram , Kumarakkottam , Manavalanallur , Marudamalai , Pachaimalai , Sikkal , Siruvapuri , Thiruporur , Vadapalani , Vallakottai , Vayalur , and Viralimalai . Places of worship dedicated to Subramanya in Kerala include temples at Haripad , Neendoor , Kidangoor and Kodumbu . In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , he
1170-568: A personage or deity) and dakshinagni (for fighting against all evil). Yāska states that his predecessor Sākapuṇi regarded the threefold existence of Agni as being in earth, air and heaven as stated by the Rig Veda, and the Brāhmanas considered the three manifestations of Agni to be the fire, the lightning, the sun. A sage of the Ṛg Veda (Sūkta IV.iii.11) states that the Sun became visible when Agni
1287-423: A reflection of legends surrounding his birth wherein he was fused from six boys or borne of six conceptions. He is described to have aged quickly from childhood, becoming a warrior, leading the army of the devas and credited with destroying rakshasas including Tarakasura and Surapadma . He is regarded as a philosopher who taught the pursuit of an ethical life and the theology of Shaiva Siddhanta . Kaumaram
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#17327732640671404-558: A symbol of divine energy. During the autumn celebrations of Deepavali, traditional small fire lamps called Diya are included to mark the festivities. For Holi, Hindus burn bonfires as Holika, on the night before the spring festival. The bonfire marks god Agni, and in the Indian subcontinent, mothers and fathers carry their babies around the fire clockwise on Holika in Agni's remembrance. Agni has two forms: Jataveda and Kravyada : Agni
1521-612: A union of polarities. He is considered a uniter, championing the attributes of both Shaivism and Vaishnavism (which revere Shiva and Vishnu as their supreme deities, respectively). Kartikeya's theology is most developed in the Tamil texts and in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition. 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
1638-673: A war fought by Kartikeya against the asuras. As Kartikeya was born to save the devas from the tyrnany of the asuras, he was appointed as the commander of the devas and engaged in conflict with the asuras. Shiva granted him an army of 30,000 warriors to assist in the war against the oppressive asura brothers, whom Kartikeya was born to defeat. Kartikeya was assisted by nine warriors, headed by Virabahu , who served as sub-commanders of his army. These nine men were borne by nine lesser clones of Shakti who appeared from her silambu (anklet). Kartikeya believed that asuras and devas were all descendants of Shiva and that if asuras were to correct their ways,
1755-408: A warrior with attributes of a hunter and a philosopher. He wields a divine spear known as the vel , granted to him by Parvati. The vel signifies his power, or shakti , and symbolizes valor, bravery and righteousness. He is sometimes depicted with other weapons, including a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow. His vahana or mount is depicted as a peacock , known as Paravani. While he
1872-424: A while and rest. When he tried to lift them again, he was unable to move one of the hills. He found a youth standing atop the hill and fought with him, only to be defeated. Agasthya identified the youth as Kartikeya, and the two discussed the dispute. The hill was left to remain at its resting location, which later became Palani . Kartikeya later resurrected Idumban as his devotee. The mythology behind Idumban carrying
1989-412: A wish wherein they could only be killed by the son of Shiva, which offered them near-immortality. They subsequently oppressed other celestial beings including the devas, and started a reign of tyranny in the three worlds . When the devas pleaded to Shiva for his assistance, he manifested five additional heads on his body, and a divine spark emerged from each of them. Initially, the wind god Vayu carried
2106-590: Is Saptajihva , "the one having seven tongues", to symbolize how rapidly he consumes sacrificial butter. Occasionally, Agni iconography is shown in Rohitasva form, which has no ram as his vahana, but where he is pulled in a chariot with seven red horses, and the symbolic wind that makes fire move as the wheels of the chariot. In Cambodian art , Agni has been depicted with a rhinoceros as his vahana. The number seven symbolizes his reach in all seven mythical continents in ancient Hindu cosmology where Agni lives and also
2223-501: Is a fifteenth century anthology of Tamil religious songs composed by Arunagirinathar in veneration of Murugan. Kanda Shasti Kavasam is a Tamil devotional song composed by Devaraya Swamigal in the ninteenth century CE. Murugan (Kartikeya), being known as the God of the Tamils, has many temples dedicated to him across Tamil Nadu . An old Tamil saying states that wherever there is
2340-571: Is a physical burden which consists of two semicircular pieces of wood or steel which are bent and attached to a cross structure in its simplest form, which is then balanced on the shoulders of the devotee. By bearing the Kavadi, the devotees processionally implore Murugan for assistance, usually as a means of balancing a spiritual debt or on behalf of a loved one who is in need of help or healing. Worshipers often carry pots of cow milk as an offering ( pal kavadi ). The most extreme and spectacular practice
2457-523: Is also associated with sensuality and retribution. Anthropologist Gananath Obeyesekere has suggested that the deity's popularity among Buddhists is due to his purported power to grant emotional gratification, which is in stark contrast to the sensual restraint that characterizes Buddhist practice in Sri Lanka. According to Asko Parpola , the Jain deity Naigamesa , who is also referred to as Hari-Naigamesin,
