Skanda. Hindu deity, offspring of Śiva (conceived without the assistance of a female being), who became a notable warrior. He was suckled by the six Kṛttikas (Pleiades) and developed six faces for this purpose. From this derives the name Kārttikeya by which he is commonly known and worshipped. He is depicted as young and chaste (i.e. as Kumāra), clothed in red, with a spear (which always hits its target and returns to his hand). His cult, of great antiquity, used to cover India, but is now mainly in the south: in Tamilnadu, he has merged with Murukan̄/Murugan. Skanda Purāṇa is one of the eighteen classical Purāṇas (the longest of them) and contains what purports to be his teaching.

Skanda the Hindu war god, first son of Shiva and Parvati and brother of Ganesha. He is depicted as a boy or youth, sometimes with six heads and often with his mount, a peacock.