Kartikeya Mantra (Om Saravanabhavaya Namah)

The Kartikeya Mantra — "Om Saravanabhavaya Namah", the mantra of Lord Kartikeya (Skanda, Murugan, Subrahmanya), the commander of the divine armies and son of Shiva.

Meaning

Built on the six sacred syllables "Sha-ra-va-na-bha-va" — "the one born in the Sharavana reed forest" — the mantra bows to Kartikeya, the six-faced (Shanmukha) warrior god who wields the vel (divine spear) and leads the celestial armies.

Benefits

Chanted (especially on Tuesdays, Kartik month and Skanda Shashthi) for courage, victory, discipline and protection; the classical remedy for a weak or afflicted Mars, and a favourite mantra of devotees seeking strength and success over enemies and obstacles.

Word by Word Meaning

Sharavana-bhavaya — to the one born (bhava) in the Sharavana, the forest of sacred reeds where the six sparks of Shiva's fire became the six-faced child. Namah — salutation. The six syllables Sha-ra-va-na-bha-va form the Shadakshara, the six-lettered seed of Kartikeya that mirrors his six faces (Shanmukha); in the Tamil tradition it is the beloved "Saravanabhava" chanted to Murugan. Om Subrahmanyaya Namah salutes him as Subrahmanya, "the friend of the brahmanas," his South Indian name. The Shanmukha Gayatri follows the Gayatri pattern: "We know Tatpurusha; we meditate on Mahasena, the great commander; may Shanmukha impel us."

How to Chant

Chant 108 repetitions on Tuesdays — Kartikeya's day, shared with the planet Mars which he governs — or on the Shashthi tithi (the sixth day of the lunar fortnight, his birth tithi). Skanda Shashthi, in the month of Kartika, is the great annual observance. Face south-east or east, offer red flowers, and keep the practice disciplined and regular: Kartikeya is the commander of armies, and his worship favours order and vow-keeping.

Who Chants It, and When

Those in competitive fields — examinations, litigation, sport, the armed services — chant it for victory and nerve; parents chant it for the health of sons and daughters, since Skanda is the divine child raised by the six Krittika mothers. In Vedic astrology Kartikeya rules Mangal (Mars), and this mantra is the classical remedy alongside the Mangal beej mantra when Mars afflicts the chart — you can check yours with the Manglik Dosha calculator.

In Tamil devotion, "Saravanabhava" is sung as a complete prayer in itself, each syllable matched to one of Murugan's six faces and six powers — protection, knowledge, strength, wealth, beauty and youth. The six Krittika stars who nursed the six infants give the Pleiades their Indian name and Kartikeya his own; his festival Skanda Shashthi re-enacts his six-day battle with the demon Surapadma, ending in victory on the sixth. Chanting the Shadakshara through those six days is the deepest form of the vow.

The Kartikeya Mantra (Om Saravanabhavaya Namah) above is given in both Devanagari (Sanskrit) and Roman transliteration so you can read it in whichever script you are comfortable with — switch between the two using the buttons above, share the link, or download a PDF.