Some Notes on Skanda-Karttikeya

Summary

In “Some Notes on Skanda‑Karttikeya,” the author explores the complex identity of the deity Skanda (also known as Karttikeya or Murugan) through Vedic, epic and Puranic sources. Early Upanisadic texts, such as the Chandogya Upanisad, identify a philosopher named Sanatkumara with Skanda; he is portrayed as the son of Dharma and Ahimsa or as Brahman himself. In the Dīgha Nikāya, Sanatkumara teaches that wisdom is superior to birth, suggesting an ethical dimension to his character. The article contrasts this philosophical Skanda with the martial deity depicted in later epics and iconography. The Mahābhārata and other texts call him Śanmukha (six‑faced) or Brahmanyadeva and describe him as the commander of the divine army. Archaeological evidence, such as reliefs at Ellora and coins from the Yaudheya tribe, depict a six‑headed god that some identify with Skanda. The author analyses whether the name Brahmanyadeva refers to a Yaudheya king or to Skanda himself. He notes that the iconography of a six‑headed figure holding lotus buds, with erect posture and two arms, aligns with South Indian representations of the sun god Sūrya, and suggests that some supposed Skanda images may actually represent solar deities. The article reviews how sectarian worship of Skanda grew from epic times and how regional traditions transformed him from a philosophical teacher into a warrior god. Numismatic evidence supports the antiquity of his cult in the Yaudheya realm. The author concludes that the development of Skanda worship was complex, integrating elements of solar worship, martial heroism and philosophical instruction, and that the Upanisadic portrayal of Skanda as a sage contrasts sharply with his Puranic and popular depictions.