murugankartikeyasubramanyaskanda

𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍇𑌯 𑌅𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌮𑍍

Karthikeya Ashtakam in Grantha · 𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

🕉️ hindu·📿 8× repetitions·🕐 On Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra days, during Skanda Shashthi, and at dawn·📜 Skanda Purana, Kashi Khanda (श्रीस्कान्दे काशीखण्डे)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ English සිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Skanda Purana, Kashi Khanda (श्रीस्कान्दे काशीखण्डे) · Traditional (Skanda Purana) · Puranic

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.

✦ As told in scripture

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.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌾𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑍁𑌧𑌾𑌕𑌰𑌾𑌯। 𑌷𑌡𑌾𑌨𑌨𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌮𑌿𑌤𑌵𑌿𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌯 𑌗𑍗𑌰𑍀𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌯॥ ௧॥

namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya। ṣaḍānanāyāmitavikramāya gaurīhṛdānandasamudbhavāya॥ 1॥

Meaning:Salutation to him whose lotus-feet are worshipped by the host of the gods, who is gracious as the moon, the six-faced one of boundless valour, who arose as the very joy of Gauri's heart.

Verse 2

𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌣𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌹𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌕𑌰𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌸𑌮𑌸𑍍𑌤𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌮𑌨𑍋𑌰𑌥𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌮𑍍। 𑌦𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌰𑌥𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑌰𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌹𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌚𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯॥ ௨॥

namo'stu tubhyaṃ praṇatārtihantre kartre samastasya manorathānām। dātre rathānāṃ paratārakasya hantre pracaṇḍāsuratārakasya॥ 2॥

Meaning:Salutation to you, destroyer of the suffering of those who bow, fulfiller of every wish of all, giver of (victory in) chariot-battle, slayer of the great Taraka, the fierce demon.

Verse 3

𑌅𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌯𑍇 𑌗𑍁𑌣𑌾𑌯 𑌗𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯। 𑌅𑌪𑌾𑌰𑌪𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌶𑌿𑌖𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌹𑌨𑌾𑌯॥ ௩॥

amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye guṇāya gaṇyāya parātparāya। apārapārāya parāparāya namo'stu tubhyaṃ śikhivāhanāya॥ 3॥

Meaning:To him who is formless yet with form and of a thousand forms, the (one) quality beyond counting, higher than the highest, the further shore of the shoreless, beyond near and far — salutation to you, rider of the peacock.

Verse 4

𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑍇 𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌦𑌿𑌗𑌮𑍍𑌬𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌮𑍍𑌬𑌰𑌸𑌂𑌸𑍍𑌥𑌿𑌤𑌾𑌯। 𑌹𑌿𑌰𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌾𑌯 𑌹𑌿𑌰𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌬𑌾𑌹𑌵𑍇 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌹𑌿𑌰𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌯 𑌹𑌿𑌰𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌰𑍇𑌤𑌸𑍇॥ ௪॥

namo'stu te brahmavidāṃ varāya digambarāyāmbarasaṃsthitāya। hiraṇyavarṇāya hiraṇyabāhave namo hiraṇyāya hiraṇyaretase॥ 4॥

Meaning:Salutation to you, foremost of the knowers of Brahman, sky-clad yet dwelling in the heavens, of golden hue and golden arms; salutation to the golden one, born of the golden seed.

Verse 5

𑌤𑌪𑌃𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌾𑌯 𑌤𑌪𑍋𑌧𑌨𑌾𑌯 𑌤𑌪𑌃𑌫𑌲𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌤𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌕𑌾𑌯। 𑌸𑌦𑌾 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯 𑌹𑌿 𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌿𑌣𑍇 𑌤𑍃𑌣𑍀𑌕𑍃𑌤𑍈𑌶𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌵𑌿𑌰𑌾𑌗𑌿𑌣𑍇 𑌨𑌮𑌃॥ ௫॥

tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya tapaḥphalānāṃ pratipādakāya। sadā kumārāya hi māramāriṇe tṛṇīkṛtaiśvaryavirāgiṇe namaḥ॥ 5॥

Meaning:To him who is the very form of austerity, whose treasure is austerity, who bestows the fruits of all austerities, the eternal Kumara, the slayer of (the pride of) Mara, who counts lordship as a mere blade of grass in his dispassion — salutation.

