Hindu god of victory and war
For the bodhisattva, see
Idaten
.
Kartikeya
|
---|
|
|
Other names
| Murugan, Subrahmanya, Kumara, Skanda, Saravana, Arumugan, Devasenapati, Shanmukha, Kathirvelan, Guha, Swaminatha, Velayuda, V??
|
---|
Affiliation
| Deva
,
Siddhar
|
---|
Abode
| ??upadai veedu (Six Abodes of Murugan)
Palani Hills
Mount Kailash
|
---|
Planet
| Mangala
,
Mars
|
---|
Mantra
| Om Saravana Bhava
Vetrivel Muruganukku Arohara
|
---|
Weapon
| Vel
|
---|
Symbol
| Rooster
|
---|
Day
| Tuesday
|
---|
Mount
| Peacock
|
---|
Gender
| Male
|
---|
Festivals
| |
---|
|
Parents
| |
---|
Siblings
| Ganesha
(brother)
|
---|
Consort
| |
---|
Kartikeya
(
Sanskrit
:
?????????
,
IAST
:
K?rtikeya
), also known as
Skanda
,
Subrahmanya
,
Shanmukha
and
Murugan
(
Tamil
:
???????
), is the
Hindu
god of war
. He is the son of
Shiva
and
Parvati
and the brother of
Ganesha
.
Kartikeya has been an important deity in the
Indian subcontinent
since
ancient times
. It has been postulated that the
Tamil
deity of Murugan was syncretized with the
Vedic
deity of Skanda following the
Sangam era
. He is regarded as the "God of the
Tamil
people" and is hailed as the lord of
Palani hills
, the tutelary deity of the
Kurinji
region whose cult gained immense popularity.
Tamil
Sangam literature
has several works attributed to Murugan such as
Tirumuruk???uppa?ai
by
Nakk?ra?ar
and
Tiruppukal
by
Arunagirinathar
. Archaeological evidence from the 1st-century CE and earlier indicate his iconography associated with
Agni
, the Hindu god of fire, suggesting he was a significant deity in early Hinduism.
The iconography of Kartikeya varies significantly; he is typically represented as an ever-youthful man, riding or near an
Indian peafowl
, called Paravani and sometimes with an
emblem of a rooster
upon his banner. He wields a
spear weapon
called
vel
, supposedly given to him by his mother Parvati. While most icons represent him with only one head, some have six heads which reflect the legend surrounding his birth wherein he was born as six boys who were later united into one by Parvati. He is described to have aged quickly from childhood, becoming a warrior, leading the army of the
Devas
and credited with destroying
rakshasas
such as
Tarakasura
and
Surapadma
. He is regarded as a philosopher who taught the pursuit of an ethical life and the theology of
Shaiva Siddhanta
.
Kaumaram
is the denomination that primarily venerates Kartikeya. Apart from significant Kaumaram worship and temples in
South India
, he is worshiped as Mahasena and Kumara in
North
and
East India
. He is also worshiped in
Sri Lanka
,
South East Asia
(notably in
Malaysia
,
Singapore
,
Thailand
and
Indonesia
), other countries with significant populations of Tamil origin (including
Fiji
,
Mauritius
,
South Africa
and
Canada
),
Caribbean
countries (including
Trinidad and Tobago
,
Guyana
and
Suriname
), and countries with significant Indian migrants (including the
United States
and
Australia
).
Etymology and nomenclature
Kartikeya means "of the Krittikas" and the epithet is linked to the circumstances surrounding his birth.
According to
Skanda Purana
, six divine sparks emerged from
Shiva
which developed into separate baby boys in the
Ganges
, aided by
Vayu
and
Agni
. They were raised by
handmaidens
known as the
Krittikas
and were later fused into one by
Parvati
.
[7]
[8]
While he has 108 names according to existing Hindu literature, he is known by more given names.
[9]
Most common amongst these include Skanda (from
skand-
, "to leap or to attack"), Murugan (handsome), Kumara (youthful), Subrahmanya (transparent), Senthil (victorious), V?la? (wielder of
Vel
), Swaminatha (ruler of gods), Sarava?abhava (born amongst the reeds), Arumugha or Shanmukha (six faced), Dhanadapani (wielder of mace) and Kandha (cloud).
