मार्कण्डेय-समास्या पर्व — अंगिराको कथा

Markandeya said : Skanda was adorned with a golden armlet and garland; he wore a crest and crown of gold; his eyes were gold coloured and they were very bright.

He had sharp teeth, he was clad in a red garment, he looked very handsome, he had a most charming appearance, he possessed all good characteristics, he was the favorite of the three worlds.

He was a giver of boons, he was brave and youthful and he was adorned with ear-rings. When he was resting, the goddess of wealth, looking like a lotus and assuming a body, came to him.

When he became thus possessed of the goddess of wealth, that illustrious and delicate being looked like the full moon.

The high-souled Brahmanas worshipped that greatly powerful one and the great Rishis spoke thus to Skanda.

The Rishis said: O golden egg-born one, may prosperity come to you. May you be the cause of doing good to the world. Though you have been born in six nights, all the worlds have come to your subjection.

O foremost of celestials, you have removed all their fears, therefore become the Indra of the three worlds and thus remove their cause of apprehension.

Skanda said: O great ascetics, what Indra does with all this worlds? How does that lord of the celestials unceasingly protect the hosts of gods?

The Rishis said: Indra gives strength, power, effspring and happiness to all beings. When propetiated that lord of the celestials bestows on all creatures all the objects of their desire.

He destroys the wicked and fulfill the desires of the righteous. That destroyer of Bala assigns to all creatures their various duties. He officiates for the sun and the moon in places where there is no sun and the moon. When occasion requires he acts for fire, air, earth and water. These are the duties of Indra. His capacities are immense. You, too, are greatly powerful; therefore, O hero, become our Indra.

Indra said: O mighty armed one, O excellent being, make us happy by becoming the lord of all of us. You are worthy of the honour; therefore we shall instal you this very day.

Skanda said: O Indra, continue to rule over the three worlds with self-possession and with a desire for (new) conquests. I shall remain your humble servant. I do not desire to get your sovereignity.

Indra said: O hero, your prowess is wonderful. Therefore vanquish the enemies of the celestials. People have been greatly astonished to see your unirivalled prowess.

I have been bereft of my prowess. Defeated as I am by you, if I am now to act as Indra, I will not be able to command the respect of all creatures. Every one would be busy to bring about disunion, then O lord, they would be the partisans of one or other of us.

O greatly powerful one, when they will form themselves into two distinct factions, war as before would be the result of that disunion. In that war you will undoubtedly be able to defeat me at your pleasure and then to become the lord of all the worlds. Don't think on this subject.

Skanda said: O Indra, you are my king as well as that of the three worlds. May prosperity come to you. Tell me if I can obey any of your commands.

Indra said: O greatly powerful one, O Skanda, at your command I shall continue to act as Indra. If you have said this deliberately and earnestly then hear me how you can gratify your desire to serve me. Become the generallissimo of the celestial army.

Skand said: Instal me (then) as the generallisimo (of the celestial army) for the destruction of the Danavas, for the good of the celestials and for the well-being of Brahmanas and kine.

Markandeya said : Thus having been installed by Indra and all the other celestials and honoured by the great Rishis, he looked exceedingly grand. The golden umbrella (held over his head) looked like a halo of blazing fire.

O foremost of men, that illustrious deity, the vanquisher of Tripura (Indra) Lord Shiva with his wife came there and put round his neck the celestial garland of gold mady by Vishwakarma.

That exalted god Vrishadhvaja (Siva) honoured him with a joyous heart. That deity is called Rudra by the Brahmanas and therefore Skanda is called the son of Rudra.

The semen ejaculated by Rudra converted in the form of a white mountain. The constalations Krittikas etc. had transmitted the was fire semen at that white mountain made of Rudras semen.

As Rudra was seen by all the dwellers of heaven to honour Guha (Skanda), the foremost of all accomplished beings is for this reason called the son of Rudra.

The child had his birth from the action of Rudra entering into the constitution of the deity of fire and for this reasort Skanda is called the son of Rudra.

O descendant of Bharata, as Rudra, that fire god, (Skanda) Svaha and the six wives (of the seven Rishis) were the cause of the birth of the great deity Skanda, so was he for that reason called the son of Rudra.

That son of the deity of fire was clad in a pair of red cloths. He thus looked like the sun peeing from behind a mass of red clouds.

The red cock given to him by the fire god became his sign. When sitting on the flag-staff of his car it looked like the very image of the all destroying fire.

The presiding deity of the power which gives voctory to the celestials, which is the direction of all exertions of all creatures and which constitutes their glory, then came to him.

A mystreious charm entered into his constitution, the charm which manifests its power on the battle field. Beauty, strength, piety, power, might, truthfulness, rectitude, devotion to Brahmanas, freedom from illusion or perplexity, protection of followers, destruction of foes and care of all creatures, these, O lord of men, are the onborn virtues of Skanda.

Thus installed by all the celestial, he looked pleased and complacient. Dressed in his best style, he looked as beautiful as the full moon.

The much esteemed incantation of the Vedic hymns, the music of the celestial musicians, the songs of the celestial and the Gandharvas then rose on all sides.

Surrounded by the well dressed Apsaras, by many gay and happy looking Pishachas and by the celestial, that son of Agni sported in all his grandeur. To the dwellers of heaven, the installed Skanda looked like the sun rising after the darkness has passed away. Then thousands of the celestial forces.

Saying “You are our lord”, came to him from all directions. That exalted one, surrounded by all creatures and praised and with honoured by them, encouraged them in return. Satakratu (Indra) also, after having installed Skanda as the generallissimo of the celestial army.

Remembered Devasena whom he had once rescued. "This one has undoubtedly been destined by Brahma himself to be the husband of that lady," thus reflecting, the slayer of Vala (Indra) brought her adorned all ornaments; and he then thus spoke to Skanda, “O foremost of the celestial, even before your birth this lady was destined to be your wife by the Self-create (Brahma); therefore with due rites and Mantras accept her hand, her right hand which is like a lotus." Having been thus addressed, he accepted her hands in due rites.

Brihaspati learned in Mantras performed all necessary prayers and oblations. Thus Devasena became known amongst men as the wife of Skanda.

She was also called by the Brahmanas as Shashti, Lakshmi, Asha, Sukhaprada, Sinivali, Kuhu, Sadvritti and Aprajita.

When Skanda was married to Devasena, the goddess of wealth in her embodied form waited upon him with diligence. As Skanda attained celebrity on the fifth lunar day, it was called Sripanchami; and as he obtained his object in the sixth, that day was considered to be a great tihi.