Significance of Skanda Sashti

About Skanda Sashti

Skanda Shasti is observed to mark the victory of Lord Kartikeya by killing the demon Surapadman.This son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is also known by many other names like Subramanya, Muruga, Skanda, and so on. Skanda Shasti falls on the sixth day of the ‘Shuklapaksha’ (waxing phase of the moon), in the Hindu month of ‘Kartika’. This corresponds to the months of October-November according to the Gregorian calendar. Lord Murugan is popularly known as ‘Skanda’ and his birthday is celebrated in a grand manner in many temples, predominantly in Tamilnadu.

Circumstances leading to Skanda’s birth

In ancient times, three notorious demons named Surapadma, Simhamukha and Tarakasura wreaked havoc upon the world with their heinous and troublesome deeds. Surapadma propitiated Lord Shiva with his penance and was blessed by the God that none other than he, would be able to kill him. This made the demons arrogant and conceited, and they went about troubling everyone in the Universe for no reason.

Lord Brahma’s Advice

The hapless and dejected Gods approached Lord Brahma in their quest to rid the world of the oppressive demons. Lord Brahma advised them to approach Lord Shiva, as no one could vanquish the demons, other than him. This was easier said than done, since Shiva was engaged in severe penance and the Gods could not disturb him, lest they incur his wrath. They then devised a plan by which to break Shiva’s penance by sending Manmata (Lord Kamadeva), the God of love.

Manmata approached Shiva warily and proceeded to arouse the God’s amorous desires with his divine arrows. This disturbed Shiva’s meditation and he burnt Manmata to ashes with his divine powers. He, however, resurrected Manmata later on upon the supplications of all the Devas. All the Devas, then apprised Shiva of their predicament and entreated him to rescue them from Surapadma. In keeping with his merciful nature, Shiva consented to their pleas and agreed to help them. Birth of Skanda Upon hearing the plight of the Gods, Lord Shiva released six immensely hot sparks from his eyes. These sparks were so hot that they had to be cooled by the waters of the Saravana River, and eventually manifested into six divine children. These divine babies were cared for and nurtured with great care by six young damsels known as the ‘Kartika’ sisters. Goddess Parvati visited the six children growing up in the water and out of motherly concern, embraced them all at once. Immediately, the six babies merged into one entity with six faces and came to be called as ‘Skanda’. Skanda-The Divine Child ‘Skanda’, the divine child was the epitome of wisdom and knowledge and unmatched in every sphere. He did not require the services of a teacher and knew everything that transpired in the Universe. He was the perfect and flawless child, with complete knowledge of warfare and other skills. At the same time, he was also loving and compassionate. This valiant child set off to vanquish Surapadma without a second thought, with a divine lance gifted to him by Goddess Parvati. This lance is called ‘Vel’ in Tamil and was invested with the matchless power of the Goddess. Skanda set off to face the demons in battle and on his way to their capital city, destroyed the brothers of Surapadma, ‘Simhamukha’ and ‘Tarakasura’. Upon reaching Veera Mahendrapur, the city where Surapadma and his terrible hordes were waiting, Skanda engaged them in battle and proceeded to destroy the evil army of demons. After a fierce encounter, Skanda beheaded Surapadma with his divine lance. Immediately, a peacock and cock emerged from the body of the demon. The peacock serves as the vehicle of Skanda and the cock is emblazoned on his flag, serving as a symbol of the victory of good over evil. Skanda Shasti Festival The Skanda Shasti festival is celebrated as a ten day extravaganza in the state of Tamilnadu and its adjoining regions. The Subramanya temple in Tiruchendur observes this festival in a grand manner and it is concluded by enacting scenes depicting the killing of Sura Samhar and the demons by Lord Skanda. Thousands of devotees come from far and near to witness and take part in the proceedings. Many Devotees also observe a dawn to dusk ‘Vrat’ (fast) to propitiate Lord Muruga on the auspicious occasion of Skanda Shasti.