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#17327732640672574-524: Is also said to have married Valli, the daughter of a tribal chief . In Tamil folklore, both Devasena and Valli were daughters of Vishnu in the previous birth. When they reincarnated , Devasena was adopted as the daughter of Indra as a result of her penance and Valli was born on the Earth. However, both were destined to marry the son of Shiva. There are references in the ancient Vedas to "Skanda", which can be interpreted to refer to Kartikeya. For example,
2691-438: Is depicted in early Jain texts as riding the peacock and as the leader of the divine army, both characteristics of Kartikeya. Kavadi Aattam is a ceremonial act of sacrifice and offering to Murugan practiced by his devotees. Its origin has been linked to a mythic anecdote about Idumban . It symbolizes a form of debt bondage through the bearing of a physical burden called Kavadi ( lit. ' burden ' ). The Kavadi
2808-629: Is found in numismatic evidence linked to the Yaudheyas , a confederation of warriors in North India who are mentioned by the ancient Sanskrit grammarian Pāṇini. During the Kushan era , that included rule over the northwest Indian subcontinent , more coins featuring Kartikeya were minted. He is also found on ancient Indo-Scythian coins, where his various names are minted in Greek script . Skanda
2925-408: Is generally regarded as a mango . Shiva expressed his intention of dividing the fruit between his two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya, but Narada counseled that the fruit could not be divided. So, it was decided to award the fruit to whomsoever first circled the world thrice. Accepting the challenge, Kartikeya started his journey around the globe atop his peacock mount . However, Ganesha surmised that
3042-528: Is hailed as the lord of Palani hills , the tutelary deity of the Kurinji region whose cult gained immense popularity. Tamil literary works such as Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai by Nakkīraṉãr and Tiruppukal by Arunagirinathar are devoted to Murugan. Archaeological evidence from the first century CE and earlier shows an association of his iconography with Agni , the Hindu god of fire, indicating that Kartikeya
3159-792: Is known by 108 different names, though other names also exist in common usage. 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'), Arumukha or Shanmukha ('six faced'), Dhanadapani ('wielder of mace') and Kandha ('cloud'). On ancient coins featuring his images, his name appears inscribed as Kumara, Brahmanya, or Brahmanyadeva. On some ancient Indo-Scythian coins, his name appears in Greek script as Skanda, Kumara, and Vishaka. Various Indian literary works recount different stories surrounding
3276-585: Is narrated in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata , where he is described as the son of Agni and Svaha . It is narrated that Agni goes to meet the wives of the Saptarshi (seven great sages) and, while none of the wives reciprocates Agni's feelings of love, Svaha is present and attracted to Agni. Svaha takes the form of six of the wives, one by one, and has sex with Agni six times. She is unable to take
3393-561: Is originally conceptualized as the ultimate source of the "creator-preserver-destroyer" triad, then one of the trinities, as the one who ruled the earth. His twin brother Indra ruled the atmosphere as the god of storm, rain and war, while his other brother Sūrya ruled the sky and heavens were the other two gods in that trinity. His position and importance evolves over time, in the "creator-preserver-destroyer" aspects of existence in Hindu thought. The Shatapatha Brahmana mentions there have been three previous Agnis who died and current Agni
3510-492: Is part of Shaivite literature. While the text is named after Skanda (Kartikeya), he does not feature either more or less prominently in the text than in other Shiva-related Puranas. The text has been an important historical record and influence on the Hindu traditions related to war-god Skanda. The earliest text titled Skanda Purana likely existed by the sixth century CE, but the Skanda Purana that has survived into
3627-533: Is performed around Agni. It is called the Saptapadi (Sanskrit for "seven steps"), and it represents the legal part of Hindu marriage. The ritual involves a couple completing seven actual or symbolic circuits around the Agni , which is considered a witness to the vows they make to each other. Each circuit of the consecrated fire is led by both the bride or the groom, varying by community and region. With each circuit,
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3744-457: Is relating to all people), Tanūnapāta (he who is self-made), Narāśaṃsa (he who embodies all people's praise), Tripatsya (he who is with three dwellings), and many others. In Hindu mythology, Agni is also presented as one who is mysterious with a tendency to play hide and seek, not just with humans but with the deities. He hides in strange places such as waters, where in one myth, he imbues life force into fishes that dwell therein, due to which
3861-583: Is repeatedly presented in the Vedas, such as with the following words in the Maṇḍala 1 of the Rigveda : They call it Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni , and he is heavenly-winged Garuda. To what is One, sages give many a title, they call it Agni , Yama, Matarisvan (Agni). — Rigveda 1.164.46 , Translator: Klaus Klostermaier Agni features prominently in the major and minor Upanishads of Hinduism. Among
3978-578: Is revered in regions with significant population of Tamil people and people of Tamil origin, including those in Malaysia , Singapore , Sri Lanka , Thailand , Indonesia and Myanmar , Fiji , Mauritius , Seychelles , Réunion , South Africa and Canada , Caribbean countries including Trinidad and Tobago , Guyana and Suriname , countries with significant Indian migrants including the United States and Australia . Sri Subramanyar Temple at
4095-413: Is same as Agni, and Parvati is same as Svaha. Mundaka Upanishad (2.4) mentioned the seven tongues of Agni as kālī , karālī , manojavā , sulohita , sudhāmravarṇā , sphuliṅginī, visvarucī . Vedic rituals involve Agni. He is a part of many Hindu rites-of-passage ceremonies such as celebrating a birth (lighting a lamp), prayers (aarti lamp), at weddings (the yajna where the bride and groom circle
