SKANDA SHASHTI

Celebration : Birth of the second son of Lord Shiva Skanda Shashti kavacham : It is another famous hymm in praise of Lord Subramanya. Religion : Hindu Purpose of Birth : To Destroy the Demons

PROSTRATIONS and humble salutations to Lord Subramanya, the Supreme Being, who is the ruler of this universe, who is the indweller of our hearts, who is the second son of Lord Shiva, who is the beloved of Valli and Deivayanai, who bestows boons easily on His devotees, who is an embodiment of power, wisdom, love and bliss.

The mighty demon, Tarakasura, had been oppressing the celestials very much. He drove them out from heaven. All the gods then went to Brahma to appeal for help.

Brahma said to the gods : "O Devas! I cannot Destroy Taraka, as he has obtain My grace through severe penances. But let Me give you a suggestion. Get the help of Cupid, the god of love. Induce him to tempt Lord Shiva who remains absorbed in His Yoga Samadhi. Let Lord Shiva unite with Parvati. A powerful son, Lord Subramanya, will be born to them. This son will destroy the demon that harasses you."

Indra, the chief of the gods thereupon asked Cupid to go with his wife, Rati, and his companion Vasanta (the season of spring) to Mount Kailas, the abode of Shiva. Cupid carried out the instruction at once, for it was already springtime. Standing behind a tree, Cupid shot his arrow of passion towards Shiva whilst Parvati was placing some flowers in His hands. The moment their hands met, Shiva experienced a distracting feeling. He wondered what it was that disturbed His Yoga. He looked around and saw Cupid crouching behind the tree.

The Lord opened His "third eye", the inner eye of intuition, and Cupid was burnt to ashes by the fire that emanated from it. This is why the god of love is also called Ananga, which means "bodiless'.

After burning Cupid, the Lord ascertained by His Yogic vision that the birth of Lord Subramanya was absolutely necessary to destroy the powerful Taraka. Shiva's seed was thrown into fire which, unable to retain it, threw it into the Ganges which in turn threw it into a reed forest. This is where Lord Subramanya was born; and hence he is caned Saravanabhava - "born in a reed-forest". He became the leader of the celestial hosts and the destroyer of Taraka as Brahma had ordained.

Lord Subramanya is an incarnation of Lord Shiva. All incarnations are manifestations of the one Supreme Lord. Lord Subramanya and Lord Krishna are one. Lord Krishna says in the Gita; "…of army generals, I am Skanda". The Lord manifests Himself from time to time in various names and forms, for the sake of establishing righteousness and subduing the wicked.

Lord Subramanya is a ray born of the Consciousness of Lord Shiva. Valli and Deivananai are His two wives. They represent the power of action and the power of knowledge respectively. He is the easily accessible Godhead in this dark age of ignorance and godlessness. In this He is no different from Hanuman. He bestows material and spiritual prosperity and success in every undertaking of His devotees, even if they show a little devotion to Him. He is worshipped much in South India. Some of His other names are Guha, Muruga, Kumaresa, Kartikeya, shanmukha, Subramanya and Velayadhan.

In the picture, Lord Subramanya holds a spear in His hand, just as Lord Shiva holds the trident. This is an emblem of power. It indicates that He is the Ruler of the universe. His vehicle is the peacock. He rides on it. This signifies that He has conquered pride, egoism and vanity. There is a cobra under His feet which indicates that He is absolutely fearless, immortal and wise. Valli is on His one side, Deivayanai on the other. Sometimes He stands alone with His spear. In this pose He is known as Velayudhan; this is His Nirguna aspect which is free from the illusory power of Nature.

The six heads represent the six rays or attributes, namely, wisdom, dispassion, strength, fame, wealth and divine powers. They indicate that He is the source of the four vedas, the Vedangas and the six schools of philosophy. They also indicate his control over the five organs of knowledge as well as the mind. They denote that He is the Supreme Being with thousands of heads and hands. That His head is turned in all directions signifies He is all-pervading They indicate that He can multiply and assume forms at His will.

There are big temples of Lord Subramanya at Tiruchendur, in Udipi, Palani Hills, Ceylon and Tiruparankundrum. The Lord spent His childhood days in Tiruchendur and took Mahasamadhi at Kathirgamam. If anyone goes to Kathirgamam with faith, devotion and piety, and stays in the temple for two or three days the Lord Himself grants His vision to the devotee. The devotee is filled with rich spiritual experiences. A big festival is held in the temple each year on Skanda Sashti. Thousands of people visit this place. "Mountains" of camphor are burnt on this occasion.

Skanda Sashti falls in November. It is the day on which Lord Subramanya defeated the demon, Taraka. Great festivals are held on this day with great pomp and grandeur. Devotees also do Bhajan and Kirtan on a grand scale. Thousands are fed sumptuously. Many incurable diseases are cured if one visits Palani and worships the Lord there. In South India, Lord Subramanya Lilas are dramatized on stage.

In addition to the Skanda Sashti, devotees of Lord Subramanya observe weekly and monthly days in His honour. Every Friday, or the Kartigai Nakshatram day every month, or the 6th day of the bright for night-all these are consider holy days by devotees. The 6th day of the month of Tulam (October-November) is the most auspicious of them all, This is the Skanda Sashti day.

In many places the festival commences six days prior to the sashti itself and concludes on the day of the Sashti. During these days, people read and recite various hymns and stories connected with Lord Subramanya. They worship the Lord and take Kavadi (see below). They go on pilgrimages to the various Subramanya shrines.

The famous Nakkerar has composed the Tirumurukatrupadai in His praise. He who studies this famous work daily, with devotion and faith, gets certain success in life, peace and prosperity. The Tiruppugal is another famous book in Tamil which contains the inspiring devotional songs of Arunagirinathar in praise of Lord Subramanya. The Kavadichindu songs are also in praise of the Lord. The Skanda Sashti Kavacham is another famous hymn in praise of Lord Subramanya, and is sung particularly on festive occasions.