Karttikeya

(“son of the Krttikas”) Epithet of the god
Skanda, considered the son of Shiva.
Skanda is not born in the usual manner
but develops when Shiva’s semen falls
into the Ganges River. The name
Karttikeya comes from the six minor goddesses known as the Krttikas, who are the
deified form of the constellation Pleiades.
After Skanda is born, these goddesses
become his foster mothers and nurse
him, which in Indian culture is believed to
create a mother-child bond. So that none
of the goddesses will feel slighted, Skanda
sprouts six heads, allowing him to nurse
from all of them at the same time.