4212-488: Is shown as a strong looking man, sometimes bearded, with a large belly because he eats everything offered into his flames, with golden brown hair, eyes and mustache to match the color of fire. Agni holds a rosary in one hand to symbolize his prayer-related role, and a sphere in another hand in eastern states of India. In other regions, his four arms hold an ax, torch, spoon (or fan) a flaming spear (or rosary). Seven rays of light or flames emit from his body. One of his names
4329-501: Is symbolism for "the mind swiftest among (all) those that fly". The iconography of Agni varies by region. The design guidelines and specifications of his iconography are described in the Hindu Agama texts. He is shown with one to three heads, two to four arms, is typically red-complexioned or smoky-grey complexioned standing next to or riding a ram, with a characteristic dramatic halo of flames leaping upwards from his crown. He
4446-487: Is symbolism for psychological and physiological aspects of life, states Maha Purana section LXVII.202–203. There are three kinds of Agni inside every human being, states this text, the krodha-agni or "fire of anger", the kama-agni or "fire of passion and desire", and the udara-agni or "fire of digestion". These respectively need introspective and voluntary offerings of forgiveness, detachment and fasting, if one desires spiritual freedom, liberation. Agni variously denotes
4563-670: Is the Hindu god of war . He is generally described as the son of the deities Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha . Kartikeya has been an important deity in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times . It has been postulated that the Tamil deity of Murugan was syncretized with the Vedic deity of Skanda following the Sangam era . He is regarded as the "God of the Tamil people" and
4680-765: Is the Hindu denomination that primarily venerates Kartikeya. Apart from significant Kaumaram worship and temples in South India , he is worshipped as Mahasena and Kumara in North and East India . He is also worshipped in Sri Lanka , Southeast Asia (notably in Malaysia , Singapore , Thailand and Indonesia ), other countries with significant populations of Tamil origin (including Fiji , Mauritius , South Africa and Canada ), Caribbean countries (including Trinidad and Tobago , Guyana and Suriname ), and countries with significant Indian migrant populations (including
4797-438: Is the Hindu god of fire. and the guardian deity of the southeast direction , he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples . In the classical cosmology of Hinduism , fire ( Agni ) is one of the five inert impermanent elements ( Pañcabhūtá ) along with sky ( Ākāśa ), water ( Apas ), air ( Vāyu ) and earth ( Pṛthvī ), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence ( Prakṛti ). In
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4914-500: Is the carrying of el kavadi , a portable altar up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall and weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb) decorated with peacock feathers, which is attached to the body of the devotee through multiple skewers and metal hooks pierced into the skin on the chest and back. Once all sages and gods assembled in Kailasha , the abode of Shiva, which resulted in the tilting of Earth due to an increase in weight on
5031-529: Is the duty of man to perform Agnihotra . A wide range of Agnihotra procedures are found in the Brahmana layer of the Vedas, ranging from the most common simple keeping of sacred fire and its symbolism, to more complicated procedures for the expiation of guilt, to rituals claimed to grant immortality to the performer. According to the Jaiminiya Brahmana , for example, an Agnihotra sacrifice frees
5148-571: Is the fourth one now. In the Hindu pantheon, Agni occupies, after Indra, the most important position. Agni is prominent in the hymns of the Vedas and particularly the Brahmanas . In the Rigveda there are over 200 hymns that praise Agni. His name or synonyms appear in nearly a third of 1,028 hymns in the Rigveda . The Rigveda opens with a hymn inviting Agni, who is then addressed later in
5265-401: Is used in many contexts, ranging from fire in the stomach, the cooking fire in a home, the sacrificial fire in an altar, the fire of cremation, the fire of rebirth, the fire in the energetic saps concealed within plants, the atmospheric fire in lightning and the celestial fire in the sun. In the Brahmanas layer of the Vedas, such as in section 5.2.3 of Shatapatha Brahmana, Agni represents all
5382-550: Is worshipped under the names Subrahmanya, Kumara Swamy, and Skanda, with major temples at Mopidevi , Biccavolu , Skandagiri, Mallam, and Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada. In Kukke Subramanya and Ghati Subramanya temples in Karnataka , he is worshipped as Subrahmanya and is regarded as the lord of the serpents . In West Bengal , Kartikeya is associated with childbirth and is worshipped in Kartik temples. Temples also exist in
5499-560: The Chandogya Upanishad (eighth to sixth century BCE) equates Sanat-Kumara (eternal son) and Skanda, as he teaches the sage Narada to discover his own Atman (soul, self) as a means to ultimate knowledge, true peace, and liberation. The earliest clear evidence of Kartikeya's importance emerges in the Hindu epics , such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata , where his story is recited. Mentions of Skanda are found in
5616-909: The Batu Caves in Malaysia is dedicated to Murugan, who is depicted in a 42.7-meter-high statue at the entrance, one of the largest Murugan statues in the world. There are some other temples in Malaysia such as Balathandayuthapani Temple and Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple , Marathandavar Temple and Kandaswamy Kovil . Sri Thendayuthapani Temple is a major Hindu temple in Singapore . Murugan temples also exist in several western countries like United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom , Australia, New Zealand , Germany and Switzerland . A number of festivals relating to Kartikeya are observed: Agni Agni ( Sanskrit : अग्नि , Sanskrit pronunciation: [ˈɐgni] )