[10]
[12]
On ancient coins where the inscription has survived along with his images, his names appear as Kumara, Brahmanya, or Brahmanyadeva.
On some ancient Indo-Scythian coins, his names appear in Greek script as Skanda, Kumara, and Vishaka.
[14]
Birth and family
Various Indian literature recite numerous different stories surrounding the birth of Kartikeya. In
Valmiki
's
Ramayana
, he is described as the child of deities
Rudra
and Parvati, whose birth is aided by Agni and
Ganga
.
The
Shalya Parva
and the
Anushasana Parva
of
Mahabharata
presents Skanda's legend as the son of Maheshvara (Shiva) and Parvati.
As Shiva and Parvati were making love, they are disturbed, and Shiva inadvertently spills his
semen
which incubates in Ganges, preserved by the heat of god Agni, and this fetus is born as baby Kartikeya.
According to the
Skanda Purana
, the
asuras
??r?padma
,
T?rak?sura
, and Simhamukha performed austerities to propitiate
Shiva
. Shiva granted them various boons, which gave them the ability to conquer the
three worlds
and near immortality.
They subsequently oppressed other celestial beings including the
devas
, and started a reign of tyranny in their respective realms. When the devas pleaded Shiva for his assistance, he manifested five additional heads, and a divine spark emerged from each of them.
[8]
Initially, the wind-god Vayu carried the sparks, with the fire-god Agni taking over later because of the unbearable heat. Agni deposited the sparks in the Ganga river. The water in the Ganga started evaporating due to intense heat. Ganga took them to Saravana lake, where the sparks developed into six baby boys.
[8]
The six boys were raised by
handmaidens
known as the
Krittikas
, and they were later fused into one by
Parvati
. Thus, the six-headed Kartikeya was born.
[7]
In the
Vana Parva
of the
Mahabharata
, he is mentioned as the son of
Agni
and Svaha. It is recited that Agni goes to meet the wives of the
Saptarshi
(seven great sages) and while none of them reciprocate his feelings, Svaha is present there and is attracted to Agni. Svaha takes the form of six of the wives, one by one, and sleeps with Agni. She is unable to take the form of Arundhati,
Vasishtha
's wife, because of Arundhati's extraordinary virtuous powers. Svaha deposits the semen of Agni into the reeds of Ganges river, where it develops and is born as the six-headed Skanda.
He is considered as the younger brother of
Ganesha
, while some texts regard that he is the elder.
In the northern and western Indian traditions, Kartikeya is regarded as a
celibate
bachelor, though few
Sanskrit
texts mention
Devasena
, the daughter of
Indra
, as his wife.
As per
Tamil literature
, he has two consorts, Devayanai (identified with Devasena) and
Valli
.
Literature
Vedic text and epics
There are ancient references which can be interpreted to be Kartikeya in the
Vedic texts
. For example, the term
Kumara
appears in hymn 5,2 of the
Rig Veda
.
[note 2]
The verses depict a bright-colored boy hurling weapons and other motifs that have been associated with Skanda.
The Skanda-like motifs found in
Rig Veda
are found in other Vedic texts, such as section 6.1-3 of the
Shatapatha Brahmana
.
In these, the mythology is very different for
Kumara
, as Agni is described to be the
Kumara
whose mother is
Ushas
(goddess Dawn) and whose father is Purusha.
The section 10.1 of the
Taittiriya Aranyaka
mentions
Sanmukha
(six faced one), while the
Baudhayana Dharmasutra
mentions a householder's rite of passage that involves prayers to Skanda with his brother Ganapati (Ganesha) together.
The chapter 7 of the
Chandogya Upanishad
(~800?600 BCE) equates Sanat-Kumara (eternal son) and Skanda, as he teaches sage
Narada
to discover his own
Atman
(soul, self) as a means to the ultimate knowledge, true peace and liberation.
[25]
[note 3]
The first clear evidence of Kartikeya's importance emerges in the Hindu
epics
such as the
Ramayana
and the
Mahabharata
where his story is recited.
Sanskrit literature
Mentions of Skanda are found in the works of
P??ini
(~500 BCE), in
Patanjali
's
Mahabhasya
and
Kautilya
's
Arthashastra
.
Kalidasa
's epic poem the
Kum?rasambhava
features the life and story of Kartikeya.
