Chhat Parva--Kartikeya- Murugan

Skanda Sashti --- Chhat Parva
By Shri P.Venkatesh

The culmination of the six day worship of Lord Muruga or Kartikeya, elder son of Shiva and Parvati and sibling of Ganesha , falls on the sixth day after Deepawali , the festival of lights . Called Skanda Sashti , the occasion celebrates the victory of Skanda , the supreme commander of divine forces , over demons Tarakasura Surapadman . Krishna declared in the Gita, “Of Generals, I am Skanda”.The victory symbolizes our surmounting of inner demons and vices.
The number six is special to Skanda.There are six holy abodes of His in Tamil Nadu: Palani, Swamimalai, Thirupparangunram, Pazhamudircholai, Thiruthani and Thiruchendur. The legend goes that he was born of the six rays of light that emerged from Lord Shiva’s third eye. This event happened in the month of Kartik ( November ), hence Kartikeya is one of His names. The six rays fell in Sara Vana, the forest of green grass, hence his six syllable name Sarvanabava. The mantra is so potent that its recitation is believed to attract people (Sa), wealth (Ra), removes debt and disease (Va), suppresses problems(Na), charms others (Ba), and stops negativity(Va).
The six rays turned into six babies, each looked after by one of the six maidens of the constellation of Kritikai ( Pleiades). The six babies were united into one by Goddess Parvati when she held them in her arms .So, He was called Shanmukha, the six faced one. The six faces bestow six divine attributes to the devotee: Jnana or wisdom, vairagya or detachment, Bala or strength ,kirti or fame, Sree or wealth, and Aishwarya or divine powers.
Muruga’s weapon is the spear called Vel. The Vel represents Shakti, the universal power that destroys the effects of sins and grants liberation. He is married to Devayani, daughter of Indra, and Valli, a tribal chieftain’s daughter, signifying that class does not matter. When He killed Surapadman, the demon’s body split into two. One half became a peacock , His vehicle, and the other half turned into a rooster and features on His flag. The Snake below the peacock’s feet symbolizes conquest of ego and fearlessness. The rooster heralds the dawn of wisdom with removal of the darkness of ignorance.
Muruga is the preceptor of Om, the primordial sound that is the all pervading Reality. Owing to a curse, Shiva forgot the knowledge of Om. Shiva approached his son Muruga, who in turn requested his fatherto become his disciple. Shiva placed the child Muruga on his lap, and Muruga whispered the secret divine knowledge in his father’s ears. Hence, Muruga came to be known as the Swaminatha Swami, the One who taught the Universal Teacher Shiva, revealing that age is not a constraint to disseminating knowledge. You are never too young to teach nor ever too old to learn.
Once, Arunagirinathar, a devotee, was disillusioned with life and was about to end his life by jumping of the temple tower of Thiruvannamalai. Muruga not only saved him, but also inspired him to compose the Thiruppugazh, a compilation of devotional songs, which is recognized to be a great literary achievement. The poet declares in a composition that Muruga never fails to come to the rescue of a true devotee.

Most temples dedicated to Kartikeya or Muruga—including the Malai mandir in Delhi--bear the following words of reassurance at the entrance: “ Why fear when I am there?”