5733-468: The Kurinji landscape. In that role he was seen as a guardian 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. Many of the major events in the narrative of Murugan's life take place during his youth, which encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-god. According to Raman Varadara , Murugan, originally regarded as
5850-468: The Theravada Buddhist 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 . In Sri Lanka, Skanda, as Kataragama deviyo , is a popular deity among both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists. While many Sri Lankan Buddhists regard him as a bodhisattva , he
5967-689: The United States and Australia ). The epithet Kartikeya is linked to the circumstances surrounding the deity's birth. According to the Skanda Purana , six divine sparks emerged from Shiva , forming six separate baby boys. These boys were raised by handmaidens known as the Krittikas . Later, Parvati fused them into one, creating the six-headed Kartikeya. Kartikeya means "of the Krittikas" in Sanskrit . According to Hindu literature, he
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#17327732640676084-701: The Upanayana ceremony of rite of passage, as well being part of the diyā (lamp) in festivals such as Deepavali and Arti in Puja . Agni ( Pali : Aggi ) is a term that appears extensively in Buddhist texts and in the literature related to the Senika heresy debate within the Buddhist traditions. In the ancient Jainism thought, Agni (fire) contains soul and fire-bodied beings, additionally appears as Agni-kumaras or "fire children" in its theory of rebirth and
6201-400: The Vedas , Agni is a major and most invoked god along with Indra and Soma . Agni is considered the mouth of the gods and goddesses and the medium that conveys offerings to them in a homa (votive ritual). He is conceptualized in ancient Hindu texts to exist at three levels, on earth as fire, in the atmosphere as lightning, and in the sky as the sun. This triple presence accords him as
6318-404: The hemisphere where the gathered stood. Shiva asked sage Agasthya to move towards the south to restore the balance. Agasthya employed an asura named Idumban to carry two hills called Sivagiri and Sakthigiri (Mountains of Shiva and Shakti ) on his shoulders to be placed in the south, to balance the weight. Idumban carried the hills and set southward, stopping en-route to place them down for
6435-464: The Albanian language to refer to Thursday ( e enjte ), Latin ignis (the root of English ignite ), Lithuanian ugnis , Kurdish agir , Old Slavonian огнь ( ognĭ ) and its descendants: Russian огонь ( ogon´ ), Serbian oganj , Polish ogień , etc., all meaning "fire". The ancient Indian grammarians variously derived it: In the early Vedic literature, Agni primarily connotes
6552-639: The Lord Kartikeya . People [ edit ] D. R. Karthikeyan , an Indian Police Service Officer. G. Karthikeyan , an Indian politician and the speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly M. L. R. Karthikeyan, an Indian playback singer Murali Karthikeyan , an Indian chess Grandmaster Narain Karthikeyan , the first Formula One motor racing driver from India P. S. Karthikeyan , an Indian politician who
6669-627: The Reality (Brahman) and the Truth (Satya), is Rta , the order, the organizing principle of everything that is. Agni, who is addressed as Atithi ('guest'), is also called Jatavedasam (जातवेदसम्), meaning "the one who knows all things that are born". He symbolizes will-power united with wisdom. Agni is the essence of the knowledge of Existence. Agni destroys ignorance and all delusions, removes nescience. The Kanvasatpathabrahmanam (SB.IV.i.iv.11) calls Agni "wisdom" (मेधायैमनसेऽग्नये स्वाहेति). Agni
6786-462: The South Indian iconography and mythology for Murugan have remained unique to Tamil Nadu. According to Fred Clothey, the evidence suggests that mythology relating to Kartikeya became widespread in North India sometime around 200 BCE or later. In addition to textual evidence, his importance is affirmed by the archeological , epigraphic , and numismatic record of this period. For example, he
6903-405: The Tamils." Korravai is often identified as the mother of Murugan. Tirumurukarruppatai , estimated to be have been written in the second to fourth century CE, is an ancient Tamil epic dedicated to Murugan. He is called Murugu and described as a god of beauty and youth, with such exaltations as "his body glows like the sun rising from the emerald sea". It describes him with six faces—each with
7020-460: The actual fruit of wisdom for his devotees rather than any physical fruit such as a mango or a pomegranate. Though Kartikeya had powers derived from Shiva, he was innocent and playful. Shiva granted him celestial weapons and the divine spear vel , an embodiment of the power of Shakti (Parvati). On obtaining the vel, Kartikeya was imparted with the knowledge of distinguishing between good and evil. Texts Kanda Puranam and Kumarasambhavam recount
7137-552: The birth of Kartikeya. In Valmiki 's Ramayana (seventh to fourth century BCE), he is described as the child of deities Rudra and Parvati, with his birth aided by Agni and Ganga . The Shalya Parva and the Anushasana Parva of the third-century BCE Hindu epic Mahabharata narrate the legend of Skanda, presenting him as the son of Maheshvara (Shiva) and Parvati: Shiva and Parvati were disturbed during sex, causing Shiva to inadvertently spill his semen . The semen
