Skanda Shasti
Skanda is one of the names of Shiva’s eldest son also known as Kartikeya. Shashti means six and he was born on the 6th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Kartika. Skanda Shashti is the day on which he was born. This year 2021 it falls on the 10th November.
Tormented by the fearful demon called Taraka, the gods went to Brahma to seek his help in evicting the fearful asura from Swarga (heaven) which he had usurped by displacing the devas (gods). Brahma told them decisively that only the son of Shiva could save them. However, the great yogi had gone into seclusion after the self- immolation of Sati, his wife who had been Daksha’s daughter, who had married him against her father’s wishes.
The Story of Skanda Shasti is the story of the birth of Skanda or Kumara and the fulfilment of the purpose of his divine incarnation.
This festival as with all our Hindu festivals, what is depicted is the victory of good over evil. The outer story is only a cover for this inner truth. In the avatara of the Supreme as Skanda the same theme is reiterated -the eternal struggle between ignorance and knowledge, between the lower demonic forces and the higher divine principles. These dualities exist both on a cosmic level as well as on the individual level.
India’s greatest poet Kalidasa wrote about the birth of the war god, Skanda in his outstanding poem called, “Kumarasambhava”. Many great Tamil poets have also praised the glory of Kumara or Skanda. He has many names, like Kartikeya, Subramaniam, Muruga etc. He is truly an ancient deity mentioned in many stone inscriptions and on coins. The Chandogya Upanishad identifies Skanda as Sanat Kumara, one of the boy saints who were the manasaputras (mind born sons) of Brahma.
The gods prayed to the divine mother to help them and she incarnated herself in the womb of Mena, the wife of Himavan, the king of the Himalayas. She was named Parvati and when she was a very young girl, the sage Narada told her that she had been born with the sole purpose of producing a child by marrying the great ascetic Shiva. Only the child Shiva would be capable of killing the great asuras like Taraka and Surapadma. However, Shiva was lost to the world and immersed in deep tapas. Parvati used to penetrate into the deep forest where he was meditating and daily worship him in the prescribed manner but he was quite impervious to her beauty and her devotion and hardly ever opened his eyes.
Eventually the gods enlisted the aid of Kama, the God of Love to help them in their task of disturbing Shiva’s tapas. He hid in the bushes and waited for Parvati to go and begin her daily worship of Shiva. As luck would have it, Shiva who never opened his eyes, happened to open them and look at Parvati. Kama shot his arrow at that precise moment. Shiva found his mind perturbed and looked around for the reason. He saw Kama standing proudly before him all set to shoot his second arrow. As Shiva turned his gaze on him a blazing fire with mounting flames sprang from his third eye and consumed Kama in the very act of shooting his next arrow! Having removed the source of his annoyance, the great Lord disappeared altogether, leaving Parvati bereft.
She realised that her beauty could never beguile the great Yogi. She left her home and comforts and started doing rigorous penance on the Himalayan peaks for many years. Kama’s sacrifice and Parvati’s penance paid off and eventually Shiva married Parvati.
However with Shiva, excess was always the norm. Just as he had passed centuries in tapas, so now he spent centuries locked in the embrace of his wife, Parvati. Thus the seed of Shiva was nurtured for centuries and Kartikeya was born of the intense love that they had for each other. Their love is unparalleled in the Puranas. What wonder that it should have produced a child who was born to be the saviour of the world?
The devas were getting desperate and begged Shiva to grant their plea to have a son. Siva replied that that his seed had already been dislodged from his mind but no human womb could contain it. It fell on the earth where it oozed like burning lava and threatened to consume the whole world. The devas begged Agni, the god of fire to gather it but it was too hot even for Agni so he dropped it into the cooling waters of the Ganga and begged her to keep it. She agreed but even she was unable to carry the fiery seed of Shiva. She cried out in agony to Agni who told her to deposit it somewhere on the earth. She dropped it into a clump of reeds known as sharas. Here the seed turned into a lovely baby boy. This happened on the 6th day of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Kartika. Thus was born the son of Shiva who was meant to be the saviour of the world. The wives of six of the rishis had become the constellation known as Pleiades or Krittikas and they were the ones who nursed the baby who produced six faces so that none of them would be disappointed and they could all nurse him simultaneously. Hence he was known as Shanmukha or the one who has six faces. Since he had slipped into the womb of the Ganga he was known as Skanda. Since he was born amongst the weeds known as “sharas” he was known as Sharavanabhava. This is an important mantra for him since it has six syllables.
