Story Of Maa Skandamata - Navratri Day 5
Welcome to the enlightening journey of Navratri, a nine-day festival dedicated to the worship of Devi Durga, the Divine Mother. As we embark on the fifth day of this auspicious occasion, let us dive into the captivating narrative of Maa Skandamata, a manifestation of Devi Parvati and mother to Lord Kartikeya, also known as Skanda.
This divine tale holds the essence of maternal love, strength, and an unfathomable bond between a mother and her child. Join us as we delve into the enchanting story of Maa Skandamata and unravel the significance she holds on this Navratri day five.
Skandamata
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Skandamata story
Maa Skandamata is worshipped on the fifth day of the nine-day of Navratri. 'Skanda' means 'Kartikeya', who was the firstborn child of Shiva and Parvati and 'mata' means 'mother'. So Skandamata essentially is the story of goddess Parvati. We all know that after Sati immolated herself, Shiva became completely disconnected from the world. He lived away from everybody, deep in Tapasya and he did not care at all about what was happening. He lived as an ascetic.
Around that time there were two demons Surahpadman and Tarakasura. They had got a boon that they could not be destroyed. The only person who could kill them was the offspring of Lord Shiva and Parvati. However, when Shiva completely disconnected himself from the world, all the gods and goddesses got worried, 'What if they'll never manage getting rid of the two demons Tarakasura and Surahpadman? And that's when they all went to Lord Vishnu and begged him to find a solution.
Lord Vishnu told them that it was their mistake. Had they not gone to Daksha Prajapati's Yagna without Shiva and Sati being a part of it, this would have never happened. Sati would have never immolated herself and Shiva would have never been disconnected from everybody. So Vishnu had no solution.
Parvati, who had taken birth again, was another incarnation of Sati, and this time she was born to the god of the mountains. Narad Muni visited Parvati and told her that in this life, she could get married to the love of her life, which is Shiva, however that would require severe penance, severe Tapasya.
Parvati wanted to get married to Shiva and she went through thousands and thousands of years of Tapasya, severe penance. After which Shiva was finally pleased, he relented, And they both got married. When their union happened, a blinding seed, a powerful seed took birth. This seed was so radiant that Lord Agni himself was given the job of taking care of the seed. From its radiance, the child of Shiva and Parvati would be born.
However, Agni could not bear the radiance of the seed and he took help from Ganga (India Holy River). Ganga looked after the seed and then Parvati herself took the form of water because she knew that only she could carry the seed that was born of her union with Shiva. And then Kartikeya was born. He had six faces and he was looked after by six mothers also called 'Krittikas' which is how he got the name of Kartikeya.
In south India, Kartikeya is also known as Lord Murugan. He's the commander-in-chief of the Army of Gods. He is ever so powerful and he was blessed by all gods and goddesses not just with powerful weapons but also immense knowledge.
It is said that when he grew up a little bit he went to Brahma himself to gain knowledge. And on the first day, he asked Brahma a question. He asked him the meaning of 'Om' and Brahma took 12,000 verses to explain the meaning. But Kartikeya was not satisfied so he went to his own father Lord Shiva and asked him. Shiva explained the meaning of 'Om' in 12 lakh verses, but Kartikeya was not satisfied. Then Lord Kartikeya had figured out the meaning of 'Om' and he explained it to everybody in 12 crore verses. That was Kartikeya ever so powerful, which is why it is believed that if you pray to Skandamata you automatically end up praying to Kartikeya.
Skandamata has four hands. On one hand, she carries Kartikeya as a baby, in her second and third hand she carries a lotus, and with her fourth hand, she blesses her devotees. Skandamata rides a lion and she sits on a lotus. Skandamata is believed to be the powerful mother of a powerful god and so she's worshiped on the fifth day of Navratri.
Final Thoughts
As the mother of Lord Skanda, she symbolizes the nurturing and protective aspect of a mother, guiding her devotees toward righteousness and salvation.
With her grace and love, Maa Skandamata blesses her devotees with strength, wisdom, and the ability to overcome obstacles in their lives.
As we celebrate Navratri and seek her blessings, let us remember the inspiring story of Maa Skandamata and strive to embody her qualities of love, compassion, and determination in our own lives.
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