Was Kaartikeya or Skanda the son of AGNI and Ganga or Shiva and Parvati?

 

a) Kartikeya or Skanda was not mentioned in the Rig Veda, from which all types spiritual concepts and religious ideas and rituals were emanated in the subsequent period.

And, Kartikeya or Skanda was not mentioned even in the Brahmanas.

Interestingly, Kartikeya or Skanda was mentioned in the interpolated parts of Bala Kanda of Ramayana as the son of Agni and Ganga, but of Shiva and Parvati.

It was in Puranas this story was altered and Kartikeya or Skanda was projected as the son of Shiva and Parvati.

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b) The birth of Kartikeya or Skanda was mentioned in Sarga 37 of Bala Kanda in Ramayana.

As Kaartikeya, the son of Agni and Ganga, slided down from the secretions of a womb of Ganga, he is called 'Skanda'.

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This Sarga starts with Shiva, the Senapati or Commander-in-chief of Devas, getting deeply engrossed in asceticism and the Devas requesting Brahma to provide a new Senapati.

ततोऽब्रुवन् सुराः सर्वे भगवन्तं पितामहम् |
प्रणिपत्य सुराः राम सेन्द्राः साग्निपुरोगमाः || १-३७-२

"On approaching the Forefather Brahma, oh, Rama, all of the celestials headed by Fire-god and along with Indra have venerated and then spoke this to him.

येन सेनापतिर्देव दत्तो भगवता पुरा |
स तपः परमास्थाय तप्यते स्म सहोमया || १-३७-३

" 'Oh, god Brahma, he who has hypothetically given a Chief of Celestial Army in the form of his potence that god Shiva is undertaking a supreme ascesis, indeed along with Goddess Uma.

यदत्रानंतरं कार्यं लोकानां हितकाम्यया |
संविधत्स्व विधानज्ञ त्वं हि नः परमा गतिः || १-३७-४

" 'Looking forward for the welfare of the worlds, oh, knower of the procedures, Brahma, you may order us clearly what is to be done next, as you alone are our ultimate recourse.

इयमाकाशगंगा यस्यां पुत्रं हुताशनः |
जनयिष्यति देवानां सेनापतिमरिंदमम् || १-३७-७

" 'In whom the Fire-god can procreate an enemy-destroying Chief of Celestial Armies, such an empyreal Ganga is there.

समंततस्तदा देवीमभ्यषिंचत पावकः |
सर्वस्रोतांसि पूर्णानि गंगाया रघुनन्दन || १-३७-१४

"Then, O Rama, the Fire-god (Agni) completely infused/drenched the Goddess Ganga from all sides, filling every single one of her streams with his fiery energy."

तमुवाच ततो गंगा सर्वदेवपुरोगमम् |
अशक्ता धारणे देव तेजस्तव समुद्धतम् || १-३७-१५
दह्यमानाग्निना तेन संप्रव्यथितचेतना |

"Then Ganga spoke to Agni (the Fire-god), who stands at the forefront of all gods: 'O Lord, I am unable to sustain this exceedingly intense energy of yours. Being burnt by that fire, my mind has become deeply distressed and tormented.'"

अथाब्रवीदिदं गङ्गां सर्वदेवहुताशनः || १-३७-१६
इह हैमवते पार्श्वे गर्भोऽयं संनिवेश्यताम् |

"He who consumes fire-oblations on behalf of all the gods, that Fire-god seeing the miserable condition of River Ganga then spoke this to her, ''you may lay away that embryo here at the side of Himalayan Mountains.' So said Fire-god to River Ganga.

श्रुत्वा त्वग्निवचो गंगा तं गर्भमतिभास्वरम् || १-३७-१७
उत्ससर्ज महातेजाः स्रोतोभ्यो हि तदानघ |

"Oh, great-resplendent Rama, on hearing the words of Fire-god, oh, charming prince Rama, River Ganga indeed ejected that great-radiant embryo from all her rills and channels.

ताः क्षीरं जातमात्रस्य कृत्वा समयमुत्तमम् |
ददुः पुत्रोऽयमस्माकं सर्वासामिति निश्चिताः || १-३७-२४

"Those Krittika stars have decided among themselves that 'this boy shall be the son for all of us,' and on making such a best resolve they suckled the just born boy.

ततस्तु देवताः सर्वाः कार्तिकेय इति ब्रुवन् |
पुत्रस्त्रैलोक्यविख्यातो भविष्यति न संशयः || १-३७-२५

"All the gods have then said, 'this boy will be renowned in all the three world as Kaartikeya, as Krittika-stars have suckled him, with any doubt.'

स्कंद इत्यब्रुवन् देवाः स्कन्नं गर्भपरिस्रवात् |
कार्तिकेयं महाबाहुं काकुत्स्थ ज्वलनोपमम् || १-३७-२७

"And gods called that boy, oh, Rama of Kakutstha, whose glow is like that of flaring fire and who is ambidextrous as 'Skanda' for he slid down from the secretions of a womb.

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c) It is surprising to note that though Rig Veda did not mention Skanda as the Senapati of Devas, Rig Veda 7.20.5 says Indra is senānī of Devas.

वृषा जजान वृषणं रणाय तमु चिन्नारी नर्यं ससूव । प्र यः सेनानीरध नृभ्यो अस्तीनः सत्वा गवेषणः स धृष्णुः ॥
vṛṣā jajāna vṛṣaṇaṃ raṇāya tam u cin nārī naryaṃ sasūva | pra yaḥ senānīr adha nṛbhyo astīnaḥ satvā gaveṣaṇaḥ sa dhṛṣṇuḥ ||

English translation:

The bull begat the bull for battle; that manly one did a woman bear. He who as leader of the army (senānīr) stands out from the (other) superior men, a powerful warrior, he is the daring seeker of cattle.

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d) Rig Veda 10.62.4 says son of gods as subrahmaṇya, indicating su+brahman - good brahman, with Agni/Indra being mentioned as brahman in Rig veda.

Su (सु) + brahmaṇya (ब्रह्मण्य) - one who embodies supreme spiritual knowledge

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Rig Veda 10.62.4 - subrahmaṇya

अयं नाभा वदति वल्गु वो गृहे देवपुत्रा ऋषयस्तच्छृणोतन । सुब्रह्मण्यमङ्गिरसो वो अस्तु प्रति गृभ्णीत मानवं सुमेधसः ॥
ayaṃ nābhā vadati valgu vo gṛhe devaputrā ṛṣayas tac chṛṇotana | subrahmaṇyam aṅgiraso vo astu prati gṛbhṇīta mānavaṃ sumedhasaḥ ||

English translation:

This one here at the navel (of the sacrifice) speaks to you agreeably in the house. O you seers whose sons are gods, listen to this. O Aṅgirases, one who embodies supreme spiritual knowledge, – Accept the descendant of Manu, o you of good wisdom.