Who is Maa Skandamata?
"Skanda" is another name for Kartikeya - the son of Shiva and Parvati, and the commander-in-chief of the divine army. "Mata" means mother. Skandamata is Parvati in her form as the devoted mother holding her divine son.
सिंहासनगता नित्यं पद्माश्रितकरद्वया।
शुभदास्तु सदा देवी स्कन्दमाता यशस्विनी॥
Siṃhāsanagatā nityaṃ padmāśritakaradvayā, Śubhadāstu sadā devī Skandamātā yaśasvinī.
"Always seated on a lion throne, holding lotuses in two hands - may the ever-glorious goddess Skandamata bestow auspiciousness upon me always." This dhyana shloka is recited on the fifth day of Navratri to invoke her motherly and sovereign grace.
- Devi Mahatmya · Navratri Dhyana Shloka
Why the Gods Needed Skanda
The birth of Skanda - Kartikeya - is one of the great cosmic events of Hindu scripture. And Skandamata is the mother who made it possible.
The Demon Tarakasura's Terror
The demon Tarakasura had obtained a boon from Brahma that he could only be slain by the son of Shiva. Since Shiva was in deep meditation after Sati's death - with no interest in marriage - Tarakasura considered himself effectively immortal. He unleashed terror across the three worlds, driving the gods from their abodes.
Parvati's Purpose
The gods realised that only Parvati could draw Shiva out of meditation and give birth to the son who would slay Tarakasura. This was the cosmic reason behind Parvati's great tapasya as Brahmacharini. Her devotion was not merely personal - it was the divine mission to save the universe.
The Birth of Skanda
After Shiva and Parvati's divine union, a child of extraordinary power was born - Skanda, also called Kartikeya or Murugan. So immense was his energy at birth that he was raised by the six Krittikas (the Pleiades stars), giving him six faces. He became the supreme commander of the divine army and swiftly slew Tarakasura, restoring order to the cosmos.
Skandamata - The Mother Behind the Mission
Skandamata is Parvati recognised not just as Shiva's consort, but as Skanda's mother - the one whose entire spiritual journey, from Shailputri to Brahmacharini to Chandraghanta, culminated in bringing forth the divine hero the cosmos needed. She is worshipped on Day 5 in honour of this supreme act of cosmic motherhood.
The Warrior Who Cradles a Baby
The image of Skandamata contains one of the most profound paradoxes in all of Devi iconography. She sits on a lion - the symbol of raw, untamed power. She is four-armed, capable of holding weapons and cosmic lotuses. She is the goddess who has just emerged from years of tapasya and fierce manifestation.
And yet - in her lap, she holds her infant son. Gently. The same arms that could wield divine weapons are holding a small child.
This is the teaching: true power does not harden a mother's heart. The greater the strength, the more gently it can be used for those who need protection. Skandamata is worshipped particularly by mothers praying for their children - and by all who seek the blessings of divine motherly love.
"She who is fierce enough to ride a lion, yet gentle enough to cradle an infant - this is the full nature of the Divine Mother."
ॐ स्कंदमात्रे नमः
Om Skandamātre Namah
Chant 108 times on Day 5 with a rudraksha mala. Her worship is especially auspicious for mothers and children. It is said that even Skanda himself reaches the devotee who worships Skandamata with a pure heart.
How to Worship Maa Skandamata on Day 5
White represents the purity of the mother's love. Pink represents warmth, compassion and the gentle feminine energy that Skandamata embodies alongside her strength. Both are auspicious on Day 5.
Banana is the traditional bhog offered to Maa Skandamata on Day 5. Some traditions also offer sweetened rice. It is said that offering bananas and distributing them to children is particularly auspicious on this day.
Day 5 of Navratri holds special significance for mothers. Light a diya before Skandamata's image and pray for the health, wisdom and protection of your children. A mother's prayer on this day is considered to have extraordinary power.
With a rudraksha mala, chant ॐ स्कंदमात्रे नमः 108 times. This activates the Vishuddha chakra - the throat centre - and is said to bless the devotee with eloquence, loving expression and pure communication.
Day 5 aligns with chapter 10 of Devi Mahatmya - the slaying of Shumbha by the goddess. The goddess here is at her most sovereign and decisive - a manifestation that resonates with Skandamata's role as the mother who sets divine destiny in motion.
What Skandamata Teaches Us
Motherhood is a Cosmic Force
Parvati's entire journey - her penance, her transformation, her marriage - was in service of bringing Skanda into the world. The scripture teaches that the love of a mother is not merely human; it is a cosmic force that can alter the destiny of the universe.
Strength and Gentleness Together
Skandamata's iconography - lion throne, four arms, infant child - teaches that strength and tenderness are not opposites. The most powerful beings are capable of the deepest gentleness. True power is never used to crush what is small and vulnerable.
Personal Devotion Serves a Larger Purpose
Parvati's love for Shiva was deeply personal. Yet it was also the means by which the universe was saved. Skandamata teaches that sincere devotion - however personal it feels - always ripples outward into the world in ways larger than we can imagine.
माँ स्कंदमाता - वात्सल्य और शक्ति की अद्भुत मूर्ति
नवरात्रि के पञ्चम दिन माँ स्कंदमाता की पूजा की जाती है। "स्कन्द" भगवान कार्तिकेय का नाम है और "माता" अर्थात् उनकी माँ। माँ पार्वती ही स्कंदमाता के रूप में पूजित होती हैं। ये चतुर्भुजी हैं - दो हाथों में कमल, एक में शिशु स्कन्द और एक में अभयमुद्रा। इनका वाहन सिंह है।
तारकासुर नामक दैत्य को ब्रह्मा जी से यह वरदान मिला था कि उसे केवल शिव-पुत्र ही मार सकता है। इसीलिए देवताओं की प्रार्थना पर माँ पार्वती ने कठोर तपस्या की और भगवान शिव को पति के रूप में प्राप्त किया। उनके पुत्र स्कंद (कार्तिकेय) ने देवसेना का नेतृत्व करते हुए तारकासुर का वध किया और तीनों लोकों को उसके आतंक से मुक्त किया।
माँ स्कंदमाता की उपासना से विशुद्ध चक्र जागृत होता है। इस दिन श्वेत या गुलाबी वस्त्र धारण करें, केले का भोग लगाएँ और ॐ स्कंदमात्रे नमः का 108 बार जप करें। माताओं के लिए यह दिन विशेष फलदायी है - इस दिन अपने पुत्र-पुत्रियों के लिए दीप जलाकर माँ स्कंदमाता से उनकी रक्षा और उन्नति की प्रार्थना करें।