The Story of Skanda

Once upon a time, in a timeless time, long ago- before the dice game, Agni, the god of fire, was sent by Indra to interrupt Shiva’s amorous play with Parvati. You see, after many years of abstinence, Shiva’s seed was so strong that the gods, fearing the result, sent Agni to steal it. However, the luminous seed of Shiva and Parvati’s energy was too bright for even the fire god to hold, and so he dropped it into the Ganges River. The goddess Ganga then nourished the seed, causing a living being, Skanda, to spring forth. If you recall from one of our previous myths, Skanda quickly grew and defeated Tarakasura, the demon terrorizing the world. Skanda has many names- Muruga, Karttikeya, and Senapati, the god of war. Skanda is known for his bravery and strength, and he is said to be invincible, except for that one time he lost to his brother, Ganesha, in a race around the universe. Skanda rides a peacock and rather than bolting across the Earth by bird, Ganesha simply circled his parents, the sources of life, to win the race.

To dive deeper-

From the union of Parvati and Shiva (yin and yang) and because of their willingness to play the game, the manifest world is created. Birthed into the manifest world are Ganesha/Ganapati (the master of the unruly parts of ourselves) and Skanda/Senapati (the master of the disciplined parts of ourselves). Skanda is the representation of your future self/selves. Skanda is the light in front of you.

We exist in dharma and we embrace conflict.