[This story is from [Maha:3.222-3.230]. See ‘Birth Of Kartikeya’ for the more well known version of Skanda’s birth.
Long ago, a war raged between the Devas and their half-brothers, the Asuras. Purandara (Indra) was at a loss to know what to do, for the Asuras had grown very strong with the help of divine boons, and were inflicting heavy damages on the Deva army. As he went for a walk on the Mansa mountains, pondering the strategy to adopt in the ongoing war, he said to himself, “I must find a mighty being who would lead my army to victory. Without a strong general, we will not be able to overcome the superior Asura host.”
While he sat deep in thought in a shaded brook, he heard cries for help. Snapping out of his abstraction, Indra ran towards the place where the sound was coming from. In a clearing in the forest, he saw a beautiful young woman struggling with an Asura. The chief of the celestials shouted, “Fear not, O Lady, I will save you.”
“Do not meddle in what is no concern of yours,” shouted the Asura in return. “I am the mighty Kesin, a commander of the Asuras. This lady is mine; if you value your life, go away.”
Seeing that Indra continued to advance on them, Kesin threw a heavy iron mace lined with golden spikes towards him. Indra cut it into pieces with his trusty thunderbolts. Baffled, the Asura then picked up a huge rock and threw it at the chief of the celestials. Once again, Indra cut it into a million pieces with his thunderbolt. Some of these pieces fell on Kesin, injuring him. Seeing that he could not hope to withstand the might of Indra, the Asura ran away, leaving the lady behind him.
Vasava then came up to the woman, and asked her: “O lady, who are you? Why were you alone in this desolate place, and how come you fell under the power of this Asura?”
“I am a daughter of Daksha,” replied the woman. “My name is Devasena. With my sister Mahasena and our waiting maids, we used to come here to the Manasa mountains for relaxation. This Asura used to secretly follow us with the intent of winning our favour or failing that, to abduct us. My sister fell for his false promises and was ravished by him, but I did not listen to his importunities. He was trying to abduct me when you rushed in here in response to my cry for help, and saved me.”
Indra said, “Then you must be a cousin of mine, for my mother is a sister of yours. What do you want to do next? Shall I take you to your father’s house?”
Devasena replied, “I cannot go home without my sister. This incident with Kesin has convinced me that only a strong husband can protect me against such dangers. Cousin, find me a husband in whose strength I can be secure.”
“What qualities do you want in your husband?” asked Indra.
She replied, “My husband must be all powerful. According to my father’s boon, he will be respected by both the Devas and Asuras. He must be pious, and ever devoted to the Gods. He must be capable of conquering Asuras, Yakshas, Kinnaras, Uragas, and must be able to rule over all three worlds.”
Privately, Indra doubted that such a being could exist. But he put on a cheerful face and said, “Cousin, I am sure that I will be able to find you a suitable husband. Meanwhile, let me take you to my home, where my wife will look after you while I search for such a man.”
As he said these words, he saw that the sun was rising among the hills, and the moon was in conjunction with the sun. This cast a reddish hue over the horizon, and the moon seemed to be on fire. Looking beyond the hills, he saw a skirmish taking place between the Asura army and the Deva army. He also saw that the sea, the abode of Varuna, had now taken a coppery hue. As he looked at the sun, he saw the celestial sages coursing through the firmament, and he also saw Agni carrying up their oblations to the sun.
As he looked at this wonderful sight, he thought to himself, “This union of sun, fire, and the moon is wonderful. If a child were born at this time, he will be very strong, and could very well become my general and the husband of this cousin of mine.”
With these thoughts, he took Devasena to the abode of Brahma, rather than taking her directly to his home. He saluted the grandsire and said to him, “My lord, please indicate a strong husband for my cousin, this lady.”
Brahma said, “Fear not, Devasena will surely obtain a powerful husband. The seven great sages are conducting a sacrifice. Go there, and accept their oblations. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Indra went to the sacrifice, accompanied by the rest of the celestials. They all drank the Soma liquid offered at the sacrifice and accepted the offerings carried up to them by Agni, in his Adhbudha form.
The seven sages conducted the sacrifice, and their wives assisted them. All seven were extremely beautiful, golden complexioned, and their faces shone with radiant beauty. When Agni saw these beautiful women, he was smitten with desire and nearly lost his consciousness. Once the sacrifice was complete, all the Gods returned to their respective abodes, but Agni did not. He knew that his thoughts were sinful, but he could not control himself and could not forget the lovely faces of those seven women.
In desperation, he transformed himself into his Grahapatya (‘household fire’) form, and entered the hearths of those seven sages. Every day, he used to peep out of the household fire, and keep looking longingly at the faces of the seven beautiful ladies. His desire kept burning higher and higher, instead of getting subdued.