[28]
Kartikeya is mentioned in the
Skanda Purana
, the largest
Mah?pur??a
, a genre of eighteen
Hindu
religious texts.
[29]
The text contains over 81,000 verses, and is part of
Shaivite
literature.
While the text is named after Skanda (Kartikeya), he does not feature either more or less prominently in this text than in other Shiva-related Puranas.
The text has been an important historical record and influence on the Hindu traditions related to war-god Skanda.
[32]
The earliest text titled
Skanda Purana
likely existed by the 6th-century CE, but the
Skanda Purana
that has survived into the modern era exists in many versions.
Tamil literature
Tolk?ppiyam
, one of the ancient texts in
Tamil
, mentions
C?y??
("the red one"), identified with Murugan, whose name is mentioned as
Muruka?
("the youth").
[36]
Extant
Sangam literature
works, dated between the third century BCE and the fifth century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."
[37]
Korravai
is often identified as the mother of Murugan.
[38]
In
Tirumuruk???uppa?ai
, an ancient Tamil epic dedicated to Murugan, he is called
Murugu
and described as a god of beauty and youth, with phrases such as "his body glows like the sun rising from the emerald sea". It describes him with six faces each with a function, twelve arms, his victory over evil, and the temples dedicated to him in the hilly regions.
The ancient Tamil lexicon
Pinkalandai
identifies the name V?? with the slayer of
Taraka
.
[note 4]
Sangam literature
Paripatal
refers to Murugan as
Sevv??
("red spear") and as
Neduv??
("tall spear").
Buddhist
In
Mahayana Buddhism
, the
Mah?parinirv??a S?tra
mentions Kum?ra as one of the eighty gods worshipped by the common people. The
?rya Ka?ikrodhavajrakum?rabodhisattava S?dhan?vidhi S?tra
(T 1796) features a section for the recitation of a mantra dedicated to the deity, where he is also paired with I?vara.
Yi Xing
's Commentary of the Mah?vairocana Tantra clarifies that Kum?ra is the son of I?vara.
[43]
The 16th-century Siamese text
Jinakalamali
mentions him as a guardian god.
[44]
Iconography and depictions
Ancient
Yaudheya
and
Kushan period
coins dated to 1st and 2nd century CE, show Kartikeya with either one or six heads with depictions of single head more common.
Similarly, sculptures show him with either one or six heads with the six head iconography dated to post-
Gupta Empire
era.
Artwork found in
Gandhara
and
Mathura
, dated to the Kushan period, show him with one head, dressed in a
dhoti
(a cloth wrapped at waist, covering the legs) and wearing
armour
wielding a
spear
in his right hand with a
rooster
on his left.
Artwork from Gandhara show him in a
Scythian
dress, likely reflecting the local dress culture prevalent during the time with a rooster like bird that may be a
Parthian
influence that symbolizes Kartikeya's agility and maneuverability as a warrior god.
Kartikeya's iconography shows him as a youthful god, dressed as a warrior with attributes of a hunter and a philosopher.
[50]
He wields a divine spear known as the
vel
, granted to him by Parvati and signifies his power or
shakti
.
[51]
The Vel symbolism is associated with valor, bravery and righteousness.
[9]
He is sometimes depicted with other weapons including a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow.
His
vahana
or mount is depicted as a
peacock
, known as Paravani.
[54]
[55]
While he was depicted with an
elephant
mount in early iconography, his iconography of a six faced lord on a peacock mount got firmly entrenched after sixth century CE along with the increasing transformation of his role from a warrior to a philosopher teacher and his increasing role in the
Shaivite
cannon.
[56]
According to Skanda Purana, when he faced asura Surapadman, he turned into a
mango
tree, which was split in half by Kartikeya using his Vel. One half of the tree became his mount, the peacock while the other half became the rooster entrenched on his flag.
[9]
Theology and historical development
Guha (Muruga)
You who has form and who is formless,
you who are both being and non-being,
who are the fragrance and the blossom,
who are the jewel and its lustre,
who are the seed of life and life itself,
who are the means and the existence itself,
who are the supreme guru, come
and bestow your grace, O Guha [Murugan]
Kantaranuputi 51
,
Arunagirinathar
(Translator: Kamil Zvelebil),
Regardless of the variance among the legends, his birth is in difficult circumstances, he is born through a surrogate and is raised by a host of mothers, later reuniting with his biological family. According to Fred Clothey, Muruga thus symbolizes a union of polarities.
