Kartikeya

Born to Defeat Taraka

The gods, oppressed by the demon Taraka, learned that only a son of Shiva could destroy him. Tellings of the birth vary widely across the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Puranas, and Kalidasa's poem Kumarasambhava: Shiva's fiery seed passes through Agni and the river Ganga before the child is born in a bed of reeds and nursed by the six Krittikas, the stars of the Pleiades. From them he takes the name Kartikeya, and from nursing all six at once, his six faces.

General of the Gods

As Skanda he is made commander of the divine army and kills Taraka with his spear. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that among the leaders of armies he is Skanda. He rides a peacock and carries a rooster on his banner.

Murugan of the Tamil Lands

In Tamil Nadu and among Tamil communities worldwide, the god known as Murugan holds a central place. Early Tamil poetry already celebrates a youthful hill god Murugan, whose cult merged with that of Skanda. His six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu), among them Palani and Tiruchendur, draw vast pilgrimages, and the festival of Thaipusam is celebrated from Malaysia to Mauritius.

Family

He is the brother of Ganesha. Northern traditions often present Kartikeya as a celibate youth, while southern traditions give him two consorts, Devasena and Valli.