Skanda Kavacha

[Guest guest]

In the six days after Diwali people with young children may worship

Skanda for the safety of their offspring. The most important day is of

course the sixth day. During these days one is recommended to recite

the Skanda Kavacha which I am appending below in the Itrans format

(please inform me of any typos):

 

asya skandAkShaya kavachasya nArada R^iShir anuShTup ChandaH senAnIr

devatA vatsa rakShaNe viniyogaH | (If one does not have children or is

not married one may replace this skanda-prasAda-siddiyarthaM)

 

oM bAhuleyaH shiraH pAtu skandhau sha~Nkara-nandanaH |

muNDaM me pArvatI-putro hR^idayaM shikhi-vAhanaH ||

kaTiM pAyach-Chaktihasto ja~Nghe me tArakAntakaH |

guho me rakShatAM pAdau senAnIr vatsam uttamam ||

skando me rakShatAm a~NgaM dasha-dig-agnibhUr-mama |

ShANmAturo bhaye ghore kumAro.avyAchChrashAnake ||

oM iti te kathitaM bhadre kavachaM paramAdbhutam |

dhR^itvA putram avApnoti subhavyaM chirajIvinam ||

nAradasya vachaH shrutvA kavachaM vidhR^itaM tayA |

kavachasya prasAdena jIvavatsA bhavet satI ||

kavachasya prasAdena tasyAH putro janArdanaH |

dhArikAyAs tathA putro nirjarair api durjayaH ||

 

iti umAyAmale kArtikeyAkShaya kavachaM samAptam ||

 

Those who are qualified can do japa of the skanda mantra before doing

the kavacham.

 

 

Both for kavacha and mantra one uses this dhyAna:

 

kArtikeyaM mahAbhAgaM mayUroparisaMsthitam |

tapta kA~nchana varNAbhaM shaktihastaM varapradam |

dvi-bhujaM shatru-hantAraM nAnAla~NkAra bhUShitam- |

ShaNmukhaM tu~Nga-netra~n cha sarva-sainyapuraskR^itam |

evaM dhyAtvA pUrvavat sarvaM kR^itvA praNamet-oM

kArtikeyaM namasyAmi gaurIputraM shubhapradam |

ShaDAnanaM mahAbhAgaM daitya darpa niShUdanam ||

 

The one may also worship ShaShThI devI with the ShaShThi mantra.

 

-Rajita