Shanmukha became Kumara, the son of Shiva. He was a powerful, virile, adolescent who was also very handsome ( Muruga) . He was made the General of the gods - Deva Senapathi. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna in the Sreemad Bhagavad Gita, “Amongst generals Oh Arjuna, I am Skanda.” Skanda received from his mother, Parvati who was also the Supreme goddess or Shakti, the powerful Vel (lance). Hence he is also Sakti Velan.
When we examine the story of Kartikeya’s birth we will see that its actually the story of creation. He was born out of the union of Purusha and Prakriti – Shiva and Parvati. There is an essential link between the two. They are irrevocably bound together. Creation takes place when the formless Brahman descends into the world of forms through the five basic elements or pancha bhutas –akasha, air, fire, water and earth. Shiva is identified with the Brahman and poetically speaking, it is said that Shiva’s seed was ejected out of etheric space into the air who carried it to Agni or fire who dropped it into the waters of the Ganga who deposited it into the earth in a clump of reeds. Thus the five elements combined in order to nurture the seed of Shiva – the Supreme.
The gods were closely watching the developments and as soon as they saw the baby they grabbed him and took him to Kailasa. Parvati was delighted when she saw him and took him on to her lap. Immediately he changed into a six year old boy. The gods hardly gave the parents any time with him. They placed him on a throne and consecrated him with water from all the holy rivers of the land and pronounced him to be the general of their army. The gods blessed him and gave him all types of weapons but the one he loved most was the lance – Vel, given to him by his mother. Thus he got the name of Velayudha – the one whose weapon is a lance.
Six-headed, twelve-armed and seated on a peacock, Kartikeya is the symbol of youth, beauty and valour. He denotes supreme knowledge which alone can destroy nescience or ignorance. In most of his idols, Subramanya is shown as a young boy with one head and two arms or with six heads and twelve arms. He always hold the vel or lance. The vel is very long and has a pointed head. It is a symbol of the mind that has to be single-pointed if it wants to slay the demon of ignorance. It also stands for knowledge and is always clasped to his breast to show its importance. It is with this vel or power of knowledge that he slew the demons Taraka and Surapadma who represent abysmal ignorance.
The six heads represent the six bhagas. Only the person who has all these bhagas or qualities, is qualified to be called “Bhagavan”. These qualities are jnana (wisdom), vairagya (dispassion), bala (strength), kirti (fame), shree (wealth), aiswarya (divine powers). Therefore Subramanya is truly Bhagavan – the Supreme Lord. The six systems of Indian philosophy are said to have emanated from these six heads.
The number six is a significant number in numerology. It has reference to the mystic yantra known as shatkona in which two triangles intersect each other. These six points refer to the six cardinal points in space. These are the six rays that emanated from Shiva as his seed and coalesced to become Kumara, the personification of perpetual youth.
The cosmic drama in which the Supreme appears to be bound by his own Prakriti or Nature keeps being enacted endlessly only through ignorance. It can only come to end with the birth of knowledge. Kartikeya is the one who wields the “vel” - the lance of knowledge and fights against this abysmal ignorance. The cock on Kartikeya’s banner is nivritti or the path of wisdom leading to knowledge of the Self. His crowing ushers the dawn and the radiance of the sun which dispels the darkness of ignorance. The serpent crushed under the foot of the peacock shows that he has completely subdued his lower passions.
The worship of Muruga in the month of Kartika starts the day after Diwali, and continues for six days, ending with the Skanda Shashti day on the 6th day of the bright fortnight in the month of Kartika. Skanda Shashti is actually not merely the day on which he was born but also the day on which he killed the fierce asuras. Many devotees fast and take part in many devotional practices on all the six days. Some choose to stay in the great temples of Subramanya. In Tiruchendur and Tiruparankundram events leading to the conquest of the asuras are dramatized and enacted. Offering of kavadi on Skanda Shashti is a popular form of worship. A kavadi is a bow- like structure which is carried across the devotee’s shoulder. Some offering like pots of milk or panchamritam (concoction made of five different sweet things), packets of vibhuti (ashes), or rock sugar are tied to both the ends of the bow. This is carried by the devotee to the temple and placed before the murti as an offering. This offering of a kavadi is very special to Muruga.
