What does the name kArthikEya means?

|| Jai Sadguru Dutta ||

 

This message is in reply to a question that I came across from an

American. The information he has provided is quite disturbing and I

strongly felt that it is my duty to counteract the insult to Hinduism

which compelled me to write such a long note. After thoroughly going

through my reply, kindly inform the concerned company to rectify

their mistake. COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS AND CRITICISM ARE WELCOME. Here

is the question:

 

" Hi:

I am new here and am posting my first email to the group. I hope the

subject matter is not offensive.

 

I have a catalogue from an American company called Sacred Source.

They ship images of various gods and goddesses to devotees all over

North America. Their hindu images look all right, but under their

entry for Kartikeya, they maintain that his name means "fountain of

sperm" and as such he has been adopted by the gay community. I have

no problem with their adopting him as their patron deity, but does

his name really mean "fountain of sperm"? Does anyone know for sure?

Again, no disrespect is meant by this inquiry.

 

--- Bill "

 

 

THE REPLY:

 

 

Mr. Bill, it is highly unfortunate and disgusting to learn that a

company in the world's most developed country – the USA has been so

lethargic in deciphering the name of Lord KArthikEya, whom millions

of people across the globe adore as their favorite deity. This is

nothing but a sign of total degradation of basic decency of value

system in America. At the same time I am thankful to you for

bringing it to my notice. Also, kindly furnish me with the contact

details of the company. Shall I hope that my reply prompts you to do

the needful in bringing it to the notice of the concerned and rectify

the mistake?

 

Thanks & regards.

 

 

| | OM SHARAVANA BHAVAAYA NAMAH ||

 

KArthikEya, the second son of the divine couple Shiva-PArvathi, and

the younger brother of GanEsha, is also known as KumAra, KArthikEya,

ShaNmukha, SubrahmaNya, Skanda and many other SAnskRt names. He is a

popular deity in the southern part of BhArath (India) and worshipped

as SubrahmaNya and Muruga. "SubrahmaNya" literally means "one who has

perfected celibacy"; its subtle meaning is "the enlightened one".

Since he likes holy people (Brahmans) and is always good to them, he

is `SubrahmaNya'. Muruga is a Tamil word meaning " undecaying beauty

or everlasting youth and Godliness". (please see the beautiful pic of

the lord uploaded along with this message) His other popular names

are Guha (the secret one), GAngEya (son of GangA) and SwAmi-nAtha

(the preceptor of his own father)

 

 

 

In the "Skanda purANa", it is mentioned that goddess PArvathi could

not withstand the "power" of Shiva's vIrya (sperm) and hence she

expelled it, which spilled onto the GangA river on earth. Even GangA

could not bear that "heat" and consequently, she showed it to the

banks. The sperm fell on "Shara" - an arrow like grass and split into

6 separate drops . Hence six identical babies were born. This is the

reason why the lord is called "SharavaNa Bhava" (born out of the

Shara grass).This is an indication of the fact that Indians knew

Cloning thousands of years back itself. THE 6 IDENTICAL BABIES WERE

REARED BY SIX DIVINE MOTHERS OF THE CONSTELLATION "KRTTIKA"

(PLEIADES) – HENCE THE NAME "KArthikEya" (son of kRittika). It

seems that, later, all the six babies merged and became one with 6

faces (a striking example of yOgic power and Gene Mutation

technique !!!) to suckle the milk of the six mothers and so got the

appellation "ShadAnana" or "ShaNmukha" (the 6 faced one). This is

also the reason for the kRittika star being auspicious to the Lord.

 

 

PurANAs are stories which explain complex and abstract knowledge for

the common folk in a simple way, correlating the highest spiritual

concepts to human life. You can call them parables ( purANAs =

parables ). A soul in pursuit of higher knowledge is susceptible to

doubts and confusions if it takes the gross meaning of such stories.

 

Lord KArthikEya represents the greatest state to which spiritual

aspirants can evolve. ETYMOLOGICALLY THE WORD "SUBRAMANYA" MEANS 'ONE

WHO TENDS THE SPIRITUAL GROWTH OF THE ASPIRANTS'. It is only he who

reached the summit of the spiritual perfection in this life that is

capable of tending the spiritual growth of others. Mythology

describes him as the Son of God begotten to save the world from

tyranny of the fiend TArakAsura. This is truer in the spiritual sense.

