6 Sons Of Lord Shiva: Secret sons of Shiva

Think that Shiva has only two sons? Think again! Although everyone recognizes Ganesha and Kartikeya as the sons of Lord Shiva. But, there are 6 sons of Lord Shiva about whom very few people know. However, in this blog, you will be counted among those few people. This blog covers: 

1. Secret sons of Shiva!
2. Who was born from Shiva’s sweat? 
3. Which son was the result of the union of Shiva and Vishnu?
4. And what about the son who became the greatest enemy of Shiva?

So, let’s discover the forgotten 6 sons of Lord Shiva and the story of their origins. But first let’s go through the origin story of Kartikeya and Ganesha. 

Kartikeya 

Kartikeya is the God of War, not Kratos! He is known as ‘Skanda’ and ‘Murugan’ in South India. He was born to help the gods defeat the demon “Taraka”. He is the most beautiful-looking god and the first son of Shiva. Kartikeya is the commander of the army of gods. He was born from Agni, the god of fire, who carried Shiva’s seed. Then he gave that seed to Parvati but she couldn’t conceive due to its immense heat. So he dropped that seed in the river Ganga which later took the form of a boy. Today, he is worshipped as the protector of dharma. 

Ganesha 

Ganesha was born from Parvati’s body grime (dirt) while Shiva was away. Then Parvati commanded him to guard the door and not let anyone get inside. When Shiva came back and tried to enter, he stopped him. Shiva didn’t recognize that he was his own son. Then a fierce battle took place in which Shiva beheaded him. After knowing that he was his son, Shiva replaced his head with that of an elephant. Now, he is worshipped as the remover of obstacles. 

Andhaka

andhbhakt third son of Shiva

Andhaka is one of the demon sons of Lord Shiva. When Shiva was in dhyana, his wife Parvati playfully closed his eyes with her hands. Due to this, the entire universe went into darkness. In order to protect it from destruction, Shiva opened his third eye. Because of the heat from the third eye, a drop of sweat falls. It gave birth to a blind child. And when a demon Hiranyaksha asked for a child as a boon from Mahadev, he handed over that baby to him. Later he became a fierce demon and caused havoc in the entire heaven.

He pleased Brahma the creator with his penance. Then Brahma gave him the boon that “he could only be killed if he looked at his mother with covetous sight.” Lord Shiva later killed him because he looked at his mother Parvati with greedy eyes. Although he didn’t know that she was his mother. 

Jalandhar 

Jalandhar is one of the greatest enemies of Shiva. He is also considered as the demon son of Shiva. Once Lord Shiva threw an enormous fireball from his third eye at Indra. Afraid of it, he pleased Shiva to forgive him. So, Shiva forgave him, but he couldn’t take that fireball back. Then he threw it inside the ocean. Due to this Jalandhar was born. You can call him “Aquaman” of Hindu Mythological Universe (HMU).  Later Shukracharya, the guru of all demons, took Jalandhar with him. He trained him and used him against the gods. Jalandhar was ended by his own father. He wanted Parvati to be his wife, enraged, Shiva led a war against him. In that terrifying war, Jalandhar was killed.  

Sukesh 

You can believe that Sukesha’s story is similar to that of “Salman Khan of Baghban”. Sukesha is the lesser-known son of Shiva. He’s the adopted son of Shiva. Once a demon named Heti married a woman named Bhaya. They had a son named Vidyutkesha. He became a very powerful warrior. Later he got married to Salakantkata. But because she was an adultress, Vidyutkesha left her and their son abandoned. Luckily, Shiva and Parvati found him. They decided to raise him as their own son and named him Sukesha. Later he became a loyal son to Shiva and Parvati. 

Ayyappa: 6 th sons of Lord Shiva

Worshipped mainly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Ayyappa was the son of Lord Vishnu and Shiva. He was born by the union of Lord Shiva and Vishnu in his Mohini Avatar. A child was born to them, and they later named him Ayyappa. Trained by Lord Parshurama himself, he became a great warrior. Some claim that he possesses power comparable to that of Parshurama.

Fatherhood of Shiva 

The above stories of 6 Sons Of Lord Shiva prove that there are such secret stories in the Vedic culture. These stories are currently lost somewhere. But if you try to delve into the depths of Vedic culture, you will often find yourself face-to-face with such mysteries. 

Also, the story of Shiva’s sons represents the complexities of family. This is not just a mythological story, you will find it connected to real life. Shiva is a father whose one son is the protector of dharma while the other is his greatest enemy. Some remove obstacles from the lives of others and some create problems. 

Remember that even the supreme lord has their own family. And when it comes to choosing one between their son or dharma, they’ve always chosen dharma. So, no matter what the circumstances are, you should stay on the path of dharma.