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#17327732640677254-486: The collection at Bharata Kalā Bhavana, there is a red sandstone sculpture from around the start of the common era but no later than 1st-century CE, identifiable as Agni shown in the garb of a Brahmana, very much like sage Kashyapa . In the Panchala coins of Agnimitra , Agni is always present with a halo of flames. In Gupta sculptures, Agni is found with a halo of flames round the body, the sacred thread across his chest,
7371-448: The coming of age of Kartikeya. Kartikeya killed the next brother Simhamukha and faced off with Surapadma in the final battle. Surapadma took a large form with multiple heads, arms and legs trying to intimidate Kartikeya. When Kartikeya threw his vel, Surapadma escaped to the sea and took the form of a large mango tree , which spread across the three worlds. Kartikeya used his vel to split the tree in half, with each half transforming into
7488-419: The conflict could be avoided. He sent messengers to communicate as much and to give the asuras a fair warning, which they ignored. Kartikeya killed Tarakasura and his lieutenant Krowchaka with his vel. While Tarakasura was confused at facing Shiva's son, as he thought his war was not with Shiva, Kartikeya felt it necessary to vanquish him, as his vision was occluded by Maya . Zvelebil interprets this episode as
7605-518: The couple makes a specific vow to establish some aspect of a happy relationship and household for each other, with Agni as the divine witness to those mutual vows. In the Indian subcontinent and Suriname , the bride leads the first four circuits followed by the groom leading the last three circuits. The Agnihotra involves fire, and the term refers to the ritual of keeping fire at home, and in some cases making "sacrificial offerings" such as milk and seeds to this fire. The Srauta texts state that it
7722-401: The daughter of Indra and his wife Shachi . In Tamil literature , he has two consorts: Devayanai (identified with Devasena) and Valli . In Kanda Puranam , Devayanai ( lit. ' Divine elephant ' ; as she was brought up by Airavata , the elephant ) is depicted as the daughter of Indra, who was given in marriage to Kartikeya for his help in saving the devas from the asuras. Kartikeya
7839-555: The demons and win, the deities wonder, "what is this Brahman, a wonderful being?" Agni goes first to find out, but fails. Vayu too goes to find out and fails. Then Indra tries and fails, but meets the Parvati who already understands Brahman, explains what Brahman is and how the deities reached victory through the nature of Brahman. Indra shares this knowledge with Agni and Vayu. The Kena Upanishad closes these sections by stating that "Agni, Vayu, Indra" are revered first because they were
7956-501: The desire to consume the forest of Khāṇḍava protected by Indra for the sake of Takṣaka , the chief of the Nāgas . Aided by Krishna and Arjuna, Agni consumes the Khāṇḍava Forest , which burnt for fifteen days, sparing only Ashvasena, Maya, and the four birds called sarangakas ; later, as a boon Arjuna got all his weapons from Indra and also the bow, Gāṇḍīva , from Varuṇa . There is
8073-429: The devotees to enter a state of trance . Devotees usually prepare for the rituals by keeping clean, doing regular prayers, following a vegetarian diet , and fasting while remaining celibate . They make pilgrimage to the temples of Kartikeya on bare feet and dance along the route while bearing these burdens. Tonsuring is performed by devotees as the ritual fulfillment of a vow to discard their hair in imitation of
8190-437: The divine fruit of knowledge. The practice is followed in modern times in temples where the devotees are provided the mixture as a prasad . Vetrivel Muruganukku Arogara (meaning 'victory for vel wielding Murugan') is a Tamil mantra commonly chanted by devotees while worshiping Kartikeya. Om Saravana Bhava is a common chant used by the devotees to invoke Kartikeya. Tiruppukal (meaning 'holy praise' or 'divine glory')
8307-473: The earliest mention is the legend of a boy sage named Satyakāma Jābāla , the son of an unwed father and an unwed mother, in chapter 4 of the Chhāndogya Upanishad (~700 BCE). He honestly admits his poverty and that his mother does not know who his father was, an honesty that earns him a spot in a Hindu school ( gurukula ). During his studies, the boy sage meets Agni, who then becomes the god for him as
8424-541: The eighty gods worshipped by the common people. The Arya Kanikrodhavajrakumarabodhisattava Sadhanavidhi Sutra (T 1796) features a section for the recitation of a mantra dedicated to the deity, where he is also paired with Isvara . Yi Xing 's Commentary of the Mahavairocana Tantra clarifies that Kumara is the son of Isvara. The sixteenth-century Siamese text Jinakalamali mentions him as a guardian god. Ancient Yaudheya and Kushan period coins dated to
8541-714: The entire universe, and that all the deities are internalized in the temple of a living body with Agni as the eyes. Agni is mentioned in many minor Upanishads, such as the Pranagnihotra Upanishad , the Yogatattva Upanishad , the Yogashikha Upanishad , the Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad and others. The syncretic and monistic Shaivism and Shaktism text, namely Rudrahridaya Upanishad states that Shiva
8658-478: The falcon hides and disappears to heaven. Agni is molded in similar mythical themes, in some hymns with the phrase the "heavenly falcon that flies". The earliest layers of the Vedic texts of Hinduism, such as section 6.1 of Kaṭhaka Saṃhitā and section 1.8.1 of Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā state that the universe began with nothing, neither night nor day existed, what existed was just the god Prajāpati. Agni originated from
8775-442: The fire as a god, one reflecting the primordial powers to consume, transform and convey. Yet the term is also used with the meaning of a Mahabhuta (constitutive substance), one of five that the earliest Vedic thinkers believed to constitute material existence, and that later Vedic thinkers such as Kanada and Kapila expanded widely, namely Dyaus (aether), Vayu (air), Varuna (water), Bhumi (earth) and Agni (fire). The word Agni
