SECTION 44
Janamejaya said, "Thou hast described the merits of the Sarasvati, O best
of Brahmanas! It behoveth thee, O regenerate one, to describe to me the
investiture of Kumara (by the gods). Great is the curiosity I feel. Tell
me everything, therefore, about the time when and the place where and the
manner in which the adorable and puissant lord Skanda was invested (with
the command of the celestial forces). Tell me also, O foremost of
speakers, who they were that invested him and who performed the actual
rites, and how the celestial generalissimo made a great carnage of the
Daityas!"
Vaishampayana said, "This curiosity that you feelest is worthy of thy
birth in Kuru's race. The words that I shall speak, will, O Janamejaya,
be conducive to your pleasure. I shall narrate to you the story of the
investiture of Kumara and the prowess of that high-souled one, since, O
ruler of men you wishest to hear it! In days of yore the vital seed of
Maheshvara coming out, fell into a blazing fire. The consumer of
everything, the adorable Agni, could not burn that indestructible seed.
On the other hand, the bearer of sacrificial libations, in consequence of
that seed, became possessed of great energy and splendour. He could not
bear within himself that, seed of mighty energy. At the command of
Brahman, the lord Agni, approaching (the river) Ganga, threw into her
that divine seed possessed of the effulgence of the Sun. Ganga also,
unable to hold it, cast it on the beautiful breast of Himavat that is
worshipped by the celestials. Thereupon Agni's son began to grow there,
overwhelming all the worlds by his energy. Meanwhile (the six) Krittikas
beheld that child of fiery splendour. Seeing that puissant lord, that
high-souled son of Agni, lying on a clump of heath, all the six
Krittikas, who were desirous of a son, cried aloud, saying, "This child
is mine, this child is mine!" Understanding the state of mind of those
six mothers, the adorable lord Skanda sucked the breasts of all having
assumed six mouths. Beholding that puissance of the child, the Krittikas,
those goddesses of beautiful forms, became filled with wonder. And since
the adorable child had been cast by the river Ganga upon the summit of
Himavat, that mountain looked beautiful, having, O delighter of the
Kurus, been transformed into gold! With that growing child the whole
Earth became beautiful, and it was for this reason that mountains (from
that time) came to be producers of gold. Possessed of great energy, the
child came to be called by the name of Kartikeya. At first he had been
called by the name of Gangeya. He became possessed of high ascetic
powers. Endued with self-restraint and asceticism and great energy, the
child grew up, O monarch, into a person of highly agreeable features like
Soma himself. Possessed of great beauty, the child lay on that excellent
and golden clump of heath, adored and praised by Gandharvas and ascetics.
Celestial girls, by thousands, conversant with celestial music and dance,
and of very beautiful features, praised him and danced before him. The
foremost of all rivers, Ganga, waited upon that god. The Earth also,
assuming great beauty, held the child (on her lap). The celestial priest
Brihaspati performed the usual rites after birth, in respect of that
child. The Vedas assuming a four-fold form, approached the child with
joined hands. The Science of arms, with its four divisions, and all the
weapons as also all kinds of arrows, came to him. One day, the child, of
great energy, saw that god of gods, the lord of Uma, seated with the
daughter of Himavat, amid a swarm of ghostly creatures. Those ghostly
creatures, of emaciated bodies, were of wonderful features. They were
ugly and of ugly features, and wore awkward ornaments and marks. Their
faces were like those of tigers and lions and bears and cats and makaras.
Others were of faces like those of scorpions; others of faces like those
of elephants and camels and owls. And some had faces like those of
vultures and jackals. And some there were that had faces like those of
cranes and pigeons and Kurus. And many amongst them had bodies like those
of dogs and porcupines and iguanas and goats and sheep and cows. And some
resembled mountains and some oceans, and some stood with uplifted discs
and maces for their weapons. And some looked like masses of antimony and
some like white mountains. The seven Matris also were present there, O
monarch, and the Sadhyas, the Viswedevas, the Maruts, the Vasus, the
Rudras, the Adityas, the Siddhas, the Danavas, the birds, the self-born
and adorable Brahman with his sons, and Vishnu, and Shakra, all went
thither for beholding that child of unfading glory. And many of the
foremost of celestials and Gandharvas, headed by Narada and many
celestial Rishis and Siddhas headed by Brihaspati, and the fathers of the
universe, those foremost ones, they that are regarded as gods of the
gods, and the Yamas and the Dharmas, all went there. Endued with great
strength, the child possessed of great ascetic power, proceeded to the
presence of that Lord of the gods, (Mahadeva), armed with trident and
Pinaka. Seeing the child coming, the thought entered the mind of Siva, as
it did that of Himavat's daughter and that of Ganga and of Agni, as to
whom amongst the four the child would first approach for honouring him or
her. Each of them thought, 'He will come to me!' Understanding that this
was the expectation cherished by each of those four, he had recourse to
his Yoga powers and assumed at the same time four different forms. Indeed
the adorable and puissant lord assumed those four forms in an instant.
The three forms that stood behind were Sakha and Visakha and Naigameya.
The adorable and puissant one, having divided his self into four forms,
(proceeded towards the four that sat expecting him). The form called
Skanda of wonderful appearance proceeded to the spot where Rudra was
sitting. Visakha went to the spot where the divine daughter of Himavat
was. The adorable Sakha, which is Kartikeya's Vayu form proceeded towards
Agni. Naigameya, that child of fiery splendour, proceeded to the presence
of Ganga. All those forms, of similar appearance, were endued with great
effulgence. The four forms proceeded calmly to the four gods and
goddesses (already mentioned). All this seemed exceedingly wonderful. The
gods, the Danavas, and the Rakshasas, made a loud noise at sight of that
exceedingly wonderful incident making the very hair to stand on end. Then
Rudra and the goddess Uma and Agni, and Ganga, all bowed unto the
Grandsire, that Lord of the Universe. Having duly bowed unto him, O bull
among kings, they said these words, O monarch, from desire of doing good
unto Kartikeya. 'It behoveth thee, O Lord of the gods, to grant to this
youth, for the sake of our happiness, some kind of sovereignty that may
be suitable to him and that he may desire. At this, the adorable
Grandsire of all the worlds, possessed of great intelligence, began to
think within his mind as to what he should bestow upon that youth. He had
formerly given away unto the formless ones (gods) all kinds of wealth
over which the high-souled celestials, the Gandharvas, the Rakshasas,
ghosts, Yakshas, birds, and snakes have dominion. Brahma, therefore,
regarded that youth to be fully entitled to that dominion (which had been
bestowed upon the gods). Having reflected for a moment, the Grandsire,
ever mindful of the welfare of the gods, bestowed upon him the status of
a generalissimo among all creatures, O Bharata! And the Grandsire further
ordered all those gods that were regarded as the chief of the celestials
and other formless beings to wait upon him. Then the gods headed by
Brahman, taking that youth with them, together came to Himavat. The spot
they selected was the bank of the sacred and divine Sarasvati, that
foremost of rivers, taking her rise from Himavat, that Sarasvati which,
at Samanta-panchaka, is celebrated over the three worlds. There, on the
sacred bank, possessing every merit, of the Sarasvati, the gods and the
Gandharvas took their seats with hearts well-pleased in consequence of
the gratification of all their desires."
--------------------END OF PARVA 9 : UPA-PARVA 44 ---------------------
