Shri Shanmukha Subramania Swami

The first son of Shiva and Parvati is Skanda, the god of war, born of Shiva’s sperm and Parvati’s womb (a complicated story). His name can most credibly be read as meaning ‘jumping,’ an action associated with both virile young men in combat and with Skanda’s’ favored mount, the peacock. He has assumed many epithets, from Kartikeya in the northwest to Muragan (‘divine youth’) and, as here, Subrahmanya (‘pious, dear to Brahmans’) in the south. In this richly colored print, he has assumed a title much favored in Tamil Nadu, Shanmukha (‘six-faced’) Subrahmanya, the multi-faced form alluding to Skanda being raised by six divine foster parents. The youthful Skanda is shown accompanied by his two wives, Devasena and Valli, who hail from North and South India respectively, so emphasizing his universality. He is twelve-armed, nine of which display his armory and three gently embrace his wives. Skanda of the South rarely displays the warrior-character of a god of war but rather is conceived as a beautiful and gentle youth. The peacock, along with the eagle, regard the snake as their mortal enemy and here we see the bird clutching a cobra in its talons, a metaphor of Skanda’s power to destroy ignorance and evil. It is an image that balances piety and charm in equal measure.