8892-415: The fire seven times) and at death (cremation). According to Atharvaveda , it is Agni that conveys the soul of the dead from the pyre to be reborn in the next world or life. However, this role was in post-Vedic texts subsumed in the role of god Yama. Agni has been important in temple architecture, is typically present in the southeast corner of a Hindu temple . The most important ritual of Hindu weddings
9009-476: The first among the deities to realize Brahman from Parvati. The allegorical legend, states Paul Deussen, aims to teach that all the Hindu deities and natural things have their basis in the timeless, universal monistic principle called Brahman. Another ancient major Hindu scripture named Prashna Upanishad mentions Agni in its second Prashna (question section). The section states that Agni and other deities manifest as five gross constituents that combine to make
9126-514: The first and second centuries CE show Kartikeya with either one or six heads, with one-headed depictions being more common. Similarly, sculptures show him with either one or six heads, with the six head iconography dated to post- Gupta Empire era. Artwork found in Gandhara and Mathura dated to the Kushan period shows him with one head, dressed in a dhoti (a cloth wrapped at the waist, covering
9243-491: The fishes report his presence to the deities, who take Agni to heaven. Agni is in hymn 10.124 of the Rigveda , a Rishi (sage-poet-composer) and along with Indra and Sūrya makes up the Hindu trinity of gods who create, preserve, destroy. Agni is considered equivalent to all the deities in the Hinduism, which formed the foundation for the various non-dualistic and monistic theologies of Hinduism. These theme of equivalence
9360-436: The flow of River Ganges, among other feats. He imprisons Brahma as he could not explain the meaning of Aum . When Shiva asks for the meaning of the mantra , Kartikeya teaches it to his father. According to the Mahabharata , the devas and gods gift him various objects and animals. As per Kanda Puranam , sage Narada once visited Shiva at Kailasha and presented him with a Gnana palam (fruit of knowledge). This fruit
9477-581: The forehead of Prajāpati , assert these texts. With the creation of Agni came light, and with that were created day and night. Agni, state these Saṃhitā s , is the same as the Brahman , the truth, the eyes of the manifested universe. These mythologies develop into more complex stories about Agni's origins in the later layers of Vedic texts, such as in section 2.1.2 of the Taittiriya Brahmana and sections 2.2.3–4 of Shatapatha Brahmana . Agni
9594-426: The form of Arundhati, 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. In Kanda Puranam , Kartikeya is portrayed as a child playing in the cosmos . In his childhood, he fiddles with the orbits of planets , stacks the mountains in Kailasha on top of Mount Meru and stops
9711-480: The form that Kartikeya assumed in childhood. Newborns may undergo a ritual of tonsuring and ear piercing at temples dedicated to Kartikeya. Panchamritam ( lit. ' mixture of five ' ) is a sacred sweet mixture made of banana , honey , ghee , jaggery and cardamom along with date fruits and Sugar candies , which is offered to Kartikeya. It is believed to have been prepared before by Ganesha to soothe his brother Kartikeya after their battle for
9828-566: The gods and goddesses, all concepts of spiritual energy that permeates everything in the universe. In the Upanishads and post-Vedic literature, Agni additionally became a metaphor for immortal principle in humans, and any energy or knowledge that consumes and dispels a state of darkness, transforms and procreates an enlightened state of existence. Agni is also famously known as: Other names include Śikhī, Pingesa, Plavanga, Bhūritejaḥ, Rudragarva, Hiraṇyakṛta. There are many theories about
9945-497: The hills on the shoulder may have influenced the practice of Kavadi. Worshipers also practice a form of mortification of the flesh by flagellation and by piercing their skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers. These practices are suppressed in India, where public self-mutilation is prohibited by law. Vibuthi , a type of sacred ash, is spread across the body, including the piercing sites. Drumming and chanting of verses help
10062-604: The hymn as the guardian of Ṛta ( Dharma ). The Vedas describe the foster-parents of Agni as two kindling fire sticks of Prajapati, whose loving action creates him. Just born, he is poetically presented as a tender baby, who needs loving attention lest he vanishes. With care, he sparks and smokes, then flames and grows stronger than his foster-parents, finally so strong that he burns to ashes what created him his residence by Prajapati. The hymns in these ancient texts refer to Agni with numerous epithets and synonyms, such as Jātaveda (he who knows all knowledge), Vaiśvānara (he who
10179-459: The individuality of every one of these deities including of Agni, thus journey unto the universal reality, for a communion with the Purusha , which is the Ātman . Sections 3 and 4 of Kena Upanishad , another major ancient Upanishad, presents a story which includes gods Agni, Vayu , Indra and goddess Parvati . After a battle between good deities and evil demons, where the deities kill all
10296-442: The late Vijayanagara period , when he was accepted as a single deity with diverse facets. In Mahayana Buddhism , he is described as a manifestation of Mahābrahmārāja with five hair coils and a handsome face emanating purple-golden light that surpasses the light of the other devas. In Chinese Buddhism , Skanda (also sometimes known as Kumāra) is known as Weituo, a young heavenly general, the guardian deity of local monasteries and
10413-455: The legs) armour , wielding a spear in his right hand with a rooster on his left. Artworks from Gandhara show him in Scythian dress, likely reflecting the local dress culture of the time, with a rooster-like bird that may draw from Parthian influence to symbolize Kartikeya's agility and maneuverability as a warrior god. Kartikeya's iconography portrays him as a youthful god, dressed as
