Skandamata is the fifth of the nine forms of Durga, worshipped on the fifth day of Navaratri. Her name means "the mother of Skanda", the god also known as Kumaraswamy, Kartikeya, Shadanana and Subrahmanya. She is the gentlest picture of the Goddess in the whole Navadurga series: a mother seated on a lion with her six-faced little boy held on her lap.
Skandamata dhyana sloka and its meaning
सिंहासनगता नित्यं पद्माश्रितकरद्वया । शुभदास्तु सदा देवी स्कंदमाता यशस्विनी ॥
Siṃhāsanagatā nityaṃ padmāśritakaradvayā | Śubhadāstu sadā devī skaṃdamātā yaśasvinī ||
Meaning: May the glorious Goddess Skandamata, who is always seated on a throne and holds lotuses in two of her hands, always grant us what is good and auspicious.
The sloka gives two details that devotees remember her by: the throne she never leaves, and the pair of lotuses in her hands. Yaśasvinī means "the famous one", the one whose glory is known everywhere.
Watch the story
A narrated retelling from our YouTube channel, in the regional language of this site.
Who is Skanda, and why is she called his mother?
To see why the Mother takes this form, it helps to follow her through the earlier days of Navaratri. She was born as Shailaputri, the daughter of the mountain king. As Brahmacharini she did long penance to win Shiva. She married him, and in time she became the mother of Kumaraswamy. That is why she is called Skandamata.
Skanda goes by many names. Kartikeya points to the Krittikas who raised him. Shadanana means "the six-faced one". In Karnataka and Andhra he is widely worshipped as Subrahmanya, and in Tamil Nadu as Murugan.
The story of Skandamata: how Skanda was born
There was an asura named Tarakasura who had won a boon from Lord Brahma. Under that boon, no one could kill him except a son of Shiva. Shiva at that time was alone, lost in meditation, and a son of Shiva seemed impossible. Feeling safe, Tarakasura troubled the worlds, and the devas could do nothing against him.
The devas understood that their only hope was a child born to Shiva. So they worked to make sure that the marriage of Shiva and Parvati took place.
From the power of the couple's tapas came a divine radiance, a blazing energy too strong for anyone to hold for long. Agni, the fire god, carried it away and left it in the river Ganga. Ganga, in turn, placed it among the reeds of the Saravana forest. There, among the tall grass, a baby was born.
Six maidens of the Krittika star saw the child lying alone. They felt great love for him, picked him up and cared for him as their own. That boy was Skanda.
Later Parvati took the boy into her arms and raised him as her own son. Skanda grew up, became the commander of the devas, and killed Tarakasura. The boon that had made the asura feel safe was the very thing that ended him.
This is the heart of Skandamata's worship. The power that destroyed Tarakasura came through a mother's lap. The Goddess on this day is not shown with weapons raised. She is shown holding her child, and that is her strength.
The form of Skandamata
Skandamata shines with a white radiance and is seated on a lion. She has four hands:
- with one she holds the six-faced child Skanda on her lap;
- two hands hold lotuses, just as the dhyana sloka says;
- the fourth hand is raised in abhaya mudra, the gesture that says "do not fear".
Because she is seated in the lotus posture, she is also called Padmasana Devi. The lion shows that she is still the Durga who protects; the child and the lotuses show the tender side of the same Mother.
How Skandamata is worshipped on the fifth day of Navaratri
On the fifth morning of Navaratri, the household bathes, cleans the puja space and invites the Goddess as Skandamata into the kalasha or picture set up for the festival.
Flowers: White flowers are offered to her, especially water lilies (kaluva in Telugu, naidile in Kannada).
Naivedya: A popular custom is to offer payasam made with milk.
Mantra: Devotees chant this mantra 108 times:
ॐ ऐं ह्रीं क्लीं स्कंदमात्रे नमः
Oṃ aiṃ hrīṃ klīṃ skaṃdamātre namaḥ
A simple way to do the puja at home is to light a lamp, recite the dhyana sloka once with attention to its meaning, offer the flowers and payasam, and then sit quietly for the 108 repetitions of the mantra with a japa mala.
What devotees pray to Skandamata for
Devotees believe that worshipping Skandamata brings knowledge, learning and good judgement. She is prayed to for peace and harmony in the family, and couples hoping for a child turn to her for the blessing of children. Because she is shown with her son, many parents also pray to her for the well-being of their children on this day.