by Maa Skandamata is the fifth facet of Goddess Durga, and she is venerated after four days of prayers have already taken place in the Navratri festival. She is worshipped on the fifth day. She is the fifth avatar of Goddess Durga, which is why the fifth day is devoted to her. She is the mother of Kartikeya also known as Murugan in the Southern part of India. According to the Indian mythology, Kumar Kartikeya was elected as the commander in chief in the war of gods and demons. There are various stories glorifying his bravery and valour in the Puranas. As he rides on a peacock, he is also known as Mayuravahana.
The Divine intervention of Skandamata
Skandamata is named so as she is the mother of Skanda. The day of her worship is extremely important for Yogis and yoga practitioners. This day is considered divine as grace is falling on her devotees in abundance. The yogi’s mind on this day reaches the Visuddha Chakra and remains therein. In Mata’s image, Lord Skanda appears in his infant form. He is always seen in the laps of the mother. She blesses all her devotees and alleviates their problems and grants spiritual knowledge sublimely.
Depiction of goddess skandamata
Mother Skanda is depicted with three eyes and four arms. She rides on a lion. While she is seated on the lion, she holds Skanda in her upper arm and lotus in the right lower arm that is a bit upwards in direction. She holds lotus again in the other arm and the left upper arm is believed to grant wishes prayed to the Goddess. Her colour is golden, and she sits on a lotus flower giving her the name Padmasana. Lotus is considered to be a sacred flower in the Hindu mythology and often seen in various prayers offered to the Gods and Goddess.
The creation story of Skandamata
Legends tell us that once a great devil Tarkasur underwent intense penance. He delighted Brahmaji with his fidelity. When Lord Brahma emerged – he wished for a boon to attain immortality. Brahmaji enlightened him that no one could escape death as it is decided when you take birth on earth. Tarkasur played smart, wondered Lord Shiva would never make a family and wished for his death by the hands of the son of Shiva. The wish was approved. His terror spread and started to torment people on earth. It is then that all the Gods pleaded Lord Shiva to get married. Shiva agreed for marriage with Parvati. Mata Parvati after the marriage was born with Skanda, who later demolished Tarkasur.
The real consciousness
The ancient scriptures really talk a lot about the ceremonies on this day of Navratri pooja. As the yogis and devotee’s mind on this day is in Visuddha, he loses all thoughts and tensions. He is calm and composed, and all thought waves disappear from his mind. All his internal and external actions are stopped and a divine ray is governing the soul of the yogi. It is a state of bliss; it’s like the individual is flowing the brighter world like a wave of energy and without the body. One moves above the lure of Maya and immerses in the bhakti of Goddess Padmasa. Yogis experience the real consciousness and this reality starts looking the illusion. He then realizes the real illusion and works towards the real development of his life. This is the time when the sadhak should be most careful as handling this energy is not easy. One can even start disbelieving in this reality, and there could be serious repercussions.
Benefits of worshipping Skandamata
Worshipping the Goddess Skandamata surely fulfills all the wishes of her devotees and grants happiness and prosperity in the lives of her followers. The devotees of the Goddess begin to feel the heavenly joys in this material world. He gets a glimpse of the divine and that experience enriches his life with positivity and clarity of vision. The Goddess shows the way to Moksha or salvation and gives her followers a chance to end this circle or birth and rebirth and enter the infinity. She lets him transcend time and space and enter into a dimension not known to mankind. By worshipping the Goddess, Lord Skanda in the infant form is automatically worshipped. Her followers should surrender completely to her. By enjoying the powers of a presiding Goddess of the Sun God, she is blessed with magical lustre and rare powers compared to the other Gods and Goddesses.
She is always depicted with the divine aura surrounded by her maintaining her yoga-ksema. So, one should totally devote to her, as she is the one, who can scale the life of an individual from this world to the brighter world where there is less pain, and the divine energy flows without stopping. There are various masterpieces that narrate her stories. She is the Fire Goddess. She is born from the Himalaya, and after completing her penance, she got married to Shiva and had a son name Skanda.
How to worship goddess Skandamata
Skandamata Mantras:
Om hreeng mahadurgaya namah
Om nityaya namah
They are two different mantras and should be chanted separately. We often see the power of Skandamata in healing people.
