Karthikeya Ashtakam Meaning — Line by Line
कार्तिकेय अष्टकम्
Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi
Meaning — Line by Line
Every verse of Karthikeya Ashtakam with its English meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.
Jump to a verse ▾
- Verse 1. namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya।
- Verse 2. namo'stu tubhyaṃ praṇatārtihantre kartre samastasya manorathānām।
- Verse 3. amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye guṇāya gaṇyāya parātparāya।
- Verse 4. namo'stu te brahmavidāṃ varāya digambarāyāmbarasaṃsthitāya।
- Verse 5. tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya tapaḥphalānāṃ pratipādakāya।
- Verse 6. namo'stu tubhyaṃ śarajanmane vibho prabhātasūryāruṇadantapaṅktaye।
- Verse 7. mīḍhuṣṭamāyottaramīḍhuṣe namo namo gaṇānāṃ pataye gaṇāya।
- Verse 8. sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya।
- Verse 9. iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥
namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya।
नमोऽस्तु वृन्दारकवृन्दवन्द्यपादारविन्दाय सुधाकराय। षडाननायामितविक्रमाय गौरीहृदानन्दसमुद्भवाय॥ १॥
namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya। ṣaḍānanāyāmitavikramāya gaurīhṛdānandasamudbhavāya॥ 1॥
MeaningSalutation 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.
namo'stu tubhyaṃ praṇatārtihantre kartre samastasya manorathānām।
नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं प्रणतार्तिहन्त्रे कर्त्रे समस्तस्य मनोरथानाम्। दात्रे रथानां परतारकस्य हन्त्रे प्रचण्डासुरतारकस्य॥ २॥
namo'stu tubhyaṃ praṇatārtihantre kartre samastasya manorathānām। dātre rathānāṃ paratārakasya hantre pracaṇḍāsuratārakasya॥ 2॥
MeaningSalutation 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.
amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye guṇāya gaṇyāya parātparāya।
अमूर्तमूर्ताय सहस्रमूर्तये गुणाय गण्याय परात्पराय। अपारपाराय परापराय नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शिखिवाहनाय॥ ३॥
amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye guṇāya gaṇyāya parātparāya। apārapārāya parāparāya namo'stu tubhyaṃ śikhivāhanāya॥ 3॥
MeaningTo 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.
namo'stu te brahmavidāṃ varāya digambarāyāmbarasaṃsthitāya।
नमोऽस्तु ते ब्रह्मविदां वराय दिगम्बरायाम्बरसंस्थिताय। हिरण्यवर्णाय हिरण्यबाहवे नमो हिरण्याय हिरण्यरेतसे॥ ४॥
namo'stu te brahmavidāṃ varāya digambarāyāmbarasaṃsthitāya। hiraṇyavarṇāya hiraṇyabāhave namo hiraṇyāya hiraṇyaretase॥ 4॥
MeaningSalutation 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.
tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya tapaḥphalānāṃ pratipādakāya।
तपःस्वरूपाय तपोधनाय तपःफलानां प्रतिपादकाय। सदा कुमाराय हि मारमारिणे तृणीकृतैश्वर्यविरागिणे नमः॥ ५॥
tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya tapaḥphalānāṃ pratipādakāya। sadā kumārāya hi māramāriṇe tṛṇīkṛtaiśvaryavirāgiṇe namaḥ॥ 5॥
MeaningTo 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.
namo'stu tubhyaṃ śarajanmane vibho prabhātasūryāruṇadantapaṅktaye।
नमोऽस्तु तुभ्यं शरजन्मने विभो प्रभातसूर्यारुणदन्तपङ्क्तये। बालाय चाबालपराक्रमाय षाण्मातुरायालमनातुराय॥ ६॥
namo'stu tubhyaṃ śarajanmane vibho prabhātasūryāruṇadantapaṅktaye। bālāya cābālaparākramāya ṣāṇmāturāyālamanāturāya॥ 6॥
MeaningSalutation 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.
mīḍhuṣṭamāyottaramīḍhuṣe namo namo gaṇānāṃ pataye gaṇāya।
मीढुष्टमायोत्तरमीढुषे नमो नमो गणानां पतये गणाय। नमोऽस्तु ते जन्मजरातिगाय नमो विशाखाय सुशक्तिपाणये॥ ७॥
mīḍhuṣṭamāyottaramīḍhuṣe namo namo gaṇānāṃ pataye gaṇāya। namo'stu te janmajarātigāya namo viśākhāya suśaktipāṇaye॥ 7॥
MeaningSalutation 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.
sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya।
सर्वस्य नाथस्य कुमारकाय क्रौञ्चारये तारकमारकाय। स्वाहेय गाङ्गेय च कार्तिकेय शैवेय तुभ्यं सततं नमोऽस्तु॥ ८॥
sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya। svāheya gāṅgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya tubhyaṃ satataṃ namo'stu॥ 8॥
MeaningTo 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.
iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥
इति स्कान्दे काशीखण्डतः श्रीकार्तिकेयाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्॥
iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥
MeaningThus ends the Sri Karthikeya Ashtakam from the Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Word-by-Word Breakdown
Origin & History
Source: Skanda Purana, Kashi Khanda (श्रीस्कान्दे काशीखण्डे)
Author: Traditional (Skanda Purana)
Period: 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Karthikeya Ashtakam?▼
Where does this hymn come from?▼
Why is Kartikeya called the son of Svaha, Ganga, the Krittikas and Shiva?▼
What are the benefits of reciting it?▼
Ready to start chanting?
See Benefits & How to Chant →