The 108 Names of Lord Skanda Kumāra
In truth, the names of Lord Skanda are innumerable. But for the sake of brevity, 108 of His descriptive names are enumerated in Sanskrit as below. In each instance, the sādhaka (practitioner) recites a name visualizing that the Lord stands before him or her, and mentally bows down before the Lord with each recitation. For the verbal root nam in Sanskrit literally means ‘to bend’; hence the formula has the sense of “Ōm! I bow down to the Lord who is . . . “.
The following is the raw text in Sanskrit where vowels marked as long are twice as long as normal short vowels (‘ō’ is always long as in ‘boat’ and ‘ē’ is always long as in ‘bay’}. Approximate English equivalents appear under each mantra.
Śrī Subrahmanya Ashtottara Śata Nāmavali:
The 108 Names of Lord Skanda Kumāra
- Ōm Skandāya namaha—Hail Skanda! Vanquisher of the mighty foes!
- Ōm Guhāya namaha—Praise be to the Invisible Lord—He who abides in the hearts of devotees true!
- Ōm Shanmukhāya namaha—Praise be to the six-faced one!
- Ōm Bālanetrasutāya namaha—Praise be to the Son of the Three-Eyed Siva!
- Ōm Prabhave namaha—Praise be to the Lord Supreme!
- Ōm Pingalāya namaha—Praise be to the golden-hued one!
- Ōm Krittikāsunave namaha—Hail to the Son of the starry maids!
- Ōm Śikhivāhanāya namaha—Hail to the rider on the peacock!
- Ōm Dvinadbhujāya namaha—Hail to the Lord with the twelve hands!
- Ōm Dvinannetrāya namaha—Hail to the Lord with the twelve eyes!
- Ōm Śaktidharāya namaha—Hail to the wielder of the Lance!
- Ōm Pisidāsaprabhajanāya namaha—Praise be to the destroyer of the Asuras!
- Ōm Tārakāsurasamhārine namaha—Praise be to the slāyar of Tārakāsuran!
- Ōm Raksobalavimardanāya namaha—Praise be to the Victor of the Asuric forces!
- Ōm Mattāya namaha—Praise be to the Lord of felicity!
- Ōm Pramattāya namaha—Praise be to the Lord of bliss!
- Ōm Unmattāya namaha—Hail Oh passionate One!
- Ōm Surasainyasuraksakāya namaha—(Suralangasya Rakshithre Namaha); Hail Saviour of the Devas!
- Ōm Devasenāpataye namaha—Hail Commander of the Heavenly hosts!
- Ōm Pragnya namaha—Hail, Lord of Wisdom!
- Ōm Kripalave namaha—Hail Compassionate One!
- Ōm Bhaktavatsalāya namaha—Lover of devout ones, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Umāsutāya namaha—Son of Uma—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Śaktidharāya namaha—Mighty Lord—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Kumārāya namaha—Eternal youth—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Krauñcadharanāya namaha—He who reft asunder the Krauñca Mount—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Senānye namaha—Praise be to the Army Chief!
- Ōm Agnijanmane namaha—To the effulgence of Fire, all Hail!
- Ōm Visakhāya namaha—To Him who shone on the astral Visakha—All Hail!
- Ōm Shankarātmajāya namaha—Thou Son of Sankara—All Hail!
- Ōm Sivasvāmine namaha—Thou Preceptor of Siva—All Hail!
- Ōm Ganaswāmine namaha—On Lord of the Ganas—All Hail
- Ōm Sarvasvāmine namaha—On Lord, God Almighty, All Hail!
- Ōm Sanātanāya namaha—Oh Lord eternal, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Anantasaktaye namaha—Thou potent Lord, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Aksobhyāya namaha—Unsullied by arrows art Thou—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Parvatīpriyanandanāya namaha—Thou beloved of Parvati, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Gangasutāya namaha—Oh, son of Goddess Ganga—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Sarodbhutāya namaha—Thou who did’st nestle in the Saravana Lake!
- Ōm Atmabhuve namaha—Thou Unborn Lord!
- Ōm Pavakatmajāya namaha—Thou who art born of Fire!
- Ōm Māyādharāya namaha—Energy Art Thou—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Prajrimbhāya namaha—Praise be to thee Auspicious One! (Blissful)!
- Ōm Ujjrimbhāya namaha—Praise be to the Invincible One!
- Ōm Kamalāsanasamstutāya namaha—Praise be to the Lord extolled by Brahma!
- Ōm Ekavarnāya namaha—The one Word art Thou—All Hail!
- Ōm Dvivarnāya namaha—In Two Art Thou—All Hail!
- Ōm Trivarnāya namaha—Thou Art the Three—All Hail!
- Ōm Sumanoharāya namaha—Thou Stealer of pure hearts—All Hail!
- Ōm Caturvarnāya namaha—In four Art Thou—All Hail!
- Ōm Pancavarnāya namaha—In five letters Art Thou—All Hail!
- Ōm Prajapataye namaha—Father of all Creation—All Hail!
- Ōm Trumbāya namaha—Praise be to Thee, Oh Peerless One!