He is considered a uniter, championing the attributes of both
Shaivism
and
Vaishnavism
.
His theology is most developed in the Tamil texts and in the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition.
He is described as
dheivam
(abstract neuter divinity,
nirguna Brahman
), as
kadavul
(divinity in nature, in everything), as
Devan
(masculine deity), and as
iraivativam
(concrete manifestation of the sacred,
saguna Brahman
).
According to Fred Clothey, as Murugan, he embodies the "cultural and religious whole that comprises South Indian Shaivism".
He is the philosopher and exponent of Shaiva Siddhanta theology, as well as the patron deity of the Tamil language.
[63]
Originally, Murugan was not worshipped as a god, but rather as an exalted ancestor, heroic warrior and accomplished
Siddhar
born in the
Kurinji
landscape. In that role he was seen as a custodian who consistently defended the Tamils against foreign invasions with the stories of his astonishing and miraculous deeds increasing his stature in the community, who began to view him as god.
[64]
Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth which encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God.
According to Raman Varadara, Murugan, originally regarded as a Tamil deity, underwent a process of adoption and incorporation into the pantheon of North Indian deities.
In contrast,
G. S. Ghurye
states that according to the archeological and epigraphical evidence, the contemporary Murugan, Subrahmanya and Kartikeya is a composite of two influences, one from south and one from north in the form of Skanda and Mahasena.
[65]
He as the warrior-philosopher god was the patron deity for many ancient northern and western Hindu kingdoms, and of the
Gupta Empire
, according to Ghurye. After the 7th-century, Skanda's importance diminished while his brother Ganesha's importance rose in the west and north, while in the south the legends of Murugan continued to grow.
[65]
[66]
According to Norman Cutler, Kartikeya-Murugan-Skanda of South and North India coalesced over time, but some aspects of the South Indian iconography and mythology for Murugan have remained unique to Tamil Nadu.
[67]
According to Fred Clothey, the evidence suggests that Kartikeya mythology had become widespread sometime around 200 BCE or after in north India.
In addition to textual evidence, his importance is affirmed by the archeological, the epigraphical and the numismatic evidence of this period. For example, he is found in numismatic evidence linked to the
Yaudheyas
, a confederation of warriors in north India who are mentioned by ancient P??ini.
During the
Kushan era
, that included rule over the northwest
Indian subcontinent
, more coins featuring Kartikeya were minted.
He is also found on ancient Indo-Scythian coins, where his various names are minted in Greek script.
[70]
[note 5]
Skanda was regarded as a philosopher in his role as Subramanhya while similarly Murugan was regarded as the teacher of Tamil literature and poetry. In the late
Chola period
from sixth to thirteenth centuries CE, Murugan was firmly established in the role of a teacher and philosopher while his militaristic depictions receded.
[56]
Despite the changes, his portrayal was multi-faceted with significant differences between Skanda and Murugan till the late
Vijayanagara period
, when he was accepted as a single deity diverse facets.
[56]
Other religions
In
Mahayana Buddhism
, he is described as a manifestation of Mah?brahm?r?ja with five hair coils, a handsome face emanating purple-golden light that surpasses the light of the other devas. In Chinese Buddhism,
Skanda
(also sometimes known as Kum?ra) is known as Weituo, a young heavenly general, the guardian deity of local monasteries and the protector of Buddhist
dhamma
.
[74]
According to Henrik Sørensen, this representation became common after the
Tang period
, and became well established in the late
Song period
.
[75]
He is also regarded as one of the
twenty-four celestial guardian deities
, who are a grouping of originally Hindu and Taoist deities adopted into Chinese Buddhism as
dharmapalas
.
[76]
Skanda was also adopted by
Korean Buddhism
, and he appears in its woodblock prints and paintings.
[75]
According to Richard Gombrich, Skanda has been an important deity in
Theravada Buddhism
pantheon, in countries such as
Sri Lanka
and
Thailand
. The
Nikaya Samgraha
describes Skanda Kumara as a guardian deity of the land, along with Upulvan (Vishnu), Saman and Vibhisana.
