Lord Murugan (Kartikeya): Who He Is, With His Mantras

Who is Lord Murugan?

Lord Murugan, also called Kartikeya and Skanda, is a Hindu deity associated with war. He is traditionally described as the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is commonly depicted with six faces and twelve arms. Thaipusam is a special festival for his worship.

Murugan mantras with meaning

Below are the 14 mantras and verses to Lord Murugan in Diya's prayer library, in Sanskrit and in English letters, each with its meaning in plain English.

Mantra (Sanskrit and transliteration)	Meaning in English
Oṃ Śaravaṇabhava ॐ शरवणभव oṃ śaravaṇabhava	Om, Sharavanabhava—Murugan, born in the reed grove.
Skanda (Ṣaṇmukha) Gāyatrī तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे महासेनाय धीमहि । तन्नः षण्मुखः प्रचोदयात् ॥ tatpuruṣāya vidmahe mahāsenāya dhīmahi | tannaḥ ṣaṇmukhaḥ pracodayāt ||	May we know that Supreme Being and meditate on Mahasena, the great commander. May Shanmukha, the six-faced Lord, inspire and guide our understanding.
Invocation to Subrahmanya ॐ श्री सुब्रह्मण्याय नमः । oṃ śrī subrahmaṇyāya namaḥ |	Om. I bow to revered Subrahmanya, Murugan.
Invocation to Shanmukha ॐ श्री षण्मुखाय नमः । oṃ śrī ṣaṇmukhāya namaḥ |	Om. I bow to revered Shanmukha, Murugan, the six-faced Lord.
Invocation to Skanda ॐ श्री स्कन्दाय नमः । oṃ śrī skandāya namaḥ |	Om. I bow to revered Skanda, Murugan.
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 3 मयूराधिरूढं महावाक्यगूढं मनोहारिदेहं महच्चित्तगेहम् । महीदेवदेवं महावेदभावं महादेवबालं भजे लोकपालम् ॥ ३॥ mayūrādhirūḍhaṃ mahāvākyagūḍhaṃ manohāridehaṃ mahaccittageham | mahīdevadevaṃ mahāvedabhāvaṃ mahādevabālaṃ bhaje lokapālam || 3||	I worship Shiva's son, the world's protector: he rides a peacock, has a captivating form, dwells in the hearts of the great, and is the Lord of brahmins. He is the hidden truth of the great Upanishadic sayings and the essence of the Vedas.
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 4 यदा सन्निधानं गता मानवा मे भवाम्भोधिपारं गतास्ते तदैव । इति व्यञ्जयन्सिन्धुतीरे य आस्ते तमीडे पवित्रं पराशक्तिपुत्रम् ॥ ४॥ yadā sannidhānaṃ gatā mānavā me bhavāmbhodhipāraṃ gatāste tadaiva | iti vyañjayansindhutīre ya āste tamīḍe pavitraṃ parāśaktiputram || 4||	I praise the holy son of Parashakti, the Supreme Mother. Dwelling beside the sea, he conveys: 'The moment people come into my presence, they have crossed the ocean of birth and death.'
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 5 यथाब्धेस्तरङ्गा लयं यान्ति तुङ्गास्तथैवापदः सन्निधौ सेवतां मे । इतीवोर्मिपङ्क्तीर्नृणां दर्शयन्तं सदा भावये हृत्सरोजे गुहं तम् ॥ ५॥ yathābdhestaraṅgā layaṃ yānti tuṅgāstathaivāpadaḥ sannidhau sevatāṃ me | itīvormipaṅktīrnṛṇāṃ darśayantaṃ sadā bhāvaye hṛtsaroje guhaṃ tam || 5||	I always contemplate Guha, Murugan, in the lotus of my heart. Showing people the rows of waves, he seems to say: 'Just as the ocean's high waves subside, so do the troubles of those who worship in my presence.'