Verse 6

𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌶𑌰𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍇 𑌵𑌿𑌭𑍋 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌭𑌾𑌤𑌸𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌯𑌾𑌰𑍁𑌣𑌦𑌨𑍍𑌤𑌪𑌙𑍍𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌯𑍇। 𑌬𑌾𑌲𑌾𑌯 𑌚𑌾𑌬𑌾𑌲𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌕𑍍𑌰𑌮𑌾𑌯 𑌷𑌾𑌣𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌯𑌾𑌲𑌮𑌨𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌯॥ ௬॥

namo'stu tubhyaṃ śarajanmane vibho prabhātasūryāruṇadantapaṅktaye। bālāya cābālaparākramāya ṣāṇmāturāyālamanāturāya॥ 6॥

Meaning:Salutation to you, O all-pervading one born in the reeds, whose rows of teeth glow like the red of the dawning sun; the child of more-than-childlike prowess, the son of the six mothers, who is wholly free of distress.

Verse 7

𑌮𑍀𑌢𑍁𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌮𑌾𑌯𑍋𑌤𑍍𑌤𑌰𑌮𑍀𑌢𑍁𑌷𑍇 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌗𑌣𑌾𑌨𑌾𑌂 𑌪𑌤𑌯𑍇 𑌗𑌣𑌾𑌯। 𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁 𑌤𑍇 𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌜𑌰𑌾𑌤𑌿𑌗𑌾𑌯 𑌨𑌮𑍋 𑌵𑌿𑌶𑌾𑌖𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑍁𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌣𑌯𑍇॥ ௭॥

mīḍhuṣṭamāyottaramīḍhuṣe namo namo gaṇānāṃ pataye gaṇāya। namo'stu te janmajarātigāya namo viśākhāya suśaktipāṇaye॥ 7॥

Meaning:Salutation to the most bountiful, more giving than the giving; salutation to the lord of the ganas, the gana himself; salutation to you who have passed beyond birth and old age; salutation to Vishakha who bears the mighty Shakti in his hand.

Verse 8

𑌸𑌰𑍍𑌵𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌨𑌾𑌥𑌸𑍍𑌯 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌾𑌯 𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍗𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌰𑌯𑍇 𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌾𑌯। 𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌹𑍇𑌯 𑌗𑌾𑌙𑍍𑌗𑍇𑌯 𑌚 𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍇𑌯 𑌶𑍈𑌵𑍇𑌯 𑌤𑍁𑌭𑍍𑌯𑌂 𑌸𑌤𑌤𑌂 𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁॥ ௮॥

sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya। svāheya gāṅgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya tubhyaṃ satataṃ namo'stu॥ 8॥

Meaning:To the prince of the Lord of all, the foe of Krauncha, the destroyer of Taraka — O son of Svaha, son of Ganga, O Kartikeya, son of Shiva — to you be salutation for ever.

Verse 9

𑌇𑌤𑌿 𑌸𑍍𑌕𑌾𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍇 𑌕𑌾𑌶𑍀𑌖𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌤𑌃 𑌶𑍍𑌰𑍀𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍇𑌯𑌾𑌷𑍍𑌟𑌕𑌂 𑌸𑌮𑍍𑌪𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌣𑌮𑍍॥

iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥

Meaning:Thus ends the Sri Karthikeya Ashtakam from the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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𑌨𑌮𑍋𑌽𑌸𑍍𑌤𑍁🔊namo'stuSalutation be (to you) — the opening word repeated throughout the hymn

𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌵𑍃𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌵𑌨𑍍𑌦𑍍𑌯𑌪𑌾𑌦𑌾𑌰𑌵𑌿𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌾𑌯🔊vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāyaTo him whose lotus-feet are worshipped by the host of the gods (vrindaraka)

𑌸𑍁𑌧𑌾𑌕𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊sudhākarāyaTo him who is like the moon (the maker of nectar), cool and gracious

𑌷𑌡𑌾𑌨𑌨𑌾𑌯🔊ṣaḍānanāyaTo the six-faced one (Shadanana)

𑌗𑍗𑌰𑍀𑌹𑍃𑌦𑌾𑌨𑌨𑍍𑌦𑌸𑌮𑍁𑌦𑍍𑌭𑌵𑌾𑌯🔊gaurīhṛdānandasamudbhavāyaTo him who arose as the joy of Gauri's (Parvati's) heart

𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌣𑌤𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌹𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇🔊praṇatārtihantreTo the destroyer of the suffering of those who bow to him

𑌹𑌨𑍍𑌤𑍍𑌰𑍇 𑌪𑍍𑌰𑌚𑌣𑍍𑌡𑌾𑌸𑍁𑌰𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌸𑍍𑌯🔊hantre pracaṇḍāsuratārakasyaTo the slayer of the fierce demon Taraka

𑌅𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑌹𑌸𑍍𑌰𑌮𑍂𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌯𑍇🔊amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtayeTo him who is both formless and with form, and who has a thousand forms

𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌤𑍍𑌪𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊parātparāyaTo him who is higher than the highest (Supreme beyond the supreme)

𑌶𑌿𑌖𑌿𑌵𑌾𑌹𑌨𑌾𑌯🔊śikhivāhanāyaTo him whose vehicle is the peacock (shikhi)

𑌬𑍍𑌰𑌹𑍍𑌮𑌵𑌿𑌦𑌾𑌂 𑌵𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊brahmavidāṃ varāyaTo the foremost among the knowers of Brahman

𑌹𑌿𑌰𑌣𑍍𑌯𑌰𑍇𑌤𑌸𑍇🔊hiraṇyaretaseTo him of the golden seed (born of Agni's golden energy)

𑌤𑌪𑌃𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌰𑍂𑌪𑌾𑌯 𑌤𑌪𑍋𑌧𑌨𑌾𑌯🔊tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāyaTo him who is the very form of tapas (austerity) and whose wealth is tapas

𑌸𑌦𑌾 𑌕𑍁𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊sadā kumārāyaTo the eternally youthful one (Kumara)

𑌶𑌰𑌜𑌨𑍍𑌮𑌨𑍇🔊śarajanmaneTo him who was born in the Sara (Saravana) reeds

𑌷𑌾𑌣𑍍𑌮𑌾𑌤𑍁𑌰𑌾𑌯🔊ṣāṇmāturāyaTo him of the six mothers (the Krittikas who nursed him)

𑌵𑌿𑌶𑌾𑌖𑌾𑌯 𑌸𑍁𑌶𑌕𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌪𑌾𑌣𑌯𑍇🔊viśākhāya suśaktipāṇayeTo Vishakha, who bears the mighty Shakti (Vel) in his hand

𑌕𑍍𑌰𑍗𑌞𑍍𑌚𑌾𑌰𑌯𑍇 𑌤𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌮𑌾𑌰𑌕𑌾𑌯🔊krauñcāraye tārakamārakāyaTo the enemy of Krauncha and the destroyer of Taraka

𑌸𑍍𑌵𑌾𑌹𑍇𑌯 𑌗𑌾𑌙𑍍𑌗𑍇𑌯 𑌚 𑌕𑌾𑌰𑍍𑌤𑌿𑌕𑍇𑌯 𑌶𑍈𑌵𑍇𑌯🔊svāheya gāṅgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveyaO son of Svaha, of Ganga, of the Krittikas, of Shiva — his fourfold parentage in the births of Skanda

Benefits of Chanting Karthikeya Ashtakam

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An eight-verse hymn (ashtakam) from the Skanda Purana (Kashi Khanda) gathering the great names of Lord Kartikeya

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Each verse is built on 'namo'stu' (salutation), making it a powerful prayer of surrender and adoration

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Praised as the destroyer of the suffering of those who bow (pranata-arti-hantr) — recited to remove distress

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Invokes the slayer of Taraka and Krauncha — a prayer for victory over obstacles and inner enemies

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Held to fulfil every wish (kartre samastasya manorathanam) by Murugan's grace

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Suited to recitation on Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra, Skanda Shashthi and at Kashi and Murugan shrines

How to Chant Karthikeya Ashtakam

Repetitions8times

Best TimeOn Tuesdays, Krittika nakshatra days, during Skanda Shashthi, and at dawn

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Karthikeya Ashtakam written in the Grantha script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is an eight-verse Sanskrit hymn (ashtakam) in praise of Lord Kartikeya (Murugan / Skanda), drawn from the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana. Every verse is woven around the word 'namo'stu' ('salutation be'), saluting the Lord by his many names and deeds.

Its colophon states 'iti skande kashikhandatah shri-karthikeyashtakam sampurnam' — it belongs to the Kashi Khanda (the section on Varanasi/Kashi) of the Skanda Purana, one of the major Puranas.

The eighth verse hails him as Svaheya, Gangeya, Karttikeya and Shaiveya. In the Puranic accounts of Skanda's birth, Shiva's fiery seed was carried by Agni and Svaha, borne by the Ganga, and the child was nursed by the six Krittika mothers — so he is the son of Shiva yet also of Svaha, Ganga and the Krittikas, hence 'Karttikeya'.

It is recited to gain the grace of Lord Kartikeya, to remove suffering (he is praised as the destroyer of the grief of those who bow to him) and to fulfil one's wishes, as the second verse calls him 'the maker of all (good) wishes'. It is especially chanted on Tuesdays, Krittika days and during Skanda Shashthi.