________________
देवतामूर्ति-प्रकरणम्
249 शोभायमान बारह भुजाओं में से प्रथम दाहिनी छ: भुजाओं में क्रम से शक्ति, पाश, खड्ग, बाण, त्रिशूल और एक हाथ वरद युक्त अथवा अभय युक्त ये शस्त्र हैं। अब वाम (बायें) छ: भुजाओं में क्रम से धनुष, ध्वजा, मुष्टि, ऊँची की हुई तर्जनी, अङ्गुली, ढाल और मुर्गे को धारण करता है। दो भुजा वाले कार्तिकेय के दाहिनी भुजा में शक्ति और वाम भुजा में मुर्गे के आकार का शस्त्र विशेष है। चार भुजा वाले कार्तिक स्वामी की वाम भुजाओं में शक्ति और पाश तथा दाहिनी एक भुजा में तलवार और दूसरी भुजा में वरद या अभय मुद्रा धारण करता है। ऐसा कार्तिक स्वामी सब इच्छित फल देने वाला है।
Karttikeya -
I (Mandan), shall now describe the form of lord Karttikeya. He possesses radiance and lustre like the newly risen sun, and is the colour of the lower part of a lotus blosson. Such is the appearance (idol) of the handsome and youthful lord Kumar. (38).
Make him with a fine cheek (?countenance) and beautiful locks of hair curling from his temple to his cheeks, with a peacock as his vahana or mount. Cities, hamlets and towns are proper to worship statues of Karttikeya having twelve arms. (39).
However, four-armed idols of Karttikeya are recommended for small market towns and two-armed statues for forests and . villages. .
... The following are attributes placed in the hands of an image . of Karttikeya possessing twelve arms : In the six right hands are held the shakti weapon, a noose, a sword, and arrow and a trident (40), with one hand held in either the Varad or the Abhay position. (These should be placed in the order cited, and beginning with the lower-most right hand). The arms should be adorned with Keyura armbands, gleaming wrist-bands and other jewellery. (41).
The attributes in the six left hands are a bow, a banner, a mushti or clenched list, a tarjani finger, a shield and a cock "(tamrachuda), respectively. (42). This instruction pertains to a twelve-armed idol.
A statue of Karttikeya having two arms holds the shakti weapon in the right hand and a cock in the left. In the case of