Shri Subrahmanya Pancharatnam
Subrahmanya Pancharatnam, five verses and a closing verse of benefits to Lord Subrahmanya (Murugan), each ending in a prayer for refuge.
Verses
I take refuge in Brahmanya Deva, who has six faces, whose limbs are anointed with sandalwood paste, who is broad-chested, whose divine vehicle is the peacock, the son of Rudra, the lord of the celestial worlds.
Verse 1
I take refuge in Brahmanya Deva, who is brilliantly radiant, worshiped by the hosts of gods, the youthful Kumara who dwells in a temple on the banks of the Dhara, whose form is that of Kandarpa, and whose body is exquisitely beautiful.
Verse 2
I take refuge in Brahmanya Deva, who has twelve arms and twelve divine eyes, whose body is the embodiment of the three Vedas, who holds a trident and a sword, who is the incarnation of Adishesha, and whose form is captivating.
Verse 3
I take refuge in Brahmanya Deva, who shines gloriously in the fierce battle against the enemies of the gods, the best among gods, the youthful Kumara who holds the divine spear, and whose hand is adorned with the well-sharpened spear weapon.
Verse 4
I take refuge in Brahmanya Deva, who grants the fulfillment of all desired ends, the son of Lord Shiva, who is like a wish-fulfilling cow to Brahmins bestowing delicious food, who originated from the Ganga, and who is favorable to all beings.
Verse 5
Whoever devoutly recites this set of five verses here on earth, with his mind fully fixed on Brahmanya Deva, attains all the enjoyments he desires in this world, and at the end he goes with joy to attain equality with Guha (Lord Subrahmanya) Himself.
Verse 6
Worship Guidelines & Chanting Benefits (Phalashruti)
Daily or auspicious lunar days (Ekadashi, Purnima, Pradosham)
Brahma Muhurta (4:00 AM – 6:00 AM) or Evening Dusk (Sandhya)
Ghee lamp (Deepa), Incense (Dhoopa), Fresh flowers & Water offering
- Peace of mind, spiritual upliftment, and harmonious energy in the home
Background
The Shri Subrahmanya Pancharatna Stotra is a five-verse hymn to Lord Subrahmanya, also known as Murugan, Kartikeya and Skanda, son of Shiva. The Sanskrit Documents text, listed there as the second Subrahmanya Pancharatna, gives no author, and the claim that Adi Shankaracharya composed it is not supported by that source. Pancharatna means five gems. Each verse describes his form and ends in the refrain 'Brahmanya Deva, I take refuge in you', and a sixth verse names the fruit of recitation. It is recited in worship, especially in South India.
Did You Know?
Meaning of the Title
Pancharatnam means five gems, a form of hymn with five verses. Each verse ends 'Brahmanya Deva, I take refuge in you', which makes it a short and complete prayer.
Who Is Subrahmanya?
He is Kartikeya, son of Shiva, also called Murugan, Skanda and Guha, and the commander of the gods. Verse 1 calls him 'suraloka natham', lord of the world of the gods.
The Six Faces
The hymn begins with 'Shadananam', the six-faced one. Tradition tells that six infants, nursed by the Krittika stars, became one child with six faces.
Born of the Ganga
Verse 5 calls him 'Gangodbhavam', born of the Ganga, recalling the story that Shiva's radiance was borne by Agni and Ganga to a reed thicket, where he was born.
His Weapons and Mount
Verse 1 gives him a peacock mount, verse 3 a trident and sword, and verse 4 the spear, shakti, which in Tamil is called the Vel.
Twelve Arms, Twelve Eyes
Verse 3 calls him 'dvishadbhuja', twelve-armed, with twelve divine eyes, and also 'Shesha-avatara', an incarnation of the serpent Shesha.
Benefits of Recitation
The closing verse says that whoever recites these five verses with devotion obtains the desired enjoyments on earth and at last reaches 'guha-samya', likeness to Guha.
Murugan
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