Om Tatpurushaya Vidmahe, Maha Senaya Dhimahi Tanno Shanmukha Prachodayat Lord Kartikeya also known as Shanmukha or Subrahmanyam is the second son of Lord Shiva and goddess Uma (Parvati). He is worshipped throughout India and even abroad but more particularly in South India where He is more popularly known as Murugan or Kumaran. His consorts are Valli and Devayani. He is shown as commander-in-chief of an army which destroyed many demons, symbolically the negative tendencies (Vasanas) which overshadow the Divine Self in human beings He is shown as riding on a peacock which symbolizes vanity in human perceptions as manifested in the lengthy ecstatic dancing of the bird with colorful feathers spread out in a delightful form