Skanda Shashti 1928

From the Mahabharata

The sage Markandeya told the Pandavas how Skanda, also called Kumara, Subramanya and Murugan, came to lead the army of the gods.

On the Manasa mountains lived two sisters, daughters of Prajapati, named Devasena and Daityasena. Every day the asura Kesin came to court them. Daityasena listened to him and was carried away by him, but Devasena refused him, and Indra rescued her by his might. Devasena then asked Indra to find her a husband: one strong enough to conquer gods and asuras alike, and devoted to Brahma.

Indra searched, but found no one like that, and he grieved. Then at the new moon he saw wonderful signs: the Sun and the Moon together, the twilight glowing red, and Agni, the Fire god, entering the disc of the Sun. Indra thought that a son born of such a meeting could be Devasena's husband. He took her to Brahma, and Brahma said, "It shall be as you intend." The child to come would be her husband and would lead the gods' army together with Indra.

That child was Skanda. He is called the son of Rudra (Shiva) because Rudra's energy entered Agni, and Svaha and the Krittikas also had their part in his birth. When he appeared, shining and handsome, the great sages asked him to become the Indra of the three worlds. Skanda asked what Indra's duties were. Having heard them, he said he did not want Indra's throne and would serve Indra instead.

So Indra asked him to lead the army of the gods. Skanda agreed and asked to be anointed for the destruction of the Danavas, for the good of the gods, and for the protection of cows and Brahmanas. The gods anointed him, and Rudra placed around his neck a golden garland made by Vishvakarma. A red cock became his banner.

Then Indra brought Devasena, dressed in fine clothes, and told Skanda that Brahma had chosen her for him even before he was born. Skanda took her hand, and Brihaspati performed the wedding rites. Devasena is also called Shashthi, Lakshmi, Asha and Sukhaprada. The Mahabharata says that Skanda won fame on the fifth lunar day, which is therefore called Shri Panchami, and that he attained his object on the sixth lunar day, so that day is held to be of great importance. (Shashti means "the sixth".)

Soon a great host of Danavas attacked the gods. The mighty Mahisha, made unbeatable by a boon of Brahma, seized the pole of Rudra's own chariot. Rudra held back, because he knew Skanda was the one to strike him down. Skanda rode out, shining like the Sun, and hurled his spear, his shakti. It cut off Mahisha's head and flew back to his hand, again and again, until the Danavas were destroyed. Indra embraced Skanda for removing this thorn from the side of the gods.

Markandeya ends with a blessing: the Brahmana who reads or hears this story of Skanda's birth with attention gains prosperity in this world and Skanda's company in the next.

In Tamil Nadu the six days of Kanda Shashti end with Soora Samharam, Murugan's victory over Surapadman as told in the Kanda Puranam, which has its own page.