Kartikeya

Sources give multiple, variant origin accounts rather than a single canonical birth: Puranic narratives (e.g., Skanda Purana traditions) present Kartikeya as born 'of the Krittikas'—the name Kartikeya meaning 'of the Krittikas'—from six divine sparks/boys fostered by the Krittika nymphs and later fused into one being. Other accounts in epics and Puranic layers (including Ramayana/Mahabharata/Puranic summaries in the surveyed sources) link his birth to Agni and the river Ganga, describing Agni's role and riverine incubation in some versions. Across these sources his birth is narrated as a cosmically purposive event: he comes into being so that a son of Shiva may slay hostile asuras (notably Tarakasura and Surapadma), restoring cosmic order (dharma). The sources note the existence of variant tellings (Ramayana, Mahabharata, Skanda/Kaanda Puranic material and Tamil Kanda Puranam) rather than a single uniform text.

Sources describe Kartikeya typically as an ever‑youthful man, often depicted riding or standing near a peacock (the mount Paravani) and carrying a spear called the vel, said to have been given by his mother Parvati. He is sometimes shown with a rooster emblem on his banner. Iconography ranges from single‑headed youthful forms to depictions with six heads (Shanmukha/Arumukha), the six‑headed motif linked in sources to birth legends involving six boys or sparks. The deity appears across media including temple sculpture and on some ancient and Indo‑Scythian coins where legends such as Kumara, Skanda or Brahmanya appear in inscriptions.

Sourced material emphasizes Kartikeya's martial and protective functions: he leads the devas' army and is credited with slaying hostile asuras including Tarakasura and Surapadma. He is commonly labeled a god of war in modern summaries and historical comparisons (e.g., the Biblical Cyclopedia entry). Beyond martial roles, sources record him as a tutelary deity invoked for protection and martial success, and in certain Shaiva contexts and regional traditions he is represented as a teacher—linked in some accounts to Shaiva Siddhanta philosophical instruction. Textual and interpretive sources also associate Kartikeya with fire (Agni) and with solar/warrior imagery; archival material on chakra/ tantric symbolism links Skanda/Kārtikeya symbolically to Agni and solar (maṇipūra) symbolism, though the primary Puranic emphasis in the cited sources is on his warrior and tutelary roles.