Mantras for Skandamata
ॐ देवी स्कन्दमातायै नमः॥
Om Devi Skandamatayai Namah॥
Prarthana –
सिंहासनगता नित्यं पद्माञ्चित करद्वया।
शुभदास्तु सदा देवी स्कन्दमाता यशस्विनी॥Simhasanagata Nityam Padmanchita Karadvaya।
Shubhadastu Sada Devi Skandamata Yashasvini॥
Stuti –
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु माँ स्कन्दमाता रूपेण संस्थिता। नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu Ma Skandamata Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Dhyana –
वन्दे वाञ्छित कामार्थे चन्द्रार्धकृतशेखराम्।
सिंहरूढ़ा चतुर्भुजा स्कन्दमाता यशस्विनीम्॥
धवलवर्णा विशुध्द चक्रस्थितों पञ्चम दुर्गा त्रिनेत्राम्।
अभय पद्म युग्म करां दक्षिण उरू पुत्रधराम् भजेम्॥
पटाम्बर परिधानां मृदुहास्या नानालङ्कार भूषिताम्।
मञ्जीर, हार, केयूर, किङ्किणि, रत्नकुण्डल धारिणीम्॥
प्रफुल्ल वन्दना पल्लवाधरां कान्त कपोलाम् पीन पयोधराम्।
कमनीयां लावण्यां चारू त्रिवली नितम्बनीम्॥Vande Vanchhita Kamarthe Chandrardhakritashekharam।
Simharudha Chaturbhuja Skandamata Yashasvinim॥
Dhawalavarna Vishuddha Chakrasthitom Panchama Durga Trinetram।
Abhaya Padma Yugma Karam Dakshina Uru Putradharam Bhajem॥
Patambara Paridhanam Mriduhasya Nanalankara Bhushitam।
Manjira, Hara, Keyura, Kinkini, Ratnakundala Dharinim॥
Praphulla Vandana Pallavadharam Kanta Kapolam Pina Payodharam।
Kamaniyam Lavanyam Charu Triwali Nitambanim॥
Stotra –
नमामि स्कन्दमाता स्कन्दधारिणीम्।
समग्रतत्वसागरम् पारपारगहराम्॥
शिवाप्रभा समुज्वलां स्फुच्छशागशेखराम्।
ललाटरत्नभास्करां जगत्प्रदीप्ति भास्कराम्॥
महेन्द्रकश्यपार्चितां सनत्कुमार संस्तुताम्।
सुरासुरेन्द्रवन्दिता यथार्थनिर्मलाद्भुताम्॥
अतर्क्यरोचिरूविजां विकार दोषवर्जिताम्।
मुमुक्षुभिर्विचिन्तितां विशेषतत्वमुचिताम्॥
नानालङ्कार भूषिताम् मृगेन्द्रवाहनाग्रजाम्।
सुशुध्दतत्वतोषणां त्रिवेदमार भूषणाम्॥
सुधार्मिकौपकारिणी सुरेन्द्र वैरिघातिनीम्।
शुभां पुष्पमालिनीं सुवर्णकल्पशाखिनीम्
तमोऽन्धकारयामिनीं शिवस्वभावकामिनीम्।
सहस्रसूर्यराजिकां धनज्जयोग्रकारिकाम्॥
सुशुध्द काल कन्दला सुभृडवृन्दमज्जुलाम्।
प्रजायिनी प्रजावति नमामि मातरम् सतीम्॥
स्वकर्मकारणे गतिं हरिप्रयाच पार्वतीम्।
अनन्तशक्ति कान्तिदां यशोअर्थभुक्तिमुक्तिदाम्॥
पुनः पुनर्जगद्धितां नमाम्यहम् सुरार्चिताम्।
जयेश्वरि त्रिलोचने प्रसीद देवी पाहिमाम्॥Namami Skandamata Skandadharinim।
Samagratatvasagaram Paraparagaharam॥
Shivaprabha Samujvalam Sphuchchhashagashekharam।
Lalataratnabhaskaram Jagatpradipti Bhaskaram॥
Mahendrakashyaparchita Sanantakumara Samstutam।
Surasurendravandita Yatharthanirmaladbhutam॥
Atarkyarochiruvijam Vikara Doshavarjitam।
Mumukshubhirvichintitam Visheshatatvamuchitam॥
Nanalankara Bhushitam Mrigendravahanagrajam।
Sushuddhatatvatoshanam Trivedamara Bhushanam॥
Sudharmikaupakarini Surendra Vairighatinim।
Shubham Pushpamalinim Suvarnakalpashakhinim॥
Tamoandhakarayamini Shivasvabhavakaminim।
Sahasrasuryarajikam Dhanajjayogakarikam॥
Sushuddha Kala Kandala Subhridavrindamajjulam।
Prajayini Prajawati Namami Mataram Satim॥
Swakarmakarane Gatim Hariprayacha Parvatim।
Anantashakti Kantidam Yashoarthabhuktimuktidam॥
Punah Punarjagadditam Namamyaham Surarchitam।
Jayeshwari Trilochane Prasida Devi Pahimam॥
Kavacha –
ऐं बीजालिंका देवी पदयुग्मधरापरा।
हृदयम् पातु सा देवी कार्तिकेययुता॥
श्री ह्रीं हुं ऐं देवी पर्वस्या पातु सर्वदा।
सर्वाङ्ग में सदा पातु स्कन्दमाता पुत्रप्रदा॥
वाणवाणामृते हुं फट् बीज समन्विता।
उत्तरस्या तथाग्ने च वारुणे नैॠतेअवतु॥
इन्द्राणी भैरवी चैवासिताङ्गी च संहारिणी।
सर्वदा पातु मां देवी चान्यान्यासु हि दिक्षु वै॥Aim Bijalinka Devi Padayugmadharapara।
Hridayam Patu Sa Devi Kartikeyayuta॥
Shri Hrim Hum Aim Devi Parvasya Patu Sarvada।
Sarvanga Mein Sada Patu Skandamata Putraprada॥
Vanavanamritem Hum Phat Bija Samanvita।
Uttarasya Tathagne Cha Varune Nairiteavatu॥
Indrani Bhairavi Chaivasitangi Cha Samharini।
Sarvada Patu Mam Devi Chanyanyasu Hi Dikshu Vai॥
Other Forms of Navdurga:
