Navratri day 5: Maa Skandamata

Maa Skandamata’s dhyana verse

Variant: The Gita Press “Nava Durga” booklet prints “padmāśritakaradvayā” and Kalyan’s Shakti Ank “padmāñcitakaradvayā”; the sense is nearly the same.

Her form

• The child Skanda (Kartikeya) sits on her lap, hence the name Skandamata.
• Four arms, two holding lotuses; seated on a lotus, so also called Padmasana; the lion is her mount too.

How to worship

1. After bathing, worship the kalash and the Devi: water, roli, rice, flowers and a lamp.
2. Recite Maa Skandamata’s dhyana verse and meditate on her form.
3. Read the Durga Saptashati, the Durga Chalisa or your family’s text.
4. End with the Durga aarti; offer bhog as your family does.

This is the usual order of the daily Navratri puja; follow your purohit or family custom where it differs.

Maa Skandamata’s bhog

Banana

By popular tradition, this is the bhog offered to Maa Skandamata on the fifth day of Navratri. If your family’s custom differs, follow it.

The Devi Bhagavata Purana (book 8, chapter 24) gives the Devi’s offerings by tithi, not by the names of the nine forms. For this day’s tithi it gives banana on Panchami.

The bhog of all nine days, with dates →

Frequently asked questions