Thursday 24 September, 2009

Fifth Night of Navaratri : Skanda Mata

-: मंत्र :-
!! ॐ  नमो  रजो  जुशेई  श्रीस्ताऊ स्थिथोऊ  सत्त्वा  मायायाचा !!

!! तमो  मायया  सम -हरिनी विश्वरुपाया वेधासी ॐ  ब्रह्मंयेई  नमः !!

"Om is the name of He who created this cosmos with its three gunas (qualities of nature: positive, negative and quiescent) who brought all things to form and who is universal. He is Brahma whom I salute."

Fifth form of Durga is "Skanda Mata", also known as Padmasana.  Goddess Skanda mata is the mother of Lord Skanda or Subrahmanya, also worshipped as Kartikeya. Lord Skanda was chosen by Gods as their Chief Commander (Deva Senadhipathi) in the war against the demons. As Skanda Mata is the mother of Lord Skanda, she always carries him in her lap. 
She has three eyes and she is a four-armed Goddess, known as Chaturbhuji. She has bright complextion and Vehicle or vahanam of Skandamata is a lion (Simha vahini).
 Maa Skanda mata holds Skanda in her upper right arm. In her right lower and left lower hands, she carries lotus. The left upper hand is in a pose to grant boons (Varada Mudra) to her devotees.  Skanda Mata is a deity of fire.


There is an interesting story - demon Tarakasur pleased Brahma with extreme penance and asked for immortality. Brahma refused and asked him to wish for something else. Tarakasur being very clever asked for a boon that only the son of Lord Shiva could take his life. Tarakasur thought Lord Shiva would never discard his vow of celibacy, so there would be no son and he would never die.


The boon was granted and Tarakasur started tormenting the world thinking that he was invincible. All the Gods asked Lord Shiva for help. They requested him to get married. Lord Shiva was reluctant but agreed so that the terror spread by the demon could end. After taking human form, he married Parvati and had Kartikeya or Skandkumar who later killed Tarkasur.




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