Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c26.37

v4.c26.37

Subrahmaṇya is known by several names, the chief among them are Kārttikēya, Shaṇmukha, or Shaḍānana, Śaravaṇabhava or Sarajanman, Sēnāni, Tārakajit, Krauñchabhēttā, Gaṅgāputra, Guha, Agnibhū, Skanda and Svāminātha. Most of his epithets have reference to the circumstances of his birth. Śiva cast his seed into Agni who being unable to bear it cast it into the river Ganges; hence Skanda is called Agnibhū and Gaṅgāputra. The seed was then transferred to the six Kṛttikas when they went to bathe in the Ganges, each of whom therefore conceived and begot a son; all these children afterwards became combined in one being having six heads and twelve arms and eyes. Hence he became known by the names of Kārttikēya, Shaṇmukha and Shaḍānana. According to another account the seed of Śiva was cast by the river Ganges into a thicket of reeds (śara) and the boy who came out of the thicket of grass came to be known as the Śarajanman. Subrahmaṇya pierced the Krauñcha mountain and hence he was called Krauñchabhētta. He commanded the army of the dēvas against the asura Tāraka whom he vanquished and killed. Therefore he got the names Dēvasēnāpati and Tārakāri. He is called Guha because he lived in a receptacle for six days before he was fully formed. Because he was born from the discharged seed (skanna) of Śiva he was known as Skanda.