Names
- Kartikeya — of the Krittikas, who raised him1
- Skanda — from a root meaning to leap or attack1
- Subrahmanya — given as “transparent”1
- Murugan — the handsome one (Tamil)1
- Kumara — youthful1
- Shanmukha — six-faced1
- Senthil — victorious1
- Saravanabhava — born among the reeds1
- Devasenapati — commander of the army of the gods1
Family
- Consorts
- Devasena (Devayanai), Valli
- Siblings
- Ganesha
Shaiva Puranas make Ganesha the elder brother. In northern and eastern traditions Kartikeya is a celibate bachelor; Sanskrit texts marry him to Devasena, and Tamil literature gives him Devayanai and Valli.1
History
Skanda appears in Sanskrit works from the fifth century BCE, and early iconography links him to Agni. The Tamil Murugan, guardian god of the hill country in Sangam literature, later merged with the Vedic Skanda-Kartikeya.1
His mount is the peacock and his weapon the vel, a spear said to be Parvati’s gift.1
How traditions differ
Birth
In the Skanda Purana account he is born of Shiva’s sparks carried by Agni and the Ganga; the Mahabharata’s Vana Parva instead makes him the son of Agni and Svaha.1
Where to go next
AI-created illustrationSources
- Encyclopedia Kartikeya — Wikipedia · accessed 2026-11-08
Researched 2026-11-08 from the cited sources. Community corrections are welcome; traditions differ, and differences are shown rather than resolved.