कार्तिकेय मूल मन्त्र
ॐ शरवणभवाय नमः ॥
षडक्षर मन्त्र
श · र · व · ण · भ · व
सुब्रह्मण्य मन्त्र
ॐ सुब्रह्मण्याय नमः ॥
कार्तिकेय (षण्मुख) गायत्री
ॐ तत्पुरुषाय विद्महे
महासेनाय धीमहि ।
तन्नः षण्मुखः प्रचोदयात् ॥
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.
kartikeya mula mantra
om sharavanabhavaya namah ॥
shadakshara mantra
sha · ra · va · na · bha · va
subrahmanya mantra
om subrahmanyaya namah ॥
kartikeya (shanmukha) gayatri
om tatpurushaya vidmahe
mahasenaya dhimahi ।
tannah shanmukhah prachodayat ॥
Frequently asked questions about Kartikeya Mantra
Who is Kartikeya?
The son of Shiva and Parvati, commander of the divine army - Skanda, Subrahmanya, and Murugan in the Tamil country, where his worship is at its strongest. Saravanabhava names his birth in the reed thicket of Saravana.
What does Om Saravanabhavaya Namah mean?
Salutations to the one born in the Saravana reeds. Its six syllables are read against his six faces as Shanmukha - one of those correspondences the tradition builds a whole meditation on.
When is it chanted?
At Skanda Shashti in Kartik, on the monthly Shashti, at Thaipusam and Vaikasi Visakam, and on Tuesdays and Fridays. Devotees keep the six-day Shashti fast with a count of a hundred and eight daily.
What is he worshipped for?
Courage, victory over obstacles and enemies, discipline and knowledge - and in Tamil tradition as the guru who taught the meaning of Om to his own father. The vel, his spear, is what devotees invoke as protection.
What is offered to him?
Panchamrit, fruit and honey, sandal paste, and in the south a kavadi carried in fulfilment of a vow. Many devotees offer only milk and fruit during the Shashti fast, keeping the observance plain. This page is the japa formula; forty-verse hymns are on the Chalisa index, and you can count repetitions with the japa mala counter.
About the 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.
A mantra is a compact formula for japa, not a long hymn. Forty-verse hymns live under Chalisa; lamp-songs under Aarti; longer stotras under Stotram. Browse every formula on the Mantra index. Count repetitions with the online japa mala counter.
