Karthikeya Ashtakam — Benefits & How to Chant
कार्तिकेय अष्टकम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Karthikeya Ashtakam
An eight-verse hymn (ashtakam) from the Skanda Purana (Kashi Khanda) gathering the great names of Lord Kartikeya
Each verse is built on 'namo'stu' (salutation), making it a powerful prayer of surrender and adoration
Praised as the destroyer of the suffering of those who bow (pranata-arti-hantr)
recited to remove distress
Invokes the slayer of Taraka and Krauncha
a prayer for victory over obstacles and inner enemies
Held to fulfil every wish (kartre samastasya manorathanam) by Murugan's grace
Suited to recitation on Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra, Skanda Shashthi and at Kashi and Murugan shrines
How to Chant Karthikeya Ashtakam
Instructions
Bathe and sit before an image of Lord Kartikeya with his peacock and Vel. Recite all eight verses with devotion, feeling each 'namo'stu' as a bow at his feet, and close with the colophon naming its source in the Skanda Purana. It may be chanted daily; many recite it for relief from suffering and for the fulfilment of cherished wishes.
Spiritual Significance
The second verse hails Kartikeya as 'the destroyer of the suffering of all who bow to him' and 'the fulfiller of every heart's wish'; devotees of Kashi hold that sincere recitation of these eight salutations turns away grief and danger and brings the Lord's protecting grace.
Origin & History
Source: Skanda Purana, Kashi Khanda (श्रीस्कान्दे काशीखण्डे)
Author: Traditional (Skanda Purana)
The Karthikeya Ashtakam appears in the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana, the great Purana named after Skanda himself. In Kashi (Varanasi), Lord Kartikeya is worshipped as a guardian of the sacred city, and this hymn of eight salutations celebrates him as the six-faced son of Shiva and Gauri, born of fire and the Ganga and nursed by the Krittikas, the commander who slew the demons Taraka and Krauncha. Built entirely on the word 'namo'stu', it is a hymn of pure surrender, recited to remove suffering and to gain the Lord's all-fulfilling grace.