10530-490: 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), Consistent elements of Kartikeya's narrative across the diverse corpus of legends relating to him include his birth by a surrogate in difficult circumstances, his upbringing by a host of mothers, and his later reunion with his biological family. According to Fred Clothey, Muruga thus symbolizes
10647-563: The messenger between the deities and humans in the Vedic scriptures. The relative importance of Agni declined in the post-Vedic era, as he was internalised and his identity evolved to metaphorically represent all transformative energy and knowledge in the Upanishads and later Hindu literature. Agni remains an integral part of Hindu traditions, such as being the central witness of the rite-of-passage ritual in traditional Hindu weddings called Saptapadi (seven steps and mutual vows), in
10764-431: The modern era exists in many versions. Ancient Tamil text Tolkappiyam from the second century BCE mentions Ceyon ("the red one"), identified with Murugan, whose name is mentioned as Murukan ("the youth"). Extant Sangam literature works dated between the third century BCE and the fifth century CE glorify Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of
10881-565: The mythology in the earlier Vedic texts is different. In these, Agni is described as Kumara, whose mother is Ushas (goddess Dawn) and whose father is Purusha. Section 10.1 of the Taittiriya Aranyaka mentions Sanmukha (six faced one), while the Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions a householder's rite of passage that involves prayers to Skanda (Kartikeya) and his brother Ganapati (Ganesha) together. Chapter 7 of
10998-404: The natural element fire, the supernatural deity symbolized by fire and the inner natural will aspiring for the highest knowledge. Heat, combustion and energy is the realm of Agni which symbolizes the transformation of the gross to the subtle; Agni is the life-giving energy. Agnibija is the consciousness of tapas (proto-cosmic energy); agni (the energizing principle); the sun, representing
11115-404: The northern and eastern Indian traditions, Kartikeya is generally regarded as a celibate bachelor. In Sanskrit literature , Kartikeya is married to Devasena ( lit. ' Army of Devas ' ; as her husband was 'Devasenapati' lit. ' Commander of army of Devas ' ). Devasena is described as the daughter of Daksha in the Mahabharata , while Skanda Purana considers her as
11232-415: The origins of the god Agni, some tracing it to Indo-European mythology, others tracing to Hindu mythology. The origin myth found in many Indo-European cultures is one of a falcon that carries or brings fire from the deities to people. This messenger also brings an elixir of immortality from heaven to earth. In either case, the falcon returns everyday with sacrificial offerings for the deities, but sometimes
11349-485: The patron deity for many ancient northern and western Hindu kingdoms, and of the Gupta Empire , according to Ghurye. After the seventh 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. According to Norman Cutler, Kartikeya-Murugan-Skanda of South and North India coalesced over time, but some aspects of
11466-494: The performer from evil and death. In contrast, states the Shatapatha Brahmana, Agnihotra is a symbolic reminder and equivalent to the Sun, where the fire keeper is reminded of the heat that creates life, the fire in beings, the heat in the womb behind the cycle of life. Two major festivals in Hinduism, namely Holi (festival of colors) and Deepavali (festival of lights) incorporate Agni in their ritual grammar, as
11583-667: The protector of Buddhist dhamma . According to Henrik Sorensen, this representation became common after the Tang period , and became well established in the late Song period . 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 . Skanda was also adopted by Korean Buddhism , and he appears in Korean Buddhist woodblock prints and paintings. According to Richard Gombrich , Skanda has been an important deity in
11700-874: The rest of India in Pehowa in Haryana , in Manali and Chamba in Himachal Pradesh and Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand . Kartikeya is worshipped as Kumar in Nepal . In Sri Lanka , Murugan is predominantly worshipped 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 . Murugan
11817-426: The sacred, saguna brahman ). According to Fred Clothey, as Murugan, he embodies the "cultural and religious whole that comprises South Indian Shaivism". He is a central philosopher and a key exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta theology, as well as the patron deity of the Tamil language . Originally, Murugan was not worshipped as a god, but rather as an exalted ancestor, heroic warrior and accomplished Siddhar born in
11934-453: The seven colours of a rainbow in his form as the sun. Agni has three forms, namely fire, lightning, and the Sun, forms sometimes symbolized by giving his icon three heads or three legs. He sometimes is shown wearing a garland of fruits or flowers, symbolic of the offerings made into the fire. The earliest surviving artwork of Agni have been found at archaeological sites near Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), and these date from 1st-century BCE. In
12051-501: The southeast corners of a Hindu temple. However, in rare temples where Agni is envisioned as a presiding astrological divinity, according to texts such as the Samarangana Sutradhara , he is assigned the northeast corner. Agni is historically considered to be present in every grihastha (home), and therein presented in one of three forms – gārhapatya (for general domestic usage), āhavaniya (for inviting and welcoming