[44]
In Sri Lanka, Skanda as
Kataragama deviyo
, is a popular among both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists. While many regard him as a
bodhisattva
, he is also associated with sensuality and retribution. Anthropologist
Gananath Obeyesekere
has suggested that the deity's popularity among Buddhists is due to his power to grant emotional gratification, which is in stark contrast to sensual restraint that characterizes Buddhist practice in Sri Lanka.
[77]
According to Asko Parpola, the Jain deity
Naigamesa
, who is also referred to as Hari-Naigamesin, is depicted in early Jain texts as riding the peacock and as the leader of the divine army, both symbols of Kartikeya.
Worship
India
- South India
Murugan being known as the God of the Tamils, has many temples dedicated to him across
Tamil Nadu
. Most renowned of them are the
Six Abodes of Murugan
, a set of six temples at
Thiruparankundram Murugan temple
,
Tiruchendur Murugan Temple
,
Palani Murugan Temple
,
Swamimalai Swaminathaswamy Temple
,
Tiruttani Subramaniya Swamy Temple
, and
Pazhamudircholai
which are mentioned in Sangam literature.
[79]
Other major temples dedicated to Murugan include
Kuzhanthai Velappar Temple
,
Sikkal Singaravelan Temple
,
Marudamalai Subramanya Swamy Temple
,
Kumarakkottam Subramanya Swamy Temple
,
Valliyur Subramanya Swamy Temple
,
Vallakottai Subramaniyaswami temple
,
Thiruporur Kandaswamy temple
,
Vayalur Murugan Temple
,
Viralimalai Murugan temple
,
Vadapalani Andavar Temple
,
Thindal Murugan Temple
,
Pachaimalai Subramanya Swamy Temple
,
Balasubramaniyaswamy Temple
,
Kolanjiappar temple
,
Uthanda Velayudhaswamy temple
and
Siruvapuri Sri Balasubrahmanyam temple
.
[80]
Places of worship dedicated to Subramanya in
Kerala
include temples at
Haripad
,
Neendoor
,
Kidangoor
and
Kodumbu
.
[81]
[82]
In
Andhra Pradesh
and
Telangana
, he is worshipped as Subrahmanya, Kumara Swamy or Skanda with major temples at
Mopidevi
,
[83]
Biccavolu
,
[84]
Skandagiri,
[85]
[86]
Mallam,
[87]
[88]
and Indrakeeladri, Vijayawada.
[89]
In
Karnataka
, the deity that is worshipped as Subrahmanya where he is regarded as the lord of the serpents in
Kukke Subramanya Temple
and
Ghati Subramanya
.
[90]
[91]
- Other parts of India
In
West Bengal
, Kartikeya is associated with the birth of children and is worshiped on the last day of the month of Kartik wherein a clay model of the deity is kept at night before the day of worship (usually by friends) for the newly married couple before the door of their house. The deity is worshipped the next day in the evening and is offered toys.
[92]
The deity is also worshipped during the
Durga Puja
festival wherein Kartikeya is visualized as a young man, riding a peacock and wielding a bow and arrows. He is stated to be Kumara, that is, a bachelor as he is unmarried.
[92]
Temples also exist in the rest of India in
Pehowa
in
Haryana
, in
Manali
and
Chamba
in
Himachal Pradesh
and
Rudraprayag
in
Uttarakhand
.
[93]
[94]
[95]
[96]
Outside India
Kartikeya is worshiped as Kumar in Nepal. Sithi Nakha (Kumar Shashthi) is celebrated on the sixth day of the waxing moon, according to the lunar calendar, in the Lunar month of Jestha. The festival is celebrated by cleaning water sources and offering a feast.
[97]
In Sri Lanka, Murugan is predominantly worshiped by Tamil people as Murugan and by the
Sinhalese
as
Kataragama deviyo
, a guardian deity. Numerous Murugan temples exist throughout the island including
Kataragama temple
,
Nallur Kandaswamy temple
and
Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple
.
[98]
[99]
Murugan is revered in countries with significant population of Tamil people and people of Tamil origin including
South East Asia
notably in
Malaysia
,
Singapore
,
Sri Lanka
,
Thailand
,
Indonesia
and
Myanmar
, other countries with significant people of Tamil origin like
Fiji
,
Mauritius
,
Seychelles
,
Reunion
,
South Africa
and
Canada
,
Caribbean
countries including
Trinidad and Tobago
,
Guyana
and
Suriname
, countries with significant Indian migrants including the
United States
and
Australia
.
