Kanda Shasti Kavasam

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Kanda Sashti Kavasam or Skanda Shashti Kavacham is a Tamil devotional song composed for Hindu god Kartikeya. It was composed by Devaraya Swamigal (born c. 1820), in 19th century CE in Chennimalai in Erode district. [1] [2]

Contents

Composition

The hymn was composed in the 19th century by Devaraya Swamigal at the Subramania Swamy Temple in Chennimalai, Erode district in Tamil Nadu. [3] [4] 'Chiragiri Velavan' in the hymn refers to the lord of Chennimalai. [5]

Description

The song consists of 44 lines, including four introductory lines known as the kāppu, followed by a couple of meditational lines and the main song portion consisting of 238 lines known as the kavacham. The introductory part and meditational part follows Nerisai Venpa and Kural Venba metres respectively. The main part follows the grammar of Nilai Mandila Asiriyappa. The author's name is mentioned twice in the song, first in Line 64 and then in Line 201. [2]

Hymn

Invocation

Tamil Version [6] English Translation

 துதிப்போர்க்கு வல்வினை போம்; துன்பம்போம்; நெஞ்சில்
பதிப்போர்க்குச் செல்வம் பலித்துக்-கதித்தோங்கும்
நிஷ்டையும் கைகூடும், நிமலரருள் கந்தர்
சஷ்டி கவசம் தனை.

Thuthiporkku val vinai pom, Thunpam pom,
Nenjil pathiporkku selvam palithu kadithongum
Nishtayum kaikoodum
Nimalar Arul kanthar sashti kavacham thanai

The sufferings great and sorrow will vanish for those who pray,
The riches will increase for those who remember it in their mind,
All penance will surely bear fruit
By this Shashti Kavacham written by the grace of God.

Meditation

Tamil Version [6] English Translation
அமர ரிடர்தீர அமரம் புரிந்த
குமரனடி நெஞ்சே குறி.

Amarar idartheera amaram purintha
Kumaranadi nenjeh kuri.

Mind, oh mine, meditate
On the feet of that Young God,
Who waged the war,
To end the problems of devas, great.

Main song

The main song can be classified into the following themes: [2]

Music

The Kavasam has been rendered by various artists. Notable of them include the version rendered by Soolamangalam Sisters. [7] It is sung in ragamalika (a song composed in multiple ragas), including the ragas of Abheri, Shubhapantuvarali, Kalyani, Thodi, and Madhyamavathi.[ citation needed ]

Significance

When the devas could not tolerate the evil doings of the asura Surapadman, they approached Shiva and Parvati for assistance. Kartikeya was tasked with leading the army of devas, and fought Surapadman. The devas praised Kartikeya and prayed to him for six days. He used his vel (divine spear) to split him into two halves. One half became a peacock, which he took as his vahana, and the other became a rooster, which and was transformed into his banner. Surasamharam is celebrated to commemorate the event. [8]

Devotees fast and narrate the Kanda Sashti Kavacham during a six-day period known as Shashthi Vrata. [9] [10] As stated in the hymns, regular chanting of the song causes the predicaments of life to be resolved and that chanting the full song 36 times a day brings wealth.[ citation needed ]

The hymn is popular in the Tamil-speaking diaspora across the globe that the phrases from the hymn, its music, and others are often imitated. The titles of the Tamil movie Kaakha Kaakha , Thadaiyara Thaakka , Thakka Thakka and the Indian soap opera Kakka Kakka are taken from the Kanda Shasti Kavasam. The film song "Padhinettu Vayadhu Ilamottu Manadhu" from the movie Surieyan imitates the tune of the hymn. [11] [12]

In July 2020, Karuppar Kootam, a Periyarist-Dravidian group, posted a YouTube video with an interpretation of the hymn considered to be vulgar and offensive to Hindus. [4] Soon after the incident, a complaint was filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party with the Commissioner of Police of Chennai, which led to the arrest of two members of the group. [13] [14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kandha Shashti Kavasam". AppAgg. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Alagesan, Serndanur Ramanathan (2013). Skanda Shasti Kavacham (4th ed.). Sivakasi: Nightingale. p. 137. ISBN   978-93-80541-08-2.
  3. ↑ Krishnan, Valaiyappetai R. (31 October 2016). "சஷ்டி கவசம் பிறந்த கதையை தெரிஞ்சுக்கோங்க!" [Know the story of Kanda Shasti Kavasam] (in Tamil). Vikatan Publications . Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Kanda Sashti Kavacham controversy: TN police tells YouTube to block channel". The Federal. Chennai. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "சென்னிமலையின் திகட்டாத தேனமுதன் கட்டுரை" [The uncloying essay of Chennaimalai], Kumudham Jodhidam (in Tamil), 28 March 2008
  6. 1 2 Shashti Kavasam in English. murugan.org
  7. ↑ "Music: Profiles of Artistes, Composers, Musicologists". Saigan. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Handelman, Don (2013). One God, Two Goddesses, Three Studies of South Indian Cosmology. Brill Publishers. pp. 33–34. ISBN   978-9-004-25739-9.
  9. ↑ The Contributions of the Tamils to Indian Culture: Socio-cultural aspects. International Institute of Tamil Studies. 1994. p. 153.
  10. ↑ Civarāman̲, Akilā (2006). sri kandha puranam (english). GIRI Trading. p. 411. ISBN   978-81-7950-397-3.
  11. ↑ "How Kandha Sashti Kavasam helped Suriya, Vikram, Ajith & Arun Vijay!". The Times of India . 18 July 2020. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  12. ↑ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (18 May 2020). "Deva interview: 'Kushi' proved that I could do more than just 'gaana'". The Hindu . Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  13. ↑ Soundararaj, Sivaranjani (17 July 2020). "Kanda Sashti Kavasam controversy Surendran surrenders in Pondicherry police Station". NewsBricks. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Kandha Shashti Kavasam controversy: Surendran surrenders at Puducherry police station". DT next . 16 July 2020. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
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