Chhathi Mata is the name that evolved from Shashthi Devi, the feminine power infused with Skanda Deva. The name has numerous mentions in a variety of scriptures.
Chhatha festival is celebrated in North India, particularly in parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The deity (Chhathi Mata) associated with the festival is ancient and has been mentioned in the scriptures including Manav Grhya Sutra-s and the South Indian version of purana-s.
- In Saptamatrika-s Chhathi mata is worshipped as Kaumari : “ब्राह्मी माहेश्वरी चैव कौमारी वैष्णवी तथा । वाराही च तथेन्द्राणी चामुण्डा सप्तमातरः।”.
- Shri Vishnu Purana and Shri Brahma Vaivarta purana : “गौरी पद्मा शची मेधा सावित्री विजया जया देवसेना स्वधा स्वाहा मातरो लोकमातरः “;
- Shri Vishnu Purana 1.8.28 “श्रीर्देवसेना विपेन्द्र देवसेनापतिर्हरिः”
- Brahma Vaivarta Purana 2.43.5 “मातृकासु च विख्याता देवसेना भिधा चसा”
Devasena/Kaumari/Kumari/Kartiki//Kartikeyani/Ambika (Shashthi/Chhathi mata) is daughter of Indra and Sachi and the wife of Skanda deva/Kartikeya swami. Skanda Deva is the commander of Gods.
Devi rides a peacock, has 6 faces and 12 arms. She holds spear, axe, shakti or tanka (silver coins) and bow, dhwaja, danda, dhanusha, ghanta, padma and patra. Two of her hands depict mudras – abhaya and varada. [as per Vishnudharmottara purana].
Worshipping methods of Shashthi devi vary regionally. Manava Grihya Sutra describes the ritual of Shashthi-Kalpa which is to be performed on the lunar day of each fortnight.
The festival is observed on the 6th lunar day of Kartika and Chaitra months of Hindu calendar in eastern India while in Jyeshtha month in South India with varying puja vidhanam-s as developed over time.
Varaha Mihir has mentioned that the origin of Surya deva was at Angadesha in Bihar and hence no doubt it is celebrated grandly in Bihar.
Also, on the sixth and twenty-first day of birth of children mata Devsena is worshipped.
She is also called “Balada” due to her kind glance towards women and children as is mentioned in the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, through the verse below:
षष्ठांशा प्रकृतेर्या च सा तु षष्ठी प्रकीर्तिता।
आयुः प्रदा च बालानां धात्री रक्षणकारिणी।।
Chhatha rituals in the North are three days long including bathing, fasting and giving arghya to Surya deva.
While we have covered the very basics of deity because it was supposed to be an introductory article which everybody can enjoy reading, we have attached other materials and blogs to someone who’s more interested in the deity and one may also explore shastra-s as per adhikara-s for that matter.
Since in this age of the internet we can explore things, as we move forward we must also be interested in knowing and performing the rituals which are mentioned in shastra-s.
Recommended for further exploration:
- Jagadguru Puri Shankaracharya Ji explaining the philosophical aspect of Chhata Puja
- Shashthi Devi Stotra
- On the rise of the mātṛkā-s and the goddess Cāmuṇḍā