Subrahmanya Shodasanama Stotram — Benefits & How to Chant
सुब्रह्मण्य षोडशनाम स्तोत्रम्
Complete guide to chanting correctly for maximum benefit
Benefits of Chanting Subrahmanya Shodasanama Stotram
A short Skanda Purana stotram naming the sixteen most sacred names (shodasa-nama) of Lord Murugan
Its phala-shruti declares that daily recitation frees the devotee from all sins
Tradition holds that the reciter gains the wisdom of Brihaspati (guru of the gods) and the radiance of Brahman
Each name is a meditation on one of Murugan's deeds and forms
a complete remembrance of the Lord
Easy to memorise and ideal for daily japa; especially recited on Skanda Shashti, Tuesdays and Krittika days
Invoked for wisdom, protection, removal of sins, and the fulfilment of cherished desires
How to Chant Subrahmanya Shodasanama Stotram
Instructions
Bathe and sit before an image of Lord Murugan with his Vel. Recite the verses naming the sixteen names with attention to each name's meaning, then the concluding phala line. As the names are short, many recite them sixteen or more times as daily japa, dwelling on each form of the Lord as it is named. Conclude by offering the merit at his feet.
Spiritual Significance
It is told that one who keeps these sixteen names on his lips each day is shielded by Murugan's grace as surely as the gods were shielded by his Vel — his sins dissolving, his intellect brightening like that of Brihaspati, and his heart's wishes coming to pass.
Origin & History
Source: Skanda Purana
Author: Traditional (from the Skanda Purana)
The Subrahmanya Shodasanama Stotram is drawn from the Skanda Purana and belongs to the cherished class of 'shodasa-nama' (sixteen-name) hymns. In a few compact verses it gathers sixteen of Lord Murugan's most beloved names, each one a doorway into his story — Jnana-shakti-dhara who bears the spear of wisdom, Skanda the leaping spark of Shiva's power, Sharakanana-sambhava born among the reeds, Tarakantaka and Krauncha-bhetta who slew the demons, Brahma-shasta who taught Brahma the meaning of Om, and Shikhi-vahana who rides the peacock. The hymn closes with the promise that the daily reciter is freed from all sin and blessed with wisdom and grace.