An Early Image of Karttikeya from Taxila

Summary

‘An Early Image of Karttikeya from Taxila’ examines a stone sculpture discovered at Taxila depicting Karttikeya, the Hindu god of war and the son of Shiva. The author provides a detailed description: the deity is shown seated with his right leg pendent and left leg folded; he wears a conical headdress, necklace and armlets, and his body is graceful and youthfulfile:///home/oai/share/563030_compressed-5-107.pdf. In his right hand he holds a long spear (śakti) and in his left, a cock, which stands by his side. The article dates the figure to the late Kushana or early Gupta period (circa 4th–5th century) based on stylistic features such as the modelling of the torso, drapery pattern and ornamentationfile:///home/oai/share/563030_compressed-5-107.pdf. A comparison is drawn with a contemporaneous Mathura image: while the Mathura Karttikeya carries a staff and is accompanied by a peacock, the Taxila piece uses the cock, a symbol associated with the god’s aspect as Subrahmanya in southern India. The article surveys textual sources for iconographic guidance. The Amṣu‑madbhedagama describes Karttikeya as two‑armed, holding a spear and cock and accompanied by a rooster standard, which accords with the Taxila representationfile:///home/oai/share/563030_compressed-5-107.pdf. In contrast, the Matsya Purana depicts him with six faces and twelve arms, wielding various weapons and riding a peacock; thus, the Taxila figure represents a simpler, possibly earlier iconographic form. The author suggests that the cock, symbolising vigilance and martial prowess, may have been introduced from local cults. The article also speculates that the image served a syncretic function: Taxila, a crossroads of Buddhist, Hindu and Hellenistic influences, often produced hybrid art forms. The figure’s serene expression and soft modelling echo Buddhist sculpture, while the attributes are distinctly Brahmanical. By analysing this piece, the article contributes to the understanding of regional variations in Skanda worship and the evolution of his iconography. It argues that the Taxila image bridges the gap between the six‑headed Skanda of earlier myths and the single‑headed Subrahmanya of later South Indian traditionsfile:///home/oai/share/563030_compressed-5-107.pdffile:///home/oai/share/563030_compressed-5-107.pdf.