This summary of Saptadasha-Subrahmanya is gleaned from the Śekhara of Śaivāgamas.
Aspect |
Heads |
Eyes |
Hands and emblems |
Ornaments |
Vāhana or pedestal |
Colour of the image |
Other features |
1. Ñānashakti |
1 | 2 | Four: vajra, shakti, kukkuta and abhaya. | Jatāmakuta, garland of svetārka, golden tiara studded with gems, white yajñopavīta, and smeared with sandal paste. | White | Svarūpa of Parameshvara, Devī and Ñānashakti | |
2. Skanda |
1 | 3 | Four: kukkuta, abhaya, vajra and varada | Pushpamālā on head, garments and ratnābharanas. | White lotus | Colour of smoke (dhūrmavarna) | Surrounded by prabhāmandala |
3. Agnijāta |
1 | 2 | Eight: sruva, japamālā, khadga, svastika, kukkuta, vajra and ājyapātra | White or blue | Son of Agni. Poses to perform agnihotra. | ||
4. Saurabheya |
4 | 8 | Eight: shakti, nīlotphala, pushpabāna, abhaya, vajra, ikshudhanus, shula and varada | Padmāsana | Like a red lotus or pātalavarna | Standing, right leg susthika and left kuñcita. | |
5. Gāngeya |
1 | 3 | Four: parashu, pūrnakumgbha, aranīm (sacred wood to create sacred fire for yajñas and kukkuta | Karandamakuta, kukkutadvaja, nilotphala garland | Of the colour of pomogranate flower (dark red) or pātalavarna | He is to be treated as Gangāsuta. | |
6. Saravanodbhava |
1 | 3 | Six: pushpabāna, ikshukārmukam, khadga, khetaka, vajra, kukkutadvaja. | Shines like Bālasūrya and wears sakalābharanas. | Simghavāhana | Red | He is born on reeds (sharajanmasamākhyātam) and is smeared with bhasmoddhūlam (sacred ashes) all over the body. |
7. Kārttikeya |
1 | 3 | Ten: shakti, shūla, cakra, angkusha, abhaya, tomara, pāsha, shangkha and vajra. | Bilva upon head. | Peacock | Red | Shines like Bālasūrya. Sone of Śiva and the Krttikas. |
8. Kumāra |
1 | Four: shakti, abhaya, varada and vajra. | Karandamakuta and lotus garland. | Red | Otherwise called Skanda, he is a bāla 'child'. | ||
9. Shanmukha |
Not specified. Shanmukha means six-faced. | Twelve: shakti, bāna, khadga, cakra, pāsha, abhaya, kukkuta, dhanus, khetaka, shangkha, hala and varada. | Sakalalakshana, sakalābharana and sakalālangkāra. | Peacock | Red | Attended by devīs Jayā (Devasena to the left) and Vijayā (Valli to the right). | |
10. Tārakāri |
1 | 3 | Six: abhaya, khadga, shakti, khetaka, japamālā and kukkuta. | Elephant | Red | ||
11. Senāni |
1 | 2 | Four: shangkha, cakra, varada and abhaya. | White sacred thread. | Blue | God of fame, he is endowed with a beautiful face, cāruvadana, and otherwise called Devasenāpati. | |
12. Guha |
Must be one | 3 | Four: shūla, vajra, varada and abhaya. | Golden crown, studded with gems, white garments. | Blue | Jaya to the left in kalyāna form. | |
13. Brahmacāri |
Must be one | 2 | Two: danda and ūruhasta. | Decorated with shikha 'tuft', kaupīna and mekhala. | Standing on red lotus, left leg kuñcita. | Red | A bachelor |
14. Deshika |
1 | Six: two hold shaktis, japamālā, varada and one more not given | Karandamakuta. | Peacock | Red | Teacher to Śiva | |
15. Krauñcabhedana |
Must be one | 3 | Four: varada, abhaya, pushpabāna and ikshukārmukam. | Seated on peacock. | Red | Dislodges Kraunca. | |
16. Śikhivāhana |
1 | 3 | Four: abhaya, varada, pāsha and angkusha. | Seated on a peacock, comparable to the chariot of Indra (Indranīlarath- ārūdhām) | Red | ||
17. Velāyudha |
1 | 2 | Two: katihasta and danda. | Like a red lotus. | Grants all like the kalpavrksha. Son of Pārvatī and also called Skanda. |
Note: The above summary is prepared from the dhyāna shlokas published by the Tañcāvūr Sarasvati Mahal Library under Śrītattvanidi, Vol. I, 3:102-118.
Dr. Raju Kalidos is Dean of the Arts Faculty and Head of the Department of Sculpture and Art History at the Tamil University, Tanjavur. He has published more than sixty articles on Indian iconography in distinguished academic journals of Europe and India. He has published and lectured extensively on topics of Indian sculpture, architecture and iconography.
