Gadayuddha Parva — The investiture of Kartikeya. His companions

Janamejaya said "You have described the inerits of the Sarasvati, O best of Brahmanas. You should, O Rishi, describe to me the investiture of Kumara by the gods.

Great is my curiosity. Tell me everything, therefore, about the time, place and manner in which the worshipful and powerful Skanda was appointed the commander-in-chief of the celestial hosts! Tell me also, O best of speakers, who invested him and who performed the actual rites and how the celestial generalissimo killed the Daityas."

Vaishampayana said "Your curiosity indeed becomes a Kuru. The words that I shall speak, will, O Janamejaya, please you.

I shall describe to you the appointment of Kumara and the prowess of that high-souled one, since, O king, you wish to hear it.

In days of yore the vital seed of Maheshvara, dropped into a blazing fire. The consumer of everything, the worshipful Agni, could not burn that indestructible seed.

On the other hand, the carrier of sacrificial libations, for that seed, became possessed of great energy and splendour. He could not bear within himself that powerful seed.

At the behest of Brahma, the lord Agni, approaching the river Ganga, threw into her that divine seed effulgent like the Sun.

Ganga also, unable to hold it, threw it on the beautiful breast of Himavat adored of the celestials.

Thereupon Agni's son began to grow there, overpowering all the worlds by his energy. Meanwhile the six Krittikas saw that child of fiery splendour.

Seeing that powerful lord, that great son of Agni, lying on a clump of reeds, all the six Krittikas, who wanted to have a son, cried aloud, saying-"This child is mine, this child is mine.'

Understanding the feelings of those six mothers, the wonderful lord Skanda sucked the breasts of all, having assumed six months.

Beholding that power of the child, the Krittikas, those beautiful goddesses, were stricken with wonder.

And because the adorable child had been thrown 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 therefore that mountains produced gold.

Possessed of great energy, the child passed by the name of Kartikeya. At first he had been called by the name of Gangeya. He was endued with high ascetic powers.

Possessed of self-restraint, asceticism and great energy, the child grew up. O king, into a person of highly charming features like Soma himself.

Highly beautiful the child lay on that excellent and golden clump of reeds, worshipped and lauded by Gandharvas and ascetics.

Thousands of celestial girls, of very handsome features, accomplished in celestial music and dance, lauded him and danced before him.

The best of all rivers, viz., 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 consequent upon the birth, of that child. The Vedas, assuming a fourfold form, approached the child with clasped 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 highly energetic child, saw that god of gods, viz., the lord of Uma, seated with the daughter of Himavat, amid a number of goblins.

Those goblins, of lean bodies, had wonderful features. They were ugly both in person and in features and bore on this person awkward ornaments and marks.

Their faces were like those of tigers and lions and bears and cats and Makaras. Others had faces like those of scorpions; others had faces like those of elephant and camels and owls. And some had faces like those of vultures and jackals.

And some had faces like those of cranes and pigeons and Kurus. And some 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 with mountains. The seven matris also were present there, O king.

The Saddhyas, the Vishvedevas, the Maruts, the Vasus, the Pitris, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Siddhas, the Danavas, the birds, the self-create and worshipful Brahman with his sons and Vishnu and Shakra, all went there for beholding that child of ever-increasing glory.

And many leading celestials and Gandharvas, headed by Narada and many celestial Rishis and Siddhas headed by Brihaspati and the guardian deities of the universe, those foremost ones, they that are regarded as gods of the gods and the Yamas and the Dhamas, all went there.

Gifted with great strength and great ascetic power, the child proceeded before that lord of the gods, viz., Mahadeva, armed with trident and Pinaka.

Seeing the child coming, the thought entered the mind of Shiva, that of Himavat's daughter and that of Ganga and of Agni, as to whom amongst the four, the child would first approach for honoring him or her. Each of them thought-He will come to me.'

Understanding the desire of each of those four, he had recourse to his Yoga powers and assumed simultaneously four different forms.

The worshipful and powerful lord assumed those four forms in a instant. The three forms that stood behind were Shakra and Vishakha and Naigameya.

Having divided his self into four forms, he went towards the four that sat expecting him. The wonderful form called Skanda proceed where Rudra was sitting.

Vishakha went where the divine daughter of Himavat was. The adorable Shakha, which is Kartikeya's airy form, went towards Agni. Naigameya, that child of fiery splendour, went before Ganga.

All those four forms, of similar appearance, were highly effulgent. The four forms went calmly to the four gods and goddesses. It was indeed wonderful.

The gods, the Danavas and the Rakshasas, made a loud noise seeing that exceedingly wonderful and hair stirring incident.

Then Rudra and the goddess Uma and Agni and Ganga, all bowed unto Brahma, that lord of the universe.

Having duly bowed into him, they said these words, O king, from desire of doing god unto Kartikeya:-"O Lord of the gods, for the sake of our happiness you should give this youth some kind of sovereignty that may suit him and that he may desire.'

Thereat, the worshipful grandfather of all the worlds, endued with great intelligence, began to think within his mind as to what he should confer of that youth.

He had formerly given away to the gods all kinds of wealth over which the great celestials, the Gandharvas, the Rakshasas, ghosts, Yakshas, birds and snakes now region. Brahman, therefore, considered that youth as fully qualified to have the dominion which had been bestowed upon the gods.

Having thought for a moment, the grandfather, always seeking the well-being of the celestials, conferred upon him the dignity of a generalissimo among all creatures, O Bharata.

He further ordered all those leading gods and other formless beings to wait upon him.

Then the gods headed by Brahman, taking that youth with them, came in a body to Himavat.

The site selected by them was the bank of the sacred and divine Sarasvati, that foremost of rivers, taking her rise from Himavat, which is celebrated over the three worlds by the name of Samantapanchaka.

There, on the sacred bank of the Sarasvati, the gods and the Gandharvas took their seats with gladness on account of the gratification of all their desire."