Lord Muruga, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, is one of the favorite gods of Tamil-speaking people. He is regarded as the patron deity of the state of Tamil Nadu. Muruga has many names. Skanda/Kanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha, Kumara, Karthikeya, Velan, etc., are some of them.

In ancient India, he was regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as per the Vetala Panchvimshati, a medieval collection of stories, and the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka.

In Bengal, he is worshipped as the most handsome of the demi-Gods. On Durga Puja, devotees worship him, along with Goddess Durga and Lord Ganesha.

Muruga supposedly exposed Brahma’s ignorance of the Vedas. This earned him the name Brahma-sasta meaning ‘the one who taught Brahma’.

Kanda Shasti, or Skanda Sashti, is a festival that honors Muruga. It falls on the sixth day of Shukla Paksha of Aippasi month. Muruga temples, as well as Shaivite temples in Tamilnadu celebrate this festival with great fervor. The festival commemorates the killing of the demon, Soorapadman, and his brothers, by Muruga. The killing of the demon is ritually enacted as Soora Samharam.

There are grand celebrations at some of the Aruapadaiveedu or the 6 sacred temples of Murugan, namely Thiruchendur andTirupparankunram. At Sikkal, the Utsava moorthy, or the festival image of Skanda, receives a Vel or spear from the Ambal shrine the day before the festival comes to a climax.

Origin of the God, Skanda

The deity, Skanda, is mentioned in stone inscriptions and features on ancient coins (1st cent. to 5th cent CE). His story can be found in the Mahabharatha, Śhiva Purana, and there is also a retold version in Kalidasa’s Kumara Sambhavam. Chandogya Upanishad has identified Skanda as Sanat Kumara. Works like Arunagiri’s Thiruppugazh, Nakkeerar’s Thiru Murugātrupadai, and other Tamil texts sing the glory of Skanda in the form of devotional poetry.

Legend of Skanda Shasti

Skanda Shasti festival celebrates the birth of Muruga and the purpose of His divine incarnation. Fed up of the torture they suffered at the hands of the demon, Tarakasura (a brother of Soorapadman), the Devas went to Lord Brahma and sought his help. Brahma said that only the son of Lord Shiva could put an end to them. But this was a difficult task as Shiva was deep in meditation after his wife, Sati, died. No one had the courage to disturb his tapasya.

Brahma then told them to take the help of Parvathi, the daughter of King Himavat and Kama (the god of love). Parvati was actually an incarnation of Sati and was determined to wed Shiva. So, she began doing severe penance to catch Shiva’s attention. Kama also began to shoot his arrows of love at Shiva, who was in a state of Samadhi. This disturbed Shiva, and he opened his 3rd eye in anger. Immediately, Kama was reduced to ashes.
Shiva was aroused by now. On hearing of the predicament faced by the gods, he agreed to help them. From his 3rd eye, 6 sparks of fire came forth. They fell into Agni’s mouth, and Vayu carried them to the Ganges river, which in turn deposited them in the Sara Vana (forest of reeds or arrow-like grass). There, they turned into 6 babies who were taken care of by the 6 Karthigai maidens (Pleiades). Later, Goddess Parvati came there and fused them into one baby with 6 heads. Thus, Skanda was born.

In another origin story, described in the Mahabharata epic, Muruga was born from Svaha and Agni after the former impersonated 6 of the 7 wives of the Saptarishis.

Skanda grew up into a handsome youth. In fact, he was the most handsome among the Gods. He also became Commander of the demigods.

Parvati gave Skanda a divine spear called Vel to fight the demons. He waged war against the armies of the demons and killed Soorapadman and his brothers, Simhamukhan and Tarakasura, on the sixth day of the battle.
The 6th day (Shasti) of the waxing moon in the month of Ashada (Oct-Nov) is Skanda Shasti.

Skanda Shasti Celebrations

Devotees observe a fast on all 6 days. Devotees eat only one meal and abstain from non-veg food, onion, garlic, etc. They consume mostly fruits and unsalted foods. Many choose to stay in the temples during the 6 days of the festival. They also chant Kanda Shasti Kavacham, a prayer for invoking the protection and blessings of Lord Murugan, as well as the Mantra, ‘Om Sharavana Bhava’. Soorasamharam, which is a ritual enactment of the events that led to the killing of the Asuras, also takes place. It is also the custom for devotees to offer Kavadi to please Muruga.