Six Names of Kuja

Kuja Shaṇ Nāma, “the six names of Kuja”

The six names of Kuja are the names of Aṅgāraka (the graha Maṅgala) with which homa is offered in the Sukhā Caturthī vrata: Śarva, Śarvaputra, Kshoṇyutsaṅgabhava, Kuja, Lalitāṅga and Lohitāṅga. Sumantu Muni gives them to King Śatānīka in the Caturthī Kalpa of the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa.

The setting

Sumantu says that the caturthī is of three kinds, Śivā, Śāntā and Sukhā. When the bright caturthī of any month falls on a Tuesday, it is called Sukhadā or Sukhā; it gives beauty of form, saubhāgya, a pleasant nature and happiness. Long ago on Himācala a drop of blood fell to the earth from Umā and Maheśvara; Bhūmi held it with care, and from it Kuja, red in colour, was born to her. Because he was born from her limb (aṅga), she named him Aṅgāraka; he gives limbs, does good to the limbs and protects people from defects of the limbs.

On that caturthī a man or woman fasts by day and worships Kuja with red flowers and red pastes, after first worshipping Gaṇeśvara. After the earth bath and the touching of dūrvā, the aśvattha, the śamī and the cow with their mantras, the devotee washes his feet, sips water and enters the fire-room for the homa.

The six names

శర్వాయ, శర్వపుత్రాయ, క్షోణ్యుత్సంగభవాయ, కుజాయ, లలితాంగాయ, లోహితాంగాయ

śarvāya, śarvaputrāya, kshoṇyutsaṅgabhavāya, kujāya, lalitāṅgāya, lohitāṅgāya

  1. Śarva
  2. Śarvaputra, son of Śarva
  3. Kshoṇyutsaṅgabhava, born in the lap of the earth
  4. Kuja, born of the earth
  5. Lalitāṅga, of graceful limbs
  6. Lohitāṅga, of red limbs

With oṃ at the start and svāhā at the end, reciting these a hundred and eight times, or half of that, or half of that half, the devotee offers oblations of samidh, ghee, milk, barley and sesame, with sweets and other foods.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 31

After the homa

An image of Kuja is made of gold, silver or wood, set in a vessel of copper or silver, and worshipped with ghee, saffron, aguru and red flowers, leaves and fruits, with the mantra agnir mūrdhā, and then given to a brāhmaṇa. Each gives rice with jaggery, ghee, milk, wheat and śāli rice as he is able, without greed.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 31

Sources

  • Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 31