षष्ठीदेवी

{ ṣaṣṭhīdevī }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

ṢAṢṬHĪDEVĪ   
1) General.
A Devī born out of (1/6) part of original nature (Mūlaprakṛti). Since she was born out of 16 part, she is called Ṣaṣṭhīdevī. Also called Devasenā, Ṣaṣṭhīdevī is the patron-devī of children. She grants them life. She protects them as the real mother and always remains by their side. She has earned Siddhis by the practice of yoga, is the best among the aṣṭamātṛs (eight mothers) and is the wife of Subrahmaṇya.
2) Blessings of the Devī.
She is foremost among the devīs, who bless children. There is a story in the [ninth canto of Devī Bhāgavata] revealing the importance of Ṣaṣṭhīdevī. Though Priyavrata, son of Svāyambhuva Manu was at first averse to marriage he, at last, married, on the insistence of Brahmā, a woman called Mālinī. For long he had no issues and sad at heart he got a putrakāmeṣṭi yajña performed by Kaśyapaprajāpati as a result of which Mālinī got pregnant, and delivered in the twelfth year. But, the child was still-born and Priyavrata set out with the corpse for the burning ghat. But, he could not make up his mind to give it up and so decided himself also to court death. Then he saw a divine plane stop there with a woman in it, who spoke to him as follows: “I am Devasenādevī, the mental daughter of Brahmā and wife of Skandadeva. It is I, who grant son to the sonless, wife to the wifeless, husband to the husbandless, wealth to the poor and the results of their actions to all.” So saying the Devī took from Priyavrata the corpse of his child and brought it back to life.

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

षष्ठी—देवी  f.  f. the goddess षष्ठी, [Kād.]; [RTL. 229.]

ROOTS:

षष्ठी देवी