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Birth Of Kartikeya

The Cosmic Symphony of Kartikeya: Understanding the Seven-Fold Division of Creation

The story of Kartikeya represents one of the most profound cosmological concepts in Hindu mythology - the creation of cosmic life through the interaction of primordial forces. This narrative beautifully encodes the metaphysical understanding of how life emerges through the interaction of prāṇa (vital force) with ākāśa (ethereal space), creating a seven-fold division that permeates all aspects of creation.

The Seven-Fold Division in Creation

When prāṇa first interacted with ākāśa, it manifested a universal septenary pattern seen throughout creation:

    7 colors of the spectrum

    7 fundamental sounds

    7 worlds or planes of existence

    7 heavens or celestial realms

    7 openings in the human head

    7 saṃskāras (purificatory rites)

    7 sisters (1 original śakti + 6 kṛttikās)

    7 (or sometimes 8) mātṝkās (divine mothers)

    7 ṛṣis (sages)

    7 spiritual planes

    7 cakras (energy centers)

    7 planes of consciousness

    7 planes of awareness

This cosmic blueprint is intricately woven into the mythology of Kartikeya's birth. While both sons of Śiva - Kartikeya and Gaṇeśa - share similarities, they represent different spiritual journeys. Kartikeya's story symbolizes the manifestation of cosmic life, while Gaṇeśa's narrative represents the culmination of life in Self-realization.

The Five Faces of Śiva and the Emergence of the Sixth

Traditionally, Lord Śiva is depicted with five heads, each representing one of his inherent śaktis (powers):

    1. Cit (consciousness) - represented by the alphabet 'a'

    2. Ānanda (bliss) - represented by the alphabet 'ā'

    3. Icchā (will) - represented by 'i' (unagitated) and 'ī' (agitated)

    4. Jñāna (knowledge) - represented by 'u' (about to manifest) and 'ū' (creation begins)

    5. Kriyā (action) - represented by the vowels 'e', 'ai', 'o', 'au'

When Tārakāsura (symbolizing the predominance of star formation without life) became dominant in the cosmos, Śiva manifested a sixth head or śakti - prāṇa. This sixth power interacted with ākāśa, the most subtle of the mahābhūtas (great elements), which had been created by the interaction of the other five śaktis.

The Birth of Cosmic Life

The mythology describes how the divine light that emerged from this interaction was carried by the next three mahābhūtas:

    1. Agni (fire)

    2. Vāyu (air)

    3. Gaṅgā (representing jala or water)

This process mirrors the emergence of life in an embryo. The nascent life force was then held in the wombs of the six wives of the seven ṛṣis, representing how the final mahābhūta, pṛthvī (earth), receives and nurtures life. These wives later deposited the life essence onto six lotus flowers, from which six babies emerged.

The six infants were carried by the six Kṛttikās, who are part of a seven-star constellation known as Pleiades or the "Seven Sisters." The cosmic equation completes itself: six Kṛttikās combined with the original śakti form the seven (or sometimes eight) mātṝkās (divine mothers).

The Significance of the Pleiades

The term "Kṛttikā" derives from "Kṛtti," meaning creation. When these star deities supported the first created life, they became mātṝkās (mothers). These seven śaktis eventually evolve into nine śaktis, known as Navadurgā.

It's noteworthy that the Pleiades star system features prominently in mythologies worldwide. This universal recognition points to its significance as the cosmic cradle of life as we know it.

Kartikeya: The Six-Headed Warrior of Cosmic Life

Kartikeya is depicted with six heads, reflecting the six-headed form of Śiva that created him. The symbolism extends through the pattern of six Kṛttikās out of seven sisters, and six wives out of seven ṛṣis. What does the seventh represent? It's not a division resulting from the interaction but what remains - the seventh portion that completes the whole.

This mythology elegantly explains how the interaction of prāṇa and ākāśa creates the seven-fold division in creation and initiates life. Kartikeya, the first cosmic life, is portrayed as a perpetual warrior, establishing life in star systems and transforming their purely material manifestation.

This cosmic role explains why Kartikeya (also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Ṣaṇmukha, and Murugan) is designated as the lord of ākāśa and guardian deity of the ākāśic records - the cosmic memory that holds all knowledge.

The primordial life was initially carried by the Saptarṣis (seven sages), who travel through each Nakṣatra (lunar mansion). They seeded the stars of the Pleiades system during their cosmic journey. While typically only six stars of this cluster are visible to the naked eye, under ideal conditions, one can actually discern seven - a physical reflection of this profound metaphysical truth.

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