 

SubrahmaNya, the ShaNmukha, is depicted with six heads and twelve

hands, all of them being attached to one trunk resting on two feet. A

concept like this can be conceded if it fits into useful

philosophical postulations. HIS SIX HEADS REPRESENT THE FIVE SENSE

ORGANS AND THE MIND, which co-ordinates their activities. When these

are controlled, refined and sublimated, man becomes a Superman. This

is the implication of the symbology.

 

Man has only two hands. But, his superior intellect has enabled him

to invent so many tools and instruments through which he can

accomplish manual tasks, symbolically represents this power and

capacity of man. The combination of the six heads and twelve hands

teaches us that the ideal of humanity is the perfected being who is

not only a great Yogi but also a great worker!

 

 

Sri SwAmi ShivAnandaji MahArAj of the Divine Life Society has given a

beautiful explanation to the above story regarding the Lord's birth:

 

" The advent of Skanda was the background of the occasion when Shiva

burnt Manmatha (kAma or the god of lust ) with His THIRD EYE (AjnA

chakra – knowledge), a penalty he inflicted on "kAma" for disturbing

him in his meditation. The story goes that the sparks which flashed

forth from the third eye of Shiva rushed through space, which "vAyu"

(the Wind God) and "aGni" (the Fire God) carried and dropped into

the river GangA (hence the name gAngEya). GangA, being unable to

contain the divine energy, shoved it on to her banks, upon a shrub of

reeds known as "Shara". There is thus a combination of the ether,

air, fire, water and earth principles in the depositing of

the "tEjas" or energy of Shiva in the world. The cumulative force

which combined the forms of the five elements (pancha bhUta)

impregnated with the divine power of Shiva (Divya-Tejas) manifested

itself as a sixfold divinity with six faces (ShaNmukha), including

both the unmanifest and manifest

elements in a single being. This is the child of Shiva, of mysterious

birth, mysterious bringing up, under mysterious circumstances, for a

mysterious purpose which the gods alone knew. THE THIRD EYE

REPRESENTS THE PRINCIPLE OF INTELLIGENCE AND SKANDA, THUS, AS A

REVELATION THROUGH THE THIRD EYE OF SIVA, IS SAID TO STAND FOR AN

INCARNATION OF DIVINE KNOWLEDGE."

 

Sri Swamiji details the esoteric significance of the Lord:

 

"This great avatAr of KArtikEya is of deep significance and of very

special importance to us, who have dedicated ourselves to the

spiritual ideal, who have, by the Grace of God, begun to feel that

the real purpose of life is not to be attained by enjoyment of the

perishable objects of this physical world, but by striving to achieve

the realization of the spiritual ideal, by the attainment of the

Eternal, the Imperishable; for, the manifestation of the Lord as

Skanda has been in the nature of a practical demonstration of the

laws that operate upon the inward path of ascent unto divinity.

Saints and sages are, as it were, a living commentary upon the great

scriptures; even so the great avatArAs, the Divine personalities of

our PurANAs, their life and LeelAs form a demonstration of the laws

that operate upon the spiritual realm, of truths pertaining to the

inner life of Yoga, inner SAdhana (penance) and SAkShAtkara

(realization). Different aspects of this inner life of Yoga and

SAdhana are brought out

and demonstrated by different manifestations of the Supreme Deity and

their various LeelAs. IF THEIR RIGHT SIGNIFICANCE IS UNDERSTOOD, IT

WILL BE OF IMMENSE PRACTICAL HELP AND GUIDANCE TO THE JIVA (the soul)

WHICH IS TRYING TO ATTAIN THE SUPREME AND TO REALISE THE PARAMATMAN.

 

In the Skanda AvatAra is brought out the fact of the eternal struggle

between avidyA (ignorance) and JnAna (knowledge), between the lower

Asuric and the higher divine forces, that operate both upon the

cosmic scale as well as within the individual PrakRti; and the

resolution of this eternal struggle and its consummation in supreme

triumph to the divine forces is brought out in the Skanda Leelas.

