Skanda Shasti / Subramanya Shasti
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Skanda Mantra :
sEnaavidaaraka skandha mahaasEna mahaabala | rudrOmaagnija Shadvaktra gaMgaagarbha namOstu tE | ಸೇನಾವಿದಾರಕ ಸ್ಕಂಧ ಮಹಾಸೇನ ಮಹಾಬಲ |ರುದ್ರೋಮಾಗ್ನಿಜ ಷಡ್ವಕ್ತ್ರ ಗಂಗಾಗರ್ಭ ನಮೋಸ್ತು ತೇ | सेनाविदारक स्कंध महासेन महाबल । रुद्रोमाग्निज षड्वक्त्र गंगागर्भ नमोस्तु ते ।
Who is Skanda? –
- Skanda is the avatara of Manmatha.
- He is in the same kakshya of Indra.
- He is the lord of War.
- During Srinivasa Kalyana Srinivasa devaru nominated him to invite the audience, as he has six faces and can see all six directions.
What are his other names ? –
Kumara, Skanda, Shanmukha, Subramanya or Kartikeya
- He is called as Kumara – as he always looks like a small boy
- He is called as Shanmukha as he has six faces
- He is called as Kartikeya as he was brought up by six sisters named Kruttika.
- He is called as Shanmatura as he was brought up by six mothers
- It is on this day that Sri Subramanya, who was born on Margashira Panchami killed Tarakasura.
When is this Skanda Shasti celebrated? –
It will be celebrated on Margashira Shukla Shasti. This day is also called as Subrayana Shasti. If one can’t do it on this day, some other auspicious day also can be done during Margashira masa.
Why is Skanda Shasti celebrated? –
Subramanya likes this day very much, because it is on this that he killed Tarakasura. If one does the skanda darshana, snaana and daana on this, he will be free from all his brahma hatyaadi sins. If one does this vratha, they have Sarpa bhaya nivruthi, satsantaana yoga, from skin diseases.
How is Subrayana Shasti celebrated? –
On this day we have to perform the pooja of Subramanya. Subramanya swamy is worshipped in the form of five-headed snake. While doing the Subraya Shasti we have to do the pooja to mainly to Shankapaala, one of the serpant. On this day, we have to do the avahana of Subramanya on a brahmachari, as there will be sannidhana of Subramanya, and give him bhojana, dakshine, vastra, etc.
Shankapalantargata bharatiramana mukyapranantargatha sri Sankarshanaya nama: |
We have to chant “Om ram skandhaaya nama: Om” while inviting Subramanya.
We have to chant “Dhanu:shaktidharO dhyEya: kaamadO bhayanaashana:” for dhyana shloka.
His vehicle – Mayura
Why on this Brahmacharis will be invited for bhojana? –
Subramanya is a brahmachari. He likes young brahmacharis as they will not be having any dwesha-asuya, and their heart will be pure. Skanda will be invited to have avaahana on Subramanya on these brahmacharies, and will take the sampoorna pooja done to brahmacharies. Major bhakshyas done on this day will be from Urid dall. Brahmachari to be given Vastra, Dakshine, etc.
Who is Tarakasura?
Tarakasura is the son of Vajranga (Son of Kashyapa-Diti) and Varangi. He did severe penance to Brahma and pleased him and sought the boon that no one shall be more powerful than him and with the second boon was that his death could come only from a son born to Shiva. Tarakasura knew that Rudradevaru had already lost his wife Satidevi and he was in deep penance and he thought the Rudra can’t have son all of a sudden.
After getting the great boons, Taraka was killing all the kings and spoiling the hermitages of sages.
All sages, devategalu, unable to sustain the hindrance by Tarakasura, went to Brahmadevaru, who in turn sent Bruhaspati to negotiate with Tarakasura, but he refused and war was fought between Gods and demons, in which Gods were defeated.
Birth of Skanda –
Satidevi, after having immolated herself in the Daksha Yagna, was reborn as Parvathidevi, as the daughter of Himavanta. In the meantime, Rudradevaru did a yogic penance in the Himalayas.
As Shiva was in a severe penance, he was not ready to accept the pleading of Parvati for her marriage with Shiva.
Then Devategalu approached Kamaputra Manmatha, with a plan to stop the meditation of Shiva. Kamadeva arrived in front of Shiva alongwith Ratidevi, and shot five arrows of flowers at the heart of Shiva. His intention was to make Shiva look at Parvathi and enable their marriage, which in turn would result in a son for the killing of Tarakasura (as per boon).
But when Rudra devaru’s penance was broken, he was terribly angry and open his third eye on his forehead, and a fierce blazing flame came out of his third eye and Manmatha was burnt to ashes.
The spark of fiery seed of Rudradevaru was unbearable and even Agnideva could not bear them, who threw to River Ganga, wherein it was born as six children. Parvathi combined these six children to one with six faces and six Kruttikaas came forward to feed the child (each kruttika feeding six different faces of Skanda). That is why Skanda is called as Karthikeya, and as Shanmukha.
He then killed Tarakasura and helped the devategalu.