He had thought that no one had observed his shameful behavior, but he was wrong, for a young woman named Swaha had observed him. She, a daughter of Daksha Prajapati, was in love with him, and used to secretly follow him around. Agni never even noticed her, and she was becoming desperate.
When she saw that Agni was nursing a sinful passion for those seven ladies, she burned with jealousy, but she also perceived an opportunity. By her magical powers, she transformed herself into the form of Siva, the wife of Angirasa, and waylaid Agni in a forest near the hermitages.
When he spotted Siva (as he thought), Agni was rendered speechless. Swaha addressed him and said, “My lord, I have observed you sneaking into our household fire. My six friends have also seen you, and all of us have been filled with a passion for you. We have kept quiet so far only out of fear of our husbands. We can no longer contain our desire. Let us company in a far away place, away from the suspicious eyes of our husbands, in the darkness of the night so that no one may see us.”
Agni was, of course, only too eager to obey, and he cohabited with this false-Siva in a forest nook. After her desire was fulfilled, Swaha thought, “If I am seen leaving this forest in the form of the wife of Angirasa, people will cast an unmerited slur on her. If I leave in my own form, Agni will guess the subterfuge.”
So Swaha took the form of a bird and flew to the white mountains. She carried the seed of Agni which she dropped into a golden lake there. In the following five days, one by one, she took the form of one of the seven ladies and slept with Agni, and duly deposited the seed in the same lake. On the seventh day, however, she could not assume the form of Arundhati, the wife of Vasishta, as her magic was useless when she attempted to transform into the most devoted, pious wife of the seven.
The day when she first deposited the seed was the first day of the lunar month. On the sixth day, there arose from the lake a wondrous being, with six heads, twelve arms, two feet, and one body. As he came to life, he uttered a leonine roar that shook the forest and sent the animals and birds scurrying for cover.
This son of Agni and Swaha was named Skanda (‘cast off’) by the sages, for he was born from the discarded seed of the fire god. He was called Kartikeya, as he was born in the forest tended by the Krittika nymphs.
Sages in all the three worlds saw disturbing signs on the earth and in the sky. By their yogic power, they divined that a mighty being had been born on the lake in the white mountains, and they went to Indra and said, “Lord, this mighty being may destroy the very universe unless something is done. Please destroy him for the good of all living beings.”
Indra said, “I do not think I have the power to conquer Skanda, for he is capable of destroying the very creator himself. Our only hope is to swear allegiance to him and throw ourselves at his mercy.”
However, when the sages persisted, Indra summoned the terrible
This tale is from Ms.P. and [Maha:9.45-46].
The Asura Taraka was the son of Vajranaga and Varangi. He had been born as a result of a boon obtained by his father from Lord Brahma, to avenge the torments suffered by his mother Varangi at the hands of Indra, the chief of the Devas. After his father’s death, Taraka was crowned the king of the Asuras.
Taraka performed many tough penances in a cave in the Pariparta mountains. Pleased with his devotion, Lord Brahma appeared before him and offered him a boon. Denied the boon of immortality, the Asura chose that he be slain only by a seven-year-old boy. With the help of this boon, he amassed a large army, including the great Asura warriors Jambha, Kujambha, Mahisha, Kunjara, Megha, Kalanemi, Nimi, Mathana, Jambhaka, and Shumbha and invaded the heavens.
The Devas marched to battle, led by Yama on his buffalo. Indra on his chariot, Varuna on a snake, and Agni on a goat accompanied this army. The Asuras quickly gained the upper hand, with Kubera being forced to flee from the battlefield by Kujambha. Chandra and Surya were assaulted by Kalanemi. The Ashwini twins were defeated by Kalanemi. Scared by their losses, the Devas sought the help of Vishnu. At once, the Lord appeared and promptly slew an Asura named Grasana. He then knocked Kalanemi unconscious. Vishnu in turn was knocked unconscious by a blow from Jambha’s club. In retaliation, Indra slew Jambha with his thunderbolt.
The tide of the battle seemed to be turning the way of the Devas. However, Taraka was invincible. Thanks to the boon from Brahma, no deity was able to conquer him. They were left with no choice but to flee. Countless Devas were taken prisoners.
Indra and the Devas who escaped from the battlefield went to see Lord Brahma. They said, “You have created a monster! Where can we find a seven-year-old child who can slay the mighty Taraka? We are doomed!”
Brahma said, “Fear not. The child of Rudra shall be the slayer of this evil demon. The only problem is that after the death of his wife Sati, Shiva has lost all interest in worldly affairs. Sati has now been reborn as Parvati, the daughter of Himavan. She has been indulging in daily prayers to obtain the Lord of the Universe as her husband. All you have to do is to arrange for their marriage, and your problems shall be solved.”
