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कार्तिकेय अष्टकम् Meaning — Line by Line

कार्तिकेय अष्टकम्

Every verse and every word explained in English & Hindi

Meaning — Line by Line

Every verse of कार्तिकेय अष्टकम् with its Hindi meaning. Tap any word to hear it, or ▶ to recite the verse.

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  1. Verse 1. namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya।
  2. Verse 2. namo'stu tubhyaṃ praṇatārtihantre kartre samastasya manorathānām।
  3. Verse 3. amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye guṇāya gaṇyāya parātparāya।
  4. Verse 4. namo'stu te brahmavidāṃ varāya digambarāyāmbarasaṃsthitāya।
  5. Verse 5. tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya tapaḥphalānāṃ pratipādakāya।
  6. Verse 6. namo'stu tubhyaṃ śarajanmane vibho prabhātasūryāruṇadantapaṅktaye।
  7. Verse 7. mīḍhuṣṭamāyottaramīḍhuṣe namo namo gaṇānāṃ pataye gaṇāya।
  8. Verse 8. sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya।
  9. Verse 9. iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥
Verse 1#

namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya।

नमोऽस्तु वृन्दारकवृन्दवन्द्यपादारविन्दाय सुधाकराय। षडाननायामितविक्रमाय गौरीहृदानन्दसमुद्भवाय॥ १॥

namo'stu vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya sudhākarāya। ṣaḍānanāyāmitavikramāya gaurīhṛdānandasamudbhavāya॥ 1॥

Meaningउन्हें नमस्कार जिनके चरण-कमल देवताओं के समूह से वन्दित हैं, जो चन्द्रमा के समान शीतल एवं अनुग्रहकारी हैं, जो षण्मुख एवं अमित पराक्रमी हैं, जो गौरी (पार्वती) के हृदय के आनन्द रूप में प्रकट हुए।

Verse 2#

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॥

Meaningआपको नमस्कार, जो प्रणत जनों के दुःख को हरने वाले, सबके मनोरथों को पूर्ण करने वाले, रथ-युद्ध में विजय देने वाले, तथा प्रचण्ड तारकासुर का नाश करने वाले हैं।

Verse 3#

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॥

Meaningउन्हें नमस्कार जो अमूर्त भी हैं और मूर्त भी, सहस्रों रूप वाले, गुणस्वरूप, अगण्य, परात्पर, अपार के पार, पर एवं अपर से परे हैं — आपको नमस्कार, हे मयूरवाहन।

Verse 4#

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॥

Meaningआपको नमस्कार, ब्रह्मवेत्ताओं में श्रेष्ठ, दिगम्बर होकर भी अम्बर (आकाश) में स्थित, स्वर्णवर्ण, स्वर्णबाहु; स्वर्णस्वरूप एवं स्वर्णरेता (अग्नि की स्वर्णिम तेजस् से उत्पन्न) को नमस्कार।

Verse 5#

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॥

Meaningजो तपःस्वरूप, तपोधन, समस्त तपों के फल प्रदान करने वाले, नित्य कुमार, मार (काम) के दर्प का नाश करने वाले, ऐश्वर्य को तृणवत् मानने वाले विरागी हैं — उन्हें नमस्कार।

Verse 6#

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॥

Meaningआपको नमस्कार, हे विभो, शर (सरकण्डों) में जन्म लेने वाले, जिनकी दन्तपंक्ति प्रातःकालीन सूर्य की भाँति अरुण है; जो बालक होकर भी अबाल (महान्) पराक्रमी, षण्मातुर (छह माताओं के पुत्र) एवं सर्वथा निराकुल हैं।

Verse 7#

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॥

Meaningअत्यन्त उदार से भी अधिक दानशील को नमस्कार; गणों के पति एवं स्वयं गणस्वरूप को बार-बार नमस्कार; जन्म एवं जरा से परे आपको नमस्कार; मंगलमयी शक्ति (वेल) धारण करने वाले विशाख को नमस्कार।

Verse 8#

sarvasya nāthasya kumārakāya krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya।

सर्वस्य नाथस्य कुमारकाय क्रौञ्चारये तारकमारकाय। स्वाहेय गाङ्गेय कार्तिकेय शैवेय तुभ्यं सततं नमोऽस्तु॥ ८॥

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

Meaningसर्वनाथ (शिव) के कुमार, क्रौञ्च के शत्रु, तारक के नाशक — हे स्वाहापुत्र, हे गंगापुत्र, हे कार्तिकेय, हे शिवपुत्र — आपको सदा नमस्कार हो।

Verse 9#

iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥

इति स्कान्दे काशीखण्डतः श्रीकार्तिकेयाष्टकं सम्पूर्णम्॥

iti skānde kāśīkhaṇḍataḥ śrīkārtikeyāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam॥

Meaningइस प्रकार स्कन्द पुराण के काशीखण्ड से श्रीकार्तिकेय अष्टकम् सम्पूर्ण हुआ।

Word-by-Word Breakdown

नमोऽस्तु
namo'stu
Salutation be (to you) — the opening word repeated throughout the hymn
वृन्दारकवृन्दवन्द्यपादारविन्दाय
vṛndārakavṛndavandyapādāravindāya
To him whose lotus-feet are worshipped by the host of the gods (vrindaraka)
सुधाकराय
sudhākarāya
To him who is like the moon (the maker of nectar), cool and gracious
षडाननाय
ṣaḍānanāya
To the six-faced one (Shadanana)
गौरीहृदानन्दसमुद्भवाय
gaurīhṛdānandasamudbhavāya
To him who arose as the joy of Gauri's (Parvati's) heart
प्रणतार्तिहन्त्रे
praṇatārtihantre
To the destroyer of the suffering of those who bow to him
हन्त्रे प्रचण्डासुरतारकस्य
hantre pracaṇḍāsuratārakasya
To the slayer of the fierce demon Taraka
अमूर्तमूर्ताय सहस्रमूर्तये
amūrtamūrtāya sahasramūrtaye
To him who is both formless and with form, and who has a thousand forms
परात्पराय
parātparāya
To him who is higher than the highest (Supreme beyond the supreme)
शिखिवाहनाय
śikhivāhanāya
To him whose vehicle is the peacock (shikhi)
ब्रह्मविदां वराय
brahmavidāṃ varāya
To the foremost among the knowers of Brahman
हिरण्यरेतसे
hiraṇyaretase
To him of the golden seed (born of Agni's golden energy)
तपःस्वरूपाय तपोधनाय
tapaḥsvarūpāya tapodhanāya
To him who is the very form of tapas (austerity) and whose wealth is tapas
सदा कुमाराय
sadā kumārāya
To the eternally youthful one (Kumara)
शरजन्मने
śarajanmane
To him who was born in the Sara (Saravana) reeds
षाण्मातुराय
ṣāṇmāturāya
To him of the six mothers (the Krittikas who nursed him)
विशाखाय सुशक्तिपाणये
viśākhāya suśaktipāṇaye
To Vishakha, who bears the mighty Shakti (Vel) in his hand
क्रौञ्चारये तारकमारकाय
krauñcāraye tārakamārakāya
To the enemy of Krauncha and the destroyer of Taraka
स्वाहेय गाङ्गेय च कार्तिकेय शैवेय
svāheya gāṅgeya ca kārtikeya śaiveya
O son of Svaha, of Ganga, of the Krittikas, of Shiva — his fourfold parentage in the births of Skanda

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?
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.
Where does this hymn come from?
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.
Why is Kartikeya called the son of Svaha, Ganga, the Krittikas and Shiva?
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'.
What are the benefits of reciting it?
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.

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