[100]
Sri Subramanyar Temple at
Batu Caves
temple complex in
Malaysia
is dedicated to Murugan, which has a 42.7-m-high statue of Murugan at the entrance, one of the largest Murugan statues in the world.
[101]
[102]
There are some other temples in Malaysia such as
Balathandayuthapani Temple
and
Nattukkottai Chettiar Temple
,
Marathandavar Temple
and
Kandaswamy Kovil
.
[103]
[104]
[105]
[106]
Sri Thendayuthapani Temple
is a major Hindu temple in
Singapore
.
[107]
Murugan temples also exist in several western countries like United States of America,
[108]
[109]
Canada,
[110]
United Kingdom
,
[111]
[112]
[113]
[114]
[115]
Australia,
[116]
[117]
[118]
New Zealand
,
[119]
[120]
Germany
[121]
[122]
and
Switzerland
.
[123]
Festivals
Festivals pertaining to Murugan are:
- Thaipusam
is celebrated on the
full moon day
in the
Tamil month
of Thai on the confluence of
star
Pusam
.
[124]
The festival is celebrated to commemorate the victory of Murugan over the asuras and includes ritualistic practices of
Kavadi Aattam
, a ceremonial act of sacrifice carrying a physical burden as a means of balancing a spiritual debt. Worshipers often carry a pot of
cow milk
as an offering and also do
mortification of the flesh
by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with
vel
skewers.
[100]
- Panguni Uthiram
occurs on the purnima of the month of
Panguni
on the confluence of the star Uttiram.
[125]
The festival marks the celebration of Murugan's marriage to Devasena.
[126]
- Karthika Deepam
, a festival of lights celebrated on the full moon day of the
Kartika
.
[127]
- Vaikasi Visakam, celebrates the birth anniversary of Murugan and occurs during the confluence of star Visakam in the month of
Vaisakha
.
[128]
- Kanda Sashti
falls in the month of either
Aippasi
or Kartikai of the Tamil calendar and commemorates the victory of Murugan over the demon Surapadman.
[129]
Explanatory notes
- ^
Karthikeya's marital status varies across regions. In
South Indian
traditions, he has two wives ? Deivanai (identified with Devasena) and Valli whereas some
Sanskrit
scriptures only mention Devasena (also known as
Shashthi
) as his wife. He is also considered celibate in parts of
North India
.
- ^
??????
???? ?????? ??????? ???? ??????? ? ????? ?????? ? ???????? ? ?????????? ???? ???????? ????????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ????? ???? ? ?????????? ????? ???? ??????????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??????????? ????????????????????????????????? ??????? ? ????? ????? ????? ???????????? ???????????? ?????????????? ??? ?????????????? ???????????? ????????? ? ???? ???????? ? ? ?? ??????????????? ?? ?? ????????????????? ?????? ??? (...)
Hymn 5.2, Wikisource
;
English: "The youthful Mother keeps the Boy in secret pressed to her close, nor yields him to the Father. But, when he lies upon the arm, the people see his unfading countenance before them. [5.2.1] What child is this thou carriest as handmaid, O Youthful One? The Consort-Queen hath bome him. The Babe unborn increased through many autumns. I saw him born what time his Mother bare him. [5.2.2] I saw him from afar gold-toothed, bright-coloured, hurling his weapons from his habitation, What time I gave him Amrta free from mixture. How can the Indraless, the hymnless harm me? [5.2.3] I saw him moving from the place he dwells in, even as with a herd, brilliantly shining. These seized him not: he had been born already. They who were grey with age again grow youthful. [5.2.4]
? Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith,
Wikisource
- ^
Verse 7.26.2 states Kumara is Skanda, but there are stylistic differences between this verse and the rest of the chapter. This may be because this verse was interpolated into the text at a later date.
[26]
- ^
Not only are king of Chalukyas defined as "Velpularasar" in the Tamil lexicons but the name Vel is expressly stated to have belonged to them as stated in the following passage of
Pinkalandai
:V?? means either the slayer of Taraka, the king of Chalukyas or the god of love.
- ^
Richard Mann states that Skanda-Kumara may be composite deity linked to Greek deities pair called
Dioscuri
(Castor and Pollux), given the numismatic overlap in their iconography and similar warrior-god mythologies.
[71]
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General bibliography
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