In astrology, Kartikeya came to be associated with Mangal, the planet Mars, and was represented as a lion. His banner is that of a rooster, symbol of masculinity and pecking order. He rode a peacock, symbol of male pride and beauty. He was so strong that on the seventh day of his life when he was six days old, he led the Devas in battle against the Asuras and killed Taraka. Shiva’s son thus had several `mothers - the fire-god (hence named Agneya), the wind-god, the river-goddess, the goddess of the reed-forest (hence named Sarvana), Krittikas (hence called Kartikeya) and finally Shakti. Shakti then merged the six children into one child with six heads (hence the name Shanmukha) and gave him a spear. These children were nursed by the Krittikas or the stars of the Pleiades constellation. It set afire a forest of reeds and finally was transformed into six children.

It burned like fire and could not be cooled by the wind. Persuaded by Shakti, Shiva let the Devas have his seed but it was so potent that no single womb was good enough for it. Finally, the Devas got the mother-goddess Shakti to force Shiva to become her husband by demonstrating her will and her devotion. When the love-god Kama tried to arouse his senses, Shiva opened his third eye and reduced him to ashes. The many attempts of the gods to get Shiva married and produce a child became the subject of Kalidasa’s song Kumarasambhava or the conception of Kartikeya also known as Kumara, the eternal boy.

Shiva, lost in meditation, was indifferent to the pleas of the Devas. Where would they find a child who would be man enough to fight in the seventh day of his life? They were directed to Shiva. The sky-gods or Devas were desperate for a leader to defeat their enemies, the Asuras, who were being led by Taraka, a demon who had the boon by which he could only be killed by a six-day old warrior. Being a hermit, he refused to produce any children and so his semen, unshed for eons, became highly potent. In later stories, Shiva is described as his father. In the earliest stories, his father was Agni, the fire-god, and his mother was Swaha, the consort of Agni, who took the form of the six wives (stars of the Pleiades constellation) of the seven sages (stars of the Great Bear constellation) to satisfy the lust of her husband who was contemplating seducing the wives of the sages. That is why scriptures describe him as having one father but many mothers. And to be god of war, he had to be virile, hyper-virile in fact. In Hinduism, Kartikeya was the god of war. That is why every culture has need for a god of war. Greed or need, there is no escape from war. Sometimes, however, war is noble - fought to defend independence, to defend honor. It is the animal side of us - that side which seeks domination. Published in Sunday Midday on 14 September, 2008.Īnimals fight for food and territory and mates.

God of war greek