- Ōm Agnigarbhāya namaha—Thou who dost sustain the fire!
- Ōm Samigarbhāya namaha—Hail Thou who arose out of the Vanni flame! (Fire of the Suma tree)!
- Ōm Visvaretase namaha—Thou glory of the Absolute Paramasivam, All Hail!
- Ōm Surarighne namaha—Oh, Subduer of the foes of the Devas, All Hail!
- Ōm Hiranyavarnāya namaha—Thou resplendent One, All Hail!
- Ōm Subhakrite namaha—Thou Auspicious One—All Hail!
- Ōm Vasumate namaha—Thou Oh Splendour of the Vasus— (a class of Gods) All Hail!
- Ōm Vatuvesabhrite namaha—Praise be to Thee, Oh lover of celibacy!
- Ōm Bhūshane namaha—Thou Luminous Sun—All Hail!
- Ōm Kapastaye namaha—Thou Effulgence divine, All Hail!
- Ōm Gahanāya namaha—Thou Omniscient One—All Hail!
- Ōm Chandravarnāya namaha—Thou Radiance of the Moon—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Kāladharāya namaha—Thou who adorns the crescent—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Māyādharāya namaha—Energy art Thou—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Mahāmāyine namaha—Great Artist of Deception too art Thou, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Kaivalyāya namaha—Everlasting joy of attainment—Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Sahatatmakāya namaha—Art all-pervading—All Hail!
- Ōm Visvayōnaye namaha—Source of all Existence—All Hail!
- Ōm Ameyatmane namaha—Oh, Supreme Splendour, All Hail!
- Ōm Tejonidhaye namaha—Illumination divine—All Hail!
- Ōm Anāmāyaya namaha—Savior of all ills—All Hail!
- Ōm Parameshtine namaha—Thou art Immaculate Lord, Praise be to Thee
- Ōm Parabrahmane namaha—Thou Transcendant One, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Vedagarbhāya namaha—The Source of the Vedas art Thou, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Viratsutāya namaha—Immanent Art Thou in the Universe, Praise be to Thee!
- Ōm Pulindakanyābhartre namaha—Praise be to the Lord of Valli, the Vedda belle!
- Ōm Mahāsarasvatavradāya namaha—Praise be to the source of Gnosis
- Ōm āsritā Kiladhātre namaha— Praise be to Him who showers grace on those who seek his solace!
- Ōm Choraghnāya namaha—Praise be to Him who annihilates those who steal!
- Ōm Roganasanāya namaha—Praise be to the divine Healer
- Ōm Anantamūrtaye namaha—Praise be Thine whose forms are endless!
- Ōm ānandāya namaha—Praise be Thine, Oh Thou infinite Bliss!
- Ōm Shikhandīkritagedanāya namaha—Praise be Thine, Thou Lord of peacock banner!
- Ōm Dambhāya namaha— Praise be Thine, Oh lover of gay exuberance!
- Ōm Paramadambhāya namaha—Praise be Thine, Thou lover of supreme exuberance!
- Ōm Mahādambhāya namaha—Praise be Thine, Oh Lord of lofty magnificence!
- Ōm Vrishakāpaye namaha—Thou who art the culmination of righteousness—All Hail (Dharma)!
- Ōm Karanopātadehāya namaha—Thou who deigned embodiment for a cause—All Hail!
- Ōm Kāranātita Vigrahāya namaha—Form transcending causal experience
- Ōm Anīshvarāya namaha—Oh Eternal peerless plentitude, All Hail
- Ōm Amritāya namaha—Thou Ambrosia of Life—All Hail!
- Ōm Pranāya namaha—Thou life of life, Praise unto Thee!
- Ōm Pranāyamaparāyanāya namaha— Thou support of all beings—Praise unto Thee!
- Ōm Vritakandare namaha—Praise unto Thee who subjugates all hostile forces!
- Ōm Viraghnāya namaha—Thou vanquisher of heroic opponents, Praise unto Thee!
- Ōm Raktashyamagalāya namaha—Thou art Love, and of crimson beauty— Praise unto Thee!
- Ōm Mahate namaha— Oh Consummation of glory, All Praise to Thee!
- Ōm Subrahmanyāya namaha— We praise Thee, Oh effulgent Radiance!
- Ōm Paravarāya namaha—Oh Supreme (Sovereign) Goodness, Praise unto Thee!
- Ōm Brahmanyāya namaha— We praise Thee, luminous wisdom serene!
- Ōm Brahmanapriyāya namaha—Thou who art beloved of seers—Praise unto Thee!
- Ōm Loka Gurave namaha—Oh universal Teacher, All Praise to Thee!
- Ōm Guhapriyāya namaha—We praise Thee, Indweller in the core of our hearts!
- Ōm Aksāyaphalapradāya namaha—We praise Thee, Oh bestower of indestructible results ineffable!
- Ōm Śrī Subrahmanyāya namaha—We praise Thee, most glorious effulgent Radiance!
Om Saravanabhava Om!
Śrī Subrahmanya Ashtottara Śata Nāmavali