12168-472: The sparks, later handing them to the fire god Agni because of the unbearable heat. Agni deposited the sparks in the Ganges river. The water in the Ganges began to evaporate due to the intense heat of the sparks. Ganga took them to Saravana lake, where the sparks developed into six baby boys. The six boys were then raised by the Krittikas and they were later fused into one by Parvati. Thus, the six-headed Kartikeya
12285-542: The term Kumara appears in hymn 5.2 of the Rig Veda . The verses mention a brightly-colored boy hurling weapons, evoking motifs associated with Kartikeya such as his bright glowing skin and his possession of divine weapons including the vel . These motifs are also found in other Vedic texts, such as in sections 6.1-3 of the Shatapatha Brahmana : while Kumara is one of the names used to mention Kartikeya,
12402-470: The works of Pāṇini (fifth century BCE), in Patanjali 's Mahabhasya and Kautilya 's Arthashastra (third to second century BCE). Kalidasa 's epic poem Kumarasambhava from the fifth-century CE features the life and story of Kartikeya. Kartikeya forms the main theme of Skanda Purana , the largest Mahapurana , a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts. The text contains over 81,000 verses, and
12519-525: The world was no more than his parents Shiva and Shakti combined, circumambulated them, and won the fruit. When Kartikeya returned, he was furious to learn that his efforts had been in vain, and felt cheated. He discarded all his material belongings and left Kailasha to take up abode in the Palani Hills as a hermit . According to Fred Clothey, Kartikeya did this out of a felt need to mature from boyhood. According to Kamil Zvelebil , Kartikeya represents
12636-547: The wrong path of sin". In sections 4.5–6 of the Maitri Upanishad , the students ask their Hindu Guru (teacher) Maitri about which deity is best among deities they name, a list that includes Agni. The Guru replies that they are all supreme, all merely forms of the Brahman, the whole world is Brahman. So pick anyone, says the Upanishad, meditate and adore that one, then meditate over them all, then deny and discard
12753-786: Was a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Sivakarthikeyan , an Indian film actor, television anchor, and stand-up comedian of Tamil Nadu Sujata R. Karthikeyan, an IAS officer and wife of V. K. Pandian See also [ edit ] Karthik (disambiguation) Karthika (disambiguation) Kartik (month) Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karthikeyan&oldid=1227824721 " Categories : Hindu given names Indian masculine given names Masculine given names Kartikeya Traditional Kartikeya ( IAST : Kārtikeya ), also known as Skanda , Subrahmanya , Shanmukha and Murugan ,
12870-420: 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 Indian peafowl (named Paravani), and sometimes with an emblem of a rooster on his banner. He wields a spear called the vel , supposedly given to him by his mother Parvati. While most icons represent him with only one head, some have six heads,
12987-526: Was armed with near immortality . In his quest to rule the three worlds, he expelled the devas from Svarga . Indra , the king of devas, devised a scheme to disrupt Shiva’s meditation and beguile him with thoughts of love, so that he could sire an offspring and thusly end Tarakasura's immortality. Shiva was engaged in meditation , and hardly noticed the courtship of Parvati , the daughter of Himavan who sought him as her consort. Indra tasked god of love Kamadeva and his consort Rati to disturb Shiva. Shiva
13104-529: Was born, conceived to answer the devas' pleas for help and deliver them from the asuras. Kumarasambhava ( lit. ' Birth of Kumara ' ) from the fifth-century CE narrates a similar story on his birth wherein Agni carries the semen of Shiva and deposits them in Bhagirathi River (headstream of Ganges). When the Krittikas bathe in the river, they are impregnated and give birth to Kartikeya. An alternate account of Kartikeya's parentage
13221-433: Was born. Offended by Agni, Bhṛgu had cursed Agni to become the devourer of all things on this earth, but Brahma modified that curse and made Agni the purifier of all things he touched. In the "Khāṇḍava-daha Parva" ( Mahābhārata CCXXV), Agni in disguise approaches Krishna and Arjuna seeking sufficient food for gratification of his hunger; and on being asked about the kind of food which would gratify, Agni expressed
13338-469: Was depicted with an elephant mount in early iconography, his iconography of a six faced lord on a peacock mount became firmly enshrined after the sixth century CE, along with the progression of his role from that of a warrior to that of a philosopher-teacher, and his increasing prominence in the Shaivite cannon. According to the Skanda Purana , when Kartikeya faced asura Surapadma, the latter turned into
13455-444: Was furious with the act and burnt Kamadeva to ashes. But Shiva's attention then turned towards Parvati, who had performed tapas in order to win his affection, and married her, then conceiving Kartikeya. According to the seventeeth-century CE text Kanda Puranam (the Tamil rendition of the older Skanda Purana) , the asura brothers Surapadma, Simhamukha and Tarakasura performed tapas to Shiva, who granted them with various weapons and
13572-441: Was regarded as a philosopher in his role as Subramanhya, while Murugan was similarly regarded as the teacher of Tamil literature and poetry. In the late Chola period from the sixth to thirteenth centuries CE, Murugan was firmly established in the role of a teacher and philosopher, while his militaristic depictions waned. Despite the changes, his portrayal was multi-faceted, with significant differences between Skanda and Murugan until
13689-492: Was then incubated in the Ganges , preserved by the heat of the god Agni, and eventually born as baby Kartikeya. According to Shiva Purana , asura Tarakasura performed tapas to propitiate the creator god Brahma . Brahma granted him two boons: one, that none shall be his equal in all of the three worlds , and two, that only a son of Shiva could slay him. As Shiva was a yogi and thus unlikely to bear children, Tarakasura
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