Skanda Shashti Vratam
The word vratam means “vow” in Sanskrit. This should not be misunderstood as mere fasting. When you observe a vratam or vow, we have to purify our minds through meditation, japa and any other type of sadhana (spiritual practice), along with fasting. We can take a vow of silence or of not getting angry etc. The vratam is a serious attempt on the part of the practitioner to bring more discipline into his or her life. Even the fasting should be done willingly and not as a burden.
Shashti vratam is taken up by many devotees of Subramanya on the 6th day of the shukla paksha or bright half of all the lunar months throughout the year. Thus, there will be twelve fasts in one year. Of all these fasts the most important is the one in the month of Kartika which comes six days after Diwali. The vow starts on the pratama or 1st day after Deepavali in the month of Kartika. The sixth day is known as Skanda Shashti and that is the day on which Subramanya took on a human form when the Krittikas nursed him. It is also the day on which he killed the three great asuras like Surapadman. All the six days correspond to some event during the battle with the asuras. Kartikeya has six important temples dotted all over Tamil Nadu which are the sites of his six famous encounters with the asuras.
These temples are Palani (hill temple) near Coimbatore, Swamimalai (hill temple) near Kumbakonam, Tiruchandur (sea-shore) temple near Tirunelveli, Thirupparankunra and Pazhamudhircholai temples near Madurai and Thiruthani (hill temple )near Chennai. These are known as the “arupadai veedu” or six houses of Muruga.
He engaged the armies of Simhamukha, Surapadman and Tarakasura during these six day and vanquished all of them on the sixth day at the site of the present Tiruchandur temple and this is celebrated as Skanda Shashti. There is a huge festival at this temple on this day known as Sura Samhara (killing of the demons). The epic battle is depicted with giant figures of the three asuras. Muruga chases them and kills them with his Vel (lance). It is said that the grateful Indra, king of the gods, gave his daughter Devasena to Kartikeya to show his appreciation. So, the festival actually ends on the next day with the divine marriage (Tirukalyanam).
Some devotees fast on all the six days. Others start the fast at sunrise on the 6th day of Skanda Shasti and end it on the 7th day after praying to the rising sun. This is very reminiscent of the Chhath Puja fast which also ends after worshipping the sun on the 7th day of the bright fortnight. This somehow makes one feel that this was part of the Chhath puja at one time and when Kartikeya went south after a tiff with his parents he took part of the festival with him!
The routine to be followed is similar to all fasts. The devotee has to have a bath in the morning before sunrise and then clean the house and puja room. An idol or photo of Subramanya is kept and worshipped with all the usual puja articles like, ghee lamp, incense sticks, camphor and offering of food items like fruits, and cooked articles like sweet pongol or halva. Muruga’s vel is an important article of worship. Abhishekam (bathing with water and other ingredients) is done to the vel and it is anointed in a similar fashion as was done to the murti. This was the weapon he used to annihilate the asuras so it is a very important part of his worship. Offering worship to the vel is supposed to wipe off all our negative karmas.
Fasting done voluntarily plays an important role in all the six days. The method of fasting depends on each person. Some observe a complete fast and some partial. Some take only one meal for all the six days. Some avoid solid food and have only a diet of milk and fruits. The method is left to each one’s ability and desire. However, worship of Muruga should be done daily. Most people try to go to a Muruga temple also and take part in the festivities.
The Skanda Shashti Kavacham by Devaraya Swami is normally recited on all days and stories relating to the birth and activities of Kartikeya are read or listened to.
The mantra for Subramanya is the six-syllabled word, “Aum Sharavanabhava.” Devotees do japa with this mantra thousands of times during this period.
Lord Muruga is the presiding deity of the planet Mars. His special day is Tuesday or Mangal! Those who have mangal dosha or the mal effects of the baneful planet, Mars, will get get relief by taking the vow of Skanda Shasti”. His worship is also said to remove “sarpa dosham” or ill effects of the curse of snakes.
Aum Sharavanabhava!
