Kanda Sashti Kavasam or Skanda Shashti Kavacham is a Hindu devotional song composed in Tamil by Devaraya Swamigal (born c. 1820), a student of Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai, on Murugan, the son of Shiva, in Chennimalai near Erode. It was composed in the 19th century.

Composition

The hymn was composed in the 19th century by Balan Dhevaraya Swami. The place where Devaraya Swami staged the hymn is the Chennimalai Subramania Swamy Temple near Erode in Tamil Nadu. The lines 'Chiragiri Velavan' in the hymn refers to the lord of Chennimalai.

Description

The song consists of a total of 244 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 grammar employed in the introductory part is the Nerisai Venbam and that of the meditational part is the Kural Venbam, widely known to the Western world for its exclusive usage in the Tirukkural. The "Kavacham" part follows the grammar of Nilai Mandila Asiriyappa. The plan of the song is as follows: The author's name is mentioned twice in the song, first in Line 64 and then in Line 201.

Poetic form

The song employs Nilai Mandila Asiriyappa, one of the poetic forms in the Tamil language. The armour and meditation parts of the Introduction section employ the Venpa metre and Kural venba metre, respectively.

Nerisai Venpa (Prayer)

Kural Venpa (Protection)

Music

The Kavasam has been set in music by various musicians over the years. The most notable of them all is that sung by the duo Rajalakshmi and Jayalakshmi, popularly known as the Soolamangalam Sisters. It is sung in ragamalika (a song composed in multiple ragas), including the ragas of Abheri, Shubhapantuvarali, Kalyani, Thodi, and Madhyamavathi.

Significance

Sashti is the day that Murugan defeated the asura Surapadman. When the devas could not tolerate the evil doings of this asura, they approached the younger son of Shiva and Parvati for his assistance. He fought Surapadman for six days, at the end of which the deity vanquished the asura. He threw his weapon at him and split Surapadman into two halves. One half became a peacock, which he took as his vahana. The other became a rooster, which and was transformed into his banner. The devas rejoiced—they praised the deity and prayed to him for six days. Devotees usually narrate the Kanda Sashti Kavacham during this period. Whoever fasts and prays to Murugan for the six days of Kanda Sashti is believed to receive Muruga's blessings. Those who are unable to fast all day can eat once a day or twice a day during this period depending on their health, age and will. Devotees believe that regular chanting of this song causes the predicaments of life to be resolved and that chanting the full song 36 times a day brings wealth.

In popular culture

The hymn is highly popular in the Tamil-speaking diaspora across the globe that the phrases from the hymn, its music, and others are often imitated by people from all walks of life. The titles of the Tamil movie Kaakha Kaakha and the Indian soap opera Kakka Kakka are taken from the Kanda Shasti Kavasam. The Tamil film song “Padhinettu vayadhu ilamottu manadhu” from the movie Surieyan imitates the tune of the hymn.

Controversy

In July 2020, Karuppar Kootam, a Periyarist-Dravidian group, posted a YouTube video with an interpretation of the hymn that many Hindus around the world considered to be vulgar and offensive. Soon after the incident, following a complaint filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party Tamil Nadu with the Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai City, the Tamil Nadu Police arrested two members of the YouTube channel.