Hindu Mythology

Lesson 3: Shiva

Kartikeya

There are several myths about the birth of Kartikeya. The earliest ones depict him as the son of Agni. Only in the later myths is he depicted as the son of Shiva, with Agni playing a major role in the birth. The myth from the Siva Purana from Hindu Myths (page 162) is being summarized here.

Shiva and Parvati were married and the demi-Gods eagerly awaited their son. However Shiva and Parvati were so engrossed in their amorous activities that they had no time for the travails of the world. Ultimately the demi-Gods had to disturb Shiva and remind him of his duties. Shiva gave his seed to Agni and went back to Parvati. Agni now had to implant the seed in a womb. He went near a river where the wives of the seven sages were bathing. Six of them went to the fire to warm themselves and were impregnated. On realising their predicament they left the seed in the form of an embryo in the Himalayas. The Himalayas, unable to bear the heat of the embryo, placed it in the river Ganga. There Kartikeya was born.

Some versions state that the six women left six embryos and six babies were born. Parvati embraced all six of them, thereby fusing the bodies to one but leaving it with six heads.

One of the first things that Kartikeya did was to kill the Demon Taraka. After all this was the purpose of his birth. Kartikeya was the general of the demi-Gods. He later killed several other Demons. The Matsya Purana has the following description of the battle between Kartikeya and Taraka.

When Kartikeya challenged Taraka, the latter was surprised to see a boy. Taraka asked Kartikeya to go and play. Kartikeya responded by asking Taraka to show his prowess. Taraka then flung a club and an axe at Kartikeya, who easily fended them off. Kartikeya struck Taraka with his club. Angered at this attack, Taraka let loose a flurry of weapons at Kartikeya. Kartikeya’s counter attack killed many demons. In the end Taraka’s chest was pierced by Kartikeya’s spear and the Demon died.

The whole purpose in uniting Shiva and Parvati was that they produce a son to kill Taraka. It would have been normal for Shiva to plant his seed in his wife’s womb and produce a son the normal way. Why then did he give his seed to be taken by other women? And if he was to do that anyway, then what was the purpose of his marrying Parvati? Hindu mythology is obsessed with transporting the ‘seed’ and implanting it in a female some distance away. The female in many cases was not a human but some animal. Perhaps this was an expression of power or a desire for power that humans, and particularly males, did not possess. If the bees could transport the seed of flowers and fertilize them elsewhere then the same should be applicable for human seeds. Perhaps it was a vision of external fertilization or surrogate motherhood that we have realized today.

Optional Exercises

4a. It is common for characters in Hindu mythology have several names. Each name has a history to it. List all the names of Kartikeya from ‘Hindu Myths’ and referred web sites. How did these names originate?

4b. Read the earlier myth from ‘Hindu Myths’. It is on page 108. A comparison between the earlier versions of several myths and their later versions demonstrates the increasing importance of Shiva. In the earlier myths Brahma was singly all powerful and often ordered Shiva. Later Brahma was merely responsible for creation and Shiva and Vishnu became the more powerful Supreme Gods.

4c. Read some more myths about external fertilization at the following sites.

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/9380...
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/9380...