Kanda Sashti is a significant religious observance dedicated to Lord Murugan, revered as the deity of victory, courage, and devotion. The festival spans six days, starting from the first day of the lunar month of Aippasi and culminating on the sixth day, known as Soorasamharam. This year, Kanda Sashti will be observed from Saturday, November 2 to Friday, November 7 and Nov 8 will be Thirukalyanam.


Day 1 Kanda Sashti Fast : Lateral Thinking

Vetri Vel Veera Vel.

After years of fasting, this year thoughts have been rekindled. Yes, age old tradition of reciting Kandha Sasthi Kavasam going thru Darwinism. To attain "no mind" state it is dictated in Kandha Sasthi Kavasam that it should be recited 36 times, no small feat for ordinary man (grihastha) with no-rest family duty. Thus Shanmuga Kavacam comes handy and one recital will prove your love to HIM.

In 1891 Pamban Swami wrote Shanmuga Kavacam, a powerful hymn of 30 verses composed for the benefit of Lord Murugan's devotees.Pamban Swami is the only saint who has composed 50 poems on Lord Murugan in pure Tamil without any words from other language due to his love on Tamil.

Back to the thought, for those who has been doing this great routine of fasting and reciting Kandha Sashti Kavasam for years, this year increase your love to Lord by reciting Shanmuga Kavacam too.



Day 2 Kanda Sashti Fast : Its Complicated

Sikkal Singaravelan

"Sikkal" in Tamil means complicated but it is very famous & a contender for the unofficial seventh Padaiveedu(abode) of Lord Muruga.

What is the "Sikkal" here....well, Singaravelan idol sweats after receiving the Spear (Vel) and the blessings from his divine mother Sakthi, before He proceeds to kill the demon in Sri Lanka, while setting up the base camp in Thiruchendur. This 2000 years old temple actually a Saiva temple with Lord Siva bearing the name Śrī Navaneetheswara.

Skanda Shashti is celebrated in a grand manner for the main ruling deity Singaravelavar in Sikkal.During Skanda Shashti, Lord Singaravelavar will receive the Vel one day prior to Surasamharam from his mother (Sakthi) to destroy the demon Surapadman. After receiving the Vel even today, one will find Muruga's face perspiring, which is a MIRACLE. The Singaravelavar is in the form of utsavamurti with his consorts Valli and Devayanai, showering his divine grace.

Pray to Lord, that at least in one lifetime we will be blessed to see his miracle in Sikkal.
"Sikkalil Vel Vangi Sendhuril Soora Samhaaram", goes a Tamil adage and it goes on....


Day 3 Kanda Sashti Fast :Tirumurukārruppatai & Love

Skanda Guru Kavasam clearly dictates that love is the foremost and genuine feeling of Lord Muruga, both in giving and receiving.

"agandhaiyellAm azhiththu anbinai oottiduvAi
anbu mayamAgi AtkoLLu vaiyappa
anbai en ullaththil asaivindri niRuththividu
anbaiye kannaga Akkik kaththiduvai ...... 265

ullum puramum unnarulAm anbaiye
urudhiyaga nanum patrida uvandhiduvAi
ellai illadha anbe iraiveli endrAi nee
angingenAdhabati engum anbendrAi
anbe sivamum anbE sakdhiyum ...... 270

anbE hariyum anbE bramanum
anbE dhEvarum anbE manidharum
anbE neeyum anbE nAnum
anbE saththiyam anbE niththiyam
anbE sAndham anbE Anandham ...... 275

anbe mownam anbe moksham
anbe brammamum anbE anaiththum endrAi
anpilAdha idam angumingu millai endrAi
engum niRaindha anbE en gurunAdhanappA
anbil uraiyum arutguru nadhare than ...... 280

Nakkirars' Tirumurukārruppatai or 'Guide to Lord Murugan' have been included in the Eleventh Tirumurai and one of the most important Tamil Cankam works; it may have been composed 5th and 6th centuries.

Lord Murugan never discriminated between his devotees and he always welcomes the great love without prejudice. In Tirumurukārruppatai the Lord accepts non-vegetarian dishes from tribal people as an offering of their devotion.The most significant theme here is unconditional love and that is what we have to give to Him in order to attain His blissful love.The thing we love about Tirumurukārruppatai - it has been written well before the time of religious disturbances and purely written with sincere love.

