Shanmukha Stotram (Shadananam Kumkuma Raktavarnam) — Benefits & How to Chant
षण्मुख स्तोत्रम् (षडाननं कुङ्कुमरक्तवर्णम्)
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Shanmukha Stotram (Shadananam Kumkuma Raktavarnam)
The most beloved dhyana (meditation) sloka of Lord Murugan
a perfect, compact remembrance of his form
Visualises the Lord as six-faced, vermilion-hued, peacock-riding and commander of the gods, aiding focused meditation
Expresses complete refuge in Guha
'Guham sada aham sharanam prapadye'
Ideal opening sloka before any longer Murugan worship, archana or chanting
Recited daily by devotees and by students seeking wisdom (Murugan being the bestower of jnana)
Sealed with 'Om Subrahmanyaya Namah', it joins meditation, salutation and the mula-mantra in one short prayer
How to Chant Shanmukha Stotram (Shadananam Kumkuma Raktavarnam)
Instructions
Sit before an image of Lord Murugan with his Vel and peacock. Recite the dhyana sloka 'Shadananam Kumkuma Raktavarnam' while visualising the six-faced Lord, then the salutation 'Jnana-shakti-dhara Skanda...', and seal with 'Om Subrahmanyaya Namah'. It is most often used as the opening meditation before a longer worship of Murugan, or chanted on its own as a quick yet complete daily prayer.
Spiritual Significance
Devotees say that to begin the day by picturing the six-faced Lord through this verse is to place oneself within his refuge — for Murugan, the bestower of jnana, brightens the intellect of those who meditate on him, and students are taught to chant it before their studies and examinations.
Origin & History
Source: Traditional dhyana sloka of Lord Subrahmanya (Murugan)
Author: Traditional
'Shadananam Kumkuma Raktavarnam' is the dhyana sloka most loved and most often recited before the worship of Lord Murugan. In a single verse it paints his whole form — the six radiant faces, the deep vermilion glow, the divine peacock mount, the son of Rudra who leads the armies of heaven — and surrenders the devotee into refuge with the words 'Guham sada aham sharanam prapadye'. It is commonly joined with the salutation 'Jnana-shakti-dhara Skanda, Valli-kalyana-sundara, Devasena-manah-kanta, Kartikeya namostute', which hails Murugan as the bearer of the spear of wisdom and the beloved of his consorts Valli and Devasena, and is sealed with his mula-mantra, 'Om Subrahmanyaya Namah'.