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 6 गिरौ मन्निवासे नरा येऽधिरूढास्तदा पर्वते राजते तेऽधिरूढाः । इतीव ब्रुवन्गन्धशैलाधिरूढः स देवो मुदे मे सदा षण्मुखोऽस्तु ॥ ६॥ girau mannivāse narā ye’dhirūḍhāstadā parvate rājate te’dhirūḍhāḥ | itīva bruvangandhaśailādhirūḍhaḥ sa devo mude me sadā ṣaṇmukho’stu || 6||	May Shanmukha, the six-faced Lord on Gandhashaila, always bring me joy. He seems to say: 'Those who climb the hill where I dwell have already ascended the silver mountain, Kailasa.'
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 7 महाम्भोधितीरे महापापचोरे मुनीन्द्रानुकूले सुगन्धाख्यशैले । गुहायां वसन्तं स्वभासा लसन्तं जनार्तिं हरन्तं श्रयामो गुहं तम् ॥ ७॥ mahāmbhodhitīre mahāpāpacore munīndrānukūle sugandhākhyaśaile | guhāyāṃ vasantaṃ svabhāsā lasantaṃ janārtiṃ harantaṃ śrayāmo guhaṃ tam || 7||	We take refuge in Guha, Murugan, who shines with his own light and relieves people's suffering. He dwells in a cave on Sugandha Hill beside the great ocean, a place praised for removing grave sins and welcoming great sages.
Ṣaḍānanaṃ Kuṅkumaraktavarṇaṃ षडाननं कुङ्कुमरक्तवर्णं महामतिं दिव्यमयूरवाहनम् । रुद्रस्य सूनुं सुरसैन्यनाथं गुहं सदा शरणमहं भजे ॥ ३॥ ṣaḍānanaṃ kuṅkumaraktavarṇaṃ mahāmatiṃ divyamayūravāhanam | rudrasya sūnuṃ surasainyanāthaṃ guhaṃ sadā śaraṇamahaṃ bhaje || 3||	I always worship Guha, Murugan, as my refuge: six-faced, red as kumkum, the sacred red powder, of great wisdom, and riding a divine peacock; the son of Rudra, Shiva, and commander of the gods' army.
Subrahmaṇya Karāvalamba Stotram (Subrahmaṇyāṣṭakam), verse 1 हे स्वामिनाथ करुणाकर दीनबन्धो श्रीपार्वतीशमुखपङ्कजपद्मबन्धो । श्रीशादिदेवगणपूजितपादपद्म वल्लीशनाथ मम देहि करावलम्बम् ॥ १ ॥ he svāminātha karuṇākara dīnabandho śrīpārvatīśamukhapaṅkajapadmabandho | śrīśādidevagaṇapūjitapādapadma vallīśanātha mama dehi karāvalambam || 1 ||	Swaminatha, compassionate friend of the poor and helpless, you are like the sun opening the lotus face of Shiva, Parvati's husband. Vishnu and the other gods worship your lotus feet. Lord of Valli, give me your hand to hold.
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 19 कुमारेशसूनो गुह स्कन्द सेनापते शक्तिपाणे मयूराधिरूढ । पुलिन्दात्मजाकान्त भक्तार्तिहारिन् प्रभो तारकारे सदा रक्ष मां त्वम् ॥ १९॥ kumāreśasūno guha skanda senāpate śaktipāṇe mayūrādhirūḍha | pulindātmajākānta bhaktārtihārin prabho tārakāre sadā rakṣa māṃ tvam || 19||	Kumara, son of Shiva, Guha, Skanda: you command the gods' army, wield the spear, and ride a peacock. Beloved of Valli, the hunter's daughter, Lord who removes your devotees' suffering and foe of the demon Taraka, always protect me.
Subrahmaṇya Bhujaṅgam 2 न जानामि शब्दं न जानामि चार्थं न जानामि पद्यं न जानामि गद्यम् । चिदेका षडास्या हृदि द्योतते मे मुखान्निःसरन्ते गिरश्चापि चित्रम् ॥ २॥ na jānāmi śabdaṃ na jānāmi cārthaṃ na jānāmi padyaṃ na jānāmi gadyam | cidekā ṣaḍāsyā hṛdi dyotate me mukhānniḥsarante giraścāpi citram || 2||	I have no mastery of words and their meanings, poetry or prose. Yet the one Consciousness, six-faced Murugan, shines in my heart, and words flow from my mouth—what a wonder!

Diya's English gives the meaning of each verse in plain language; it is not a word-for-word translation.

Prayers to Lord Murugan

• Kanda Sashti Kavasam Lyrics in English, With Meaning

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