Chhath festival is celebrated at many places in Bihar, Purvanchal, and North India. In this festival, there is a tradition of offering Arghya to Bhagwan Surya, and along with it, a goddess is worshipped who is called Chhathi Maiya or Shashthi Maiya. But a question that always lingers in everyone’s mind is after all who is Chhathi Maiya? The Karma is going to give you the answer to this question with complete proof. We also request you to subscribe to our channel.
Chhathi or Shashthi is a date. The sixth day of every Krishna Paksha and Shukla Paksha is called Shashthi. Shashthi Devi or Chhathi Maiya has been described as the goddess born from the sixth part of Goddess Durga in many texts. In many texts, she has also been described as a part of Parvati Devi and she has been called Skandamata. Although in Mahabharat, Devasena has been called Shashthi, so according to this, linking Parvati who is the mother of Skanda with Shashthi creates confusion.
We hear the name of ‘Shashthi Devi’ i.e. Chhathi Maiya for the first time in Mahabharat’s Van Parva. The story of the birth of Kartikeya or Skanda begins with Adhyay 223 of the Mahabharat’s Vana Parva. According to the legend, the demon Keshi abducts Devasena, Indra’s cousin. Indra rescues his sister Devasena and frees her from the clutches of the demon Keshi.
Devasena asks Indra for the boon of a husband who cannot be defeated by any of the gods, demons, Yakshas, and Gandharvas. Indra was also looking for such a commander, who could lead his army, at that time for the gods. Then Skanda is born by the grace of Agni and Bhagwan Shiv. Skanda is made the commander-in-chief of the deities and Indra, according to his promise, marries Devasena to Skanda.
Among the many names of Devasena in the Mahabharata, some are Rigvedic, such as Kuhu and Sinavali. Sinavali is the goddess who protects children. In Mahabharat, many calamities start occurring with the birth of Skanda, and the Saptamatrukas who eat children, come to the fore. These Matrukas (mother goddesses) are Malini, Kaki, Halima, Brihanta, Aryaa, Palaala, and Vaimitraa.
It has been said about these Matrukas that they steal the children from the mother’s womb and kill them in the maternity room itself. Whatever diseases the children get for sixteen years are due to these Kumargrahas emanating from Skanda’s body. These seven mothers, Skanda and Kumaragrahas are jointly called Skandagraha. They make children sick and even kill them.
According to Mahabharat, Skanda obtained Shri on Panchami Tithi and was married to Devasena on Shashthi Tithi, hence Shashthi Tithi is called Mahathithi and Devasena is called Goddess of Shashthi. This Devasena gives auspiciousness to Skanda and is revered as the goddess who protects children from Matrukas. This Shashthi Devi is worshipped in the form of Chhathi Maiya on the auspicious occasion of Chhath. Apart from this, Shashthi Devi is also worshipped on the sixth day after the birth of children and she is prayed to protect the children.
