The gods wanted Shiva to father a child because only his son could destroy the demon Taraka who threatened the celestial realms. But Shiva was not interested in family; he preferred to meditate. So the gods begged his consort Parvati to help. The goddess managed to soften her stern husband's heart and obtain his divine essence in the form of a seed which she gave to the gods. So fiery was this seed that it burnt the fire-god Agni, singed the wind-god Vayu, boiled the river-goddess Ganges and set alight the forest of reeds. When the fire died down, the six forest nymphs known as Kritikas found a six-headed child under the embers within a lotus. They nursed the child after naming him Kartikeya. On the sixth day of his life, the child let out a piercing war-cry, picked up his lance, attacked and killed Taraka. Then taking command over celestial armies, he led the gods to many victories.

This virile commander of the gods rides a peacock and wields a lance. In North India he is considered to be a bachelor. But in South India, he has two consorts – Devasena, daughter of Indra, king of the gods, who was given to him in recognition of his valour and Valli, a tribal maiden who won his heart as she stood in the middle of her father's millet field.