Kartikeya is the elder son of Shiva and Parvati, is the god of war, power and strength.

Kartikeya is the elder son of Shiva and Parvati, is the god of war, power and strength. His weapon is Vel (spear) in one hand, which is also called as Shakti since his mother Parvati has given all the power to the spear, and he blesses his devotees with the other. The god of war mounts a peacock symbolising piety and subjugation of all sexual desires and destruction of bad habits and negative influences symbolised by the serpent that is clutched in the peacock's claws.

Karthikeya represents power and strength and worshipping him can get rid of woes and give the worshipper strength. Kartikeya destroyed the demon Tarakasur on the seventh day of his birth. He is known to be the most masculine and fierce among Hindu gods. Known for his valor and as the protector of dharma, Kartikeya has slained several demons like Krauncha, Banasura and Pralamba. He is also always youthful, which gives him the name Kumara (Sanskrit for youth). As Shadanan, Kartikeya has six heads, each standing for the five senses and the mind. The six heads also help him keep an eye in all directions so that he can combat problems coming from any direction. As war god with six faces, Kartikeya also teaches his devotees to battle through life fighting off bad people who could lead you to the wrong path of lobha(greed), kaama (sex), krodh (anger), moha (passion), mada (ego), and matsarya (jealousy).

Kartikeya was supposed to have begun his education under none other than Lord Brahma Himself. But on the first day of his education Kartikeya asked Lord Brahma the meaning of Om. Lord Brahma described it on twelve thousand verses but Kartikeya was unsatisfied. When his father Lord Shiva explained the significance of Omkara in twelve lakh verses, he found that insufficient as well and said that Omkara can be explained in twelve crore verses, making Shiva proud of his son's intelligence and knowledge. Shiva then sent Kartikeya to live on earth for the welfare of mankind.

In the North of India Kartikeya is believed to be a bachelor (Bramhachari) while in South He has two wives Devasena (Amruthavalli or Devayani) who is the daughter of Indra thus giving Kartikeya the name Devasenapati (also meaning the commander of the army of gods) and the daughter of a tribal hunter named Valli (Sundaravalli).