Shashthi

Shashthi (Ṣaṣṭhī) is a Hindu goddess primarily associated with childbirth, children, and fertility. Her name derives from the Sanskrit word ṣaṣṭha, meaning 'sixth,' as she is worshipped on the sixth day after a child's birth. She is considered a protective deity who safeguards children from diseases and ensures their well-being. Shashthi is mentioned in several Puranas, including the Skanda Purana and the Brahmavaivarta Purana, where she is described as a form of Prakriti or a manifestation of the divine mother. In the Skanda Purana, she is said to be the daughter of Brahma and is associated with the god Skanda (Kartikeya), sometimes regarded as his consort or sister. The Devi Mahatmya (part of the Markandeya Purana) also alludes to her role in protecting children.

Iconographically, Shashthi is depicted with four arms, seated on a cat or a lotus. She holds a child, a lotus, and makes the abhaya mudra (gesture of fearlessness), embodying a motherly and protective expression. The cat serves as her vahana (mount), symbolizing her connection to domestic life and fertility. According to tradition, the cat is also associated with the goddess because of a myth where Shashthi transformed into a cat to protect a child. Shashthi is widely worshipped in Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and other parts of North India. In Bengal, she is venerated during the Shashthi Puja performed on the sixth day after a child's birth, as well as during the Jamai Shashthi festival, where married daughters and their husbands are invited and the goddess is honored for the well-being of children.

In Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, she is revered as Chhathi Maiya during the Chhath Puja, a major festival dedicated to the Sun God, where she is invoked as the consort of Surya and the bestower of blessings for children. The goddess is also associated with the fig tree (Ficus religiosa), which is considered sacred and often planted in courtyards for her worship. In Hindu cosmology, Shashthi is a guardian deity of the sixth lunar day (tithi) and is believed to preside over the sixth sense or the mind. Her role extends to protecting children from evil spirits and ensuring their healthy growth. Folk traditions hold that she writes the destiny of a child on the sixth day after birth, a belief echoed in the Grihya Sutras. Thus, Shashthi embodies the nurturing and protective aspects of the divine feminine, deeply rooted in both scriptural and folk traditions.

Four-armed, seated on a cat or lotus. Holds child, lotus, and in abhaya mudra. Motherly, protective expression.