The Story Behind Skanda Shashti

Introduction: The legend of Lord Muruga is well known. He has an important position in the Hindu pantheon and a lot of devotees across the globe. Lord Muruga is described as the God Head, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Devas’ army. He is one of the most handsome Gods, and hence the name Muruga, which means ‘beauty’ in Tamil. Birth of Lord Muruga: Lord Shiva is known for his severe penance, for once he starts to meditate, it will continue for several Yugas together. Lord Kamadeva, the lord of Love, wanted to instill love in the heart of Lord Shiva, so that he would marry Goddess Parvati and start the process of creation again. Lord Shiva had been devastated by the death of his former wife, Goddess Sati. When Lord Kamadeva attacked Lord Shiva with his floral arrow, the penance of Lord Shiva was disturbed. He opened his third eye and burned Lord Kamadeva to ashes. Upon the request of the wife of Kamadeva, he was resurrected. It was the wish of Kamadeva to make Lord Shiva have a son who is similar in valor to Lord Shiva, and become invincible. The spark from Lord Shiva’s third eye: When Lord Shiva opened his third eye, the sparks from his eyes fell on the earth. It was so hot that people were unable to bear the heat. The sparks were let into the river “Saravana Poigai”, which cooled them down and they became six beautiful children. Celestial Nymphs: The six children were raised by six beautiful maidens called “Karthigai Pengal”, who were the foster mothers of Lord Muruga. The children were then fused together by Goddess Parvati, into a child with six heads and twelve hands. Annihilating the Demon: One of the biggest episodes of Lord Muruga is the annihilation of the demo Soorapadman and his brothers. They were causing a lot of trouble to the people, by destroying their homes, torturing them, making them unable to continue their penance. As people were unable to bear the torture, they reached out to Lord Vishnu to ask for a solution. It was Lord Vishnu who suggested asking Lord Shiva for help. Lord Muruga grew into a lad of knowledge, wisdom, immense foresight, intelligence and acumen along with great physical strength. He also gained a “Vel”, an amulet powerful enough to destroy enemies, from his mother, Parvati. Soorapadman and his brothers were killed in the war and the body of Soorapadman split into two parts. One became a peacock and the other, a rooster. The peacock became the animal-mount, Vahana, of Lord Muruga and the rooster became part of his flag. Festivals related to Skanda Shashti: Every year, the victory over the demon, called Soorasamharam, is celebrated in all important temples of Lord Muruga. Many people would gather in the temple and worship Lord Muruga with the conviction that he will protect his devotees. Many people fast in their houses and visit the temple to gain the favor of Lord Muruga.