 

We are told that TEjas burst forth from the AjnA Chakra of Lord Siva,

which assumed the form of Lord Skanda. Thus He is the JnAna Jyoti

(illuminating knowledge). A very significant fact is there that

ultimately He was taken out of six lotuses by Goddess pArvati from

the GangA where reeds were growing. We know that the supreme

spiritual experience or the AparOksha AnubhUti is attained, IN YOGIC

PARLANCE, THROUGH SHAT-CHAKRA-BHEDA (KundalinI yOga) OR BY PIERCING

THE SIX PLEXUS. IT IS THE EMERGING OUT OF THE SIX LOWER LOTUSES THAT

FINDS THE JIVA ULTIMATELY IN A STATE OF PERFECT (PURNA) YOGA OR

WISDOM IN THE SAHASRARA CHAKRA (the thousand petaled lotus). THUS, IN

SKANDA WE HAVE THE ULTIMATE PRODUCT OF AN EMERGENCE OUT OF THE SIX

LOTUSES OR SHAT-CHAKRAS AND THIS WE KNOW TO BE SUPREME WISDOM.

THEREFORE, LORD

SKANDA IS A MASS OF ULTIMATE TRANSCENDENTAL SUPREME KNOWLEDGE THAT

HAS TO DESTROY NESCIENCE,(AjnAna or darkness) represented upon the

plane of manifest cosmos in the form of the Asuric hosts. "

 

 

The lord took birth with the purpose of ending the atrocities of the

demon (rAkshasa) king TArakAsura, who had the boon from Lord Brahma

that only the son born to the divine couple PArvathi-ParmEShwar shall

be able to kill him. KArthikEya was appointed the commander-in-chief

of the gods and thus became "dEvasenApati' or "DEvasEnA nAyak". With

his matchless weapon, the "Shakti" or lance (called "vEl" in Tamil)

shining brilliantly like fire, he easily destroyed TArakAsura thus

becoming 'Shaktidhara' (one who holds "Shakti) and 'tArakari' (The

enemy of TAraka). Being very young and virile he is 'Kumara'

or 'Sanatkumara' (ever young). A forceful attacker in war, he is

known as 'Skanda'. 'Skanda' also means one who has accumulated the

power of chastity. His banner is "kukkuta"(cock) and vehicle

the "mayUra" (peacock) which stands clutching a serpent in its

talons. The snake stands for time. The peacock that kills it stands

for what is opposed to it. By riding the peacock he is showing that

he is beyond what is within time and outside it. He is beyond all

dualities.

 

If the snake represents lust, as it often does in the symbology of

psychology, the peacock signifies the power of celibacy. AS SKANDA,

HE IS THE VERY PERSONIFICATION OF THE POWERS OF CHASTITY AND HENCE IS

SHOWN AS RIDING ON THE PEACOCK. (Is this sufficient for the gays to

rectify their mistake and lead a noble life ?)

 

The peacock, with its beautiful plumage, represents creation in all

its glory. Hence he that rides it is the Supreme Lord, the Master of

creation

 

His "Shaktis" or inseparable powers (consorts/wives) are VaLLi and

DEvasEnA (DeivayAni) whom he assumed in the course of the great

history describing his multiform life of a series of exploits both in

the celestial and temporal realms.

VaLLi is the daughter of a humble chieftain of a race given to

agriculture and woodcraft; and DEvasEnA is the daughter of Indra, the

king of Gods.

This is just to show that God does not make any distinction between

the humble folk and the elite. He loves both equally.

 

Alternatively, this can also mean that the true leader of a society

will espouse agriculture and industry on the one hand, and the armed

forces on the other, in order to develop the society as also to

protect it.

 

Lastly, the lance (vEl) of dazzling brightness is the weapon with

which the DEvasEnapati vanquished many an enemy. It actually stands

for knowledge and wisdom with which all the ugly demons of ignorance

can be destroyed.

 

 

|| May Lord KArthikEya shower his infinite bliss and remove the

ignorance of all ||