While some of us may feel "special" because we are fasting but most important thing here is how much love you can give to Him and fellow human being ignoring "special" status.

indhiriyam adakki irundhum arikilEn nan
manadhai adakka vazhi ondrum arindhilEn nan


Day 4 Kanda Sashti Fast :Tirumurukārruppatai & Tirucendhur

The seashore temple of Lord Subrahmanyam at Tiruchendur is one of the sanctified and venerated by famous Tamil Saint Poet, Arunagirinathar . He has compared Tiruchendur with Thirukailai, the abode of Lord Shiva in the Himalayas.

The young Lord Muruga as the Devasenāpati vanquishes evil in the form of Surapatuma - described in extenso in His epic, the Skanda Puranam.

In his classic poem Tirumurugarrupatai ('A Guide to Lord Muruga'), the great Tamil Sangam poet Nakkeerar describes the coming in of Muruga borne by Pinnimukam the celestial elephant and of the special attributes of his faces and arms.

Tiru-Ceer-Alaivai ('sacred place of the everlasting waves') or Tiruchendur, is the place to be on Soora Samharam day. He kill the demons (inward and outward) here.Muruga with his six faces and twelve hands known as Shanmukha and each face have detailed description in Tirumurugarrupatai.

Tirumurugarrupatai Verses 89-102. In the minds of sages who with unfaltering devotion follow their own life, visions arise of His glorious faces: One face predeath afar rays of light, perfectly lighting the world's dense darkness; one face with gracious love seeking, granted the prayers of His beloved devotees: one face watchet over the sacrificial rites of the peaceful ones who fail not in the way of the scriptures; one face searched and pleasantly expounded hidden meanings, illumining every quarter like the moon; one face with wrath, mind filling, equality ceasing, wiped away his foes and celebrated the battle sacrifice; one dwelleth smiling with slender-waisted Vedda maid, pure-hearted Valli.

Day 5 Kanda Sashti Fast : Visvarupa

Krishna to Arjuna in Gita teachings upon displaying his Visvarupa.

"Yo mam pasyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pasyati |
Tasyaham na pranasyami sa cha me na pranasyati |"|

"To one who sees me everywhere and everything in me,
I am never out of his sight, nor is he out of my vision."

Lord Muruga fought a six-day war with Surapadma and other asuras. On the second day, Surapadma lost all his weapons, chariot etc. and stood on the ground unarmed. As Rama told Ravana in a similar condition on the battle-field, Skanda spoke to Surapadma:

"Kripavasan-mayadhuna na saktiratra tatyaje |"

"Owing to compassion, I have not unleashed my Sakti (Vel) weapon on you".

Lord Skanda then assumed the Visvarupa (universal cosmic form), which Skanda Purana describes as avangmanasagocharam: 'beyond the ken of speech and thought'.
Moral of story, show the visvarupa for advice and to face enemies , it is needed for compassion and to scare off the enemies.


Day 6 Kanda Sashti Fast : Victory

Jeyajeya harahara : Sendhir Kandhap Perumale

All roads, at the time of the Viratam, seems to lead to Tirunchendur.There is a secret on how to fast without experiencing the pangs of hunger - the Vedar (aboriginal hunters)! That is a Vedar never thought of eating food until food was in his hands. Vedar knew the secret of fasting and would not suffer the ailments that come from craving for or anticipating food.

With Poet Nightingale Subramania Bharati...

muruga muruga muruga
varuvai mayil midinile vadiveludane varuvai taruvai
nalamundagavum pugazhum tavamum tiramum dhanamum ghanamum
adiyar palaringulare avarai viduvittaruvai
mudiya maraiyin mudive asurar mudive karudum vadivelavane
karudip-porule varuga tunive kanale varuga
kasrudik-karudik-kavalaippaduvar kavalaik-kadalaik-kadiyum vadivel
amaravati vazhvurave arulvai sharanam sharanam
kumara pini yavaiyume shidarak-kumurum shudar velavane sharanam
arivaghiya koyilile arulaghiya tai madimei
pori veludane valarvaibadiyar pudu vazhvurave bhuvi midarulvai
guruve paraman maghane guhaiyil valarum kanaie
taruvai tozhilum payanum amarar samaradiyan sharanam sharanam


Image Credit : We Love Batu Caves