In the grand, symbolic epic of our inner spiritual journey, few figures embody the principle of piercing, transcendent awareness as powerfully as Lord Kartikeya. He is not merely a god of war who vanquishes external foes; he is the divine faculty within us that wages the ultimate war against illusion itself. As we explored in our last discussion, the universe can be understood as a captivating, yet ultimately illusory, manifestation. Kartikeya’s story provides a profound roadmap for wielding the spear of knowledge to pierce this veil and gaze upon what is eternally real.
The Son of Balance: The Union of Shiva and Shakti
Before we explore his journey, we must first understand his origin, for it is the very source of his unique power. Kartikeya is the son of Lord Shiva, the ultimate ascetic and embodiment of pure dispassion, and Goddess Parvati, the embodiment of divine energy, or pure passion (Shakti). He is not one or the other, but their perfect synthesis.
It is precisely this divine balance that uniquely equips him to defeat the forces of illusion. From Shiva, he inherits the profound stillness and detachment necessary to witness the cosmic play without being ensnared by it. From Shakti, he receives the dynamic power and focused energy required to act, to pierce, and to vanquish ignorance. This union makes him the ultimate warrior-sage.
The Two Paths: A Tale of a Race
The first lesson in this journey of balance is beautifully illustrated by the famous race between Kartikeya and his brother, Ganesha. Tasked with circling the universe, Kartikeya, embodying the active, explorative energy of Shakti, immediately sets off on his peacock. Ganesha, embodying the supreme wisdom of Shiva, simply walks around his parents, defining them as the source and totality of the universe.
Ganesha’s victory teaches a profound lesson: while exploring the manifest world is a valid path, the highest wisdom lies in realizing the source. It is a tempering of pure action with supreme insight.
The Arsenal of Transcendent Knowledge
To navigate his journey, Kartikeya is endowed with divine attributes—gifts that arise from his unique parentage.
- The Peacock: His mount is not just a symbol of beauty, but of pure, transcendent knowledge. It is the vehicle of wisdom that allows him to move through the world with strength and poise.
- The Spear (Vel): This is Kartikeya’s most crucial emblem. It is a gift from his mother, Parvati, and here lies a beautiful paradox. The embodiment of divine creative energy (Shakti) gifts him the very weapon needed to see beyond her own cosmic manifestation as Maya. The Vel is the focused power of passion used for the ultimate purpose of dispassion—a one-pointed spear of discernment (viveka) to pierce the veil.
Slaying the Starry-Eyed Demon
Armed with this perfect balance, Kartikeya undertakes his primary purpose: the slaying of the asura Tāraka. The name Tārakā (तारका) means both “star” and the “pupil of the eye.” Tārakāsura, therefore, represents the entire phenomenal universe—the world of stars—as perceived through the limited lens of our senses. He is the captivating sensory reality that we mistake for the whole truth.
Because he wields both Shiva’s detachment and Shakti’s power, Kartikeya can face this overwhelming sensory illusion without being consumed by it. His Vel of discernment pierces through the demon, a symbolic act of using focused awareness to defeat the illusion of the senses and reclaim our true, essential nature: Sat Chit Ananda.
The Gaze Beyond Maya
Having won the war against sensory reality, Kartikeya takes his final, unwavering stance. He refuses to see the face of Parvati again. This is the ultimate act of a fully realized Self. Having used the power of Shakti to see beyond illusion, he now refuses to engage with the source of that illusion, Adimaya.
This is the symbolic culmination of the spiritual journey, where the aspirant “refuses to engage in this world full of delusion and deception”. He has sharpened his perception to see “what IS and refuses to see what IS NOT”. This is the essence of transcending the three cities of experience—the waking, dream, and deep sleep states (Tripura) —to abide in the fourth state of Turiya. This victory over ignorance is what is celebrated as Deva Deepawali.
Kartikeya, the six-headed Shadanana, whose sixth head is the transcendent knowledge of the Self, is the archetype of this victory. He embodies the truth that the greatest war is fought within, and the ultimate victory is the serene, blissful peace of our own true nature.
Reinvent The Self! 