The marriage was arranged with the help of Kama, the God of love. However, Kama was burned in the process. His wife Rati successfully pleaded for his life and Shiva revived him. Skanda was born in the Sara Vana, from the seed of Shiva carried thither by Agni. [More on that story here.]
When the child Skanda reached the age of seven, the Devas decided that it was time he was appointed their leader. Accordingly, Lord Brahma commissioned a grand ceremony, in which the child would be anointed as the generalissimo of the Devas. The spot chosen was on the banks of the river Saraswati. Brihaspati was the master of ceremonies for this ritual. All the deities were present, and they brought many costly gifts to the child-warrior. The boy was invested with the command of the army accompanied by the chants from the Vedas and was bathed with the sacred waters by Kashyapa and Brahma.
Lord Brahma created four companions for the young warrior. They were: Nandisena, Lohitaksha, Ghantakarna, and Kumudamalin. The Lord Sthanu gave a companion skilled in the art of magical illusion to the boy. Lord Yama gave him two powerful companions named Unmatha and Pramatha. Surya gave him two followers named Subhraja and Bhaswara. Soma gave him two followers named Mani and Sumani. Agni gave him two powerful companions named Jwalajibha and Jyoti. Ansa gave him five intelligent friends named Parigha, Vata, Bhima, Dahati, and Dahana. Indra gave him two warriors named Utkrosa and Panchaka, armed respectively with thunderbolt and club.
Vishnu then gave the boy three companions, named Chakra, Virama, and Sankrama. The twin Ashwinis gave him two warriors named Vardhana and Nandana. The God Dhatri gave him five followers named Kunda, Kusuma, Kumuda, Damvara, and Adamvara. Tvashta gave him two companions named Chakra and Anuchakra. Lord Mitra gave the boy-warrior two illustrious companions named Suvrata and Satyasandha. The God Vidhatri gave two companions named Suprabha and Subhakarman. Pushan gave two followers named Panitraka and Kalika, who were skilled in the art of illusion. Vayu gave him two warriors named Vala and Ativala, who were as strong as the wind. Himavan gave him two followers named Suvarchas and Ativarchas. Meru gave him two companions named Kanchana and Meghamalin. Manu gave two strong warriors named Sthira and Atisthira. Vindhya gave him two companions named Uschrita and Agnisringa, whose preferred weapons were stones. Sagara (Ocean) gave him two mighty companions named Sangraha and Vigraha, who were skilled with maces. Parvati gave him warriors named Unmada, Pushpadanta, and Sankukarna. Vasuki, the king of snakes gave Skanda two snake-warriors named Jaya and Mahajaya. All the other deities also gave him warriors to make up his army.
A huge army of women warriors, endowed with the power of Agni and Vayu, formed a part of his army. (The [Maha:9.46] lists the names of all these women warriors). The army amassed, it was time to equip the boy warrior with divine weapons. The slayer of Paka (Indra) gave the boy a dart blazing with light. Indra gave him an effulgent banner. Shiva sent him his followers equipped with divine weapons. Vishnu gave him a garland that enhances the might of the wearer. Parvati gave him radiant clothes. Ganga equipped him with a celestial water-pot, filled with Amrit. Brihaspati gave him a sacred stick. Garuda gave him his favorite son, a peacock, who became the mount of Skanda. Aruna gave him a fighting cock of sharp talons. Varuna gave him a powerful snake. Lord Brahma gave him a deer-skin cloth to wear, and the boon of invincibility.
Assuming command of these divine forces, Kartikeya thanked all the Gods for their support and assured them that he shall lead them to victory over their foes. An auspicious time was chosen to begin the march on the Asura cities.
When Taraka heard from his spies that the forces of the Devas were getting ready to invade, he rallied his forces and marched them outside. The two great hosts met on a battlefield near the Krauncha mountains. The battle was hard-fought. Slowly, the Devas gained the upper hand. Unable to withstand the might of Skanda, the Daityas fled in all directions. On this day, the boy slew the Asuras by the millions.
Seeing his army scatter in all directions, Taraka sought out Kartikeya on the battlefield and engaged him in combat. He taunted the boy about his tender age but was quickly forced to concentrate his energies in battle, for he saw that his opponent was a warrior of great merit. At last, the demon fell down dead, pierced by the spear of Kartikeya.
The scourge of the Devas was slain, but many of his able commanders were still alive. The battle still raged on. Next, Skanda slew Bana, the son of Bali, who tried to hide in the Krauncha mountain. This demon was slain by a divine dart. The younger son of Bali was also slain this day.
The victorious army of the Devas returned to the heavens, having annihilated their foes. From that day, Skanda became one of the principal Devas, their commander-in-chief.
This tale is from Ms.P.
Maya, the Danava, was the architect of the Asuras. As he saw the Asuras repeatedly wage war on the Devas and suffer one defeat after another, he became thoughtful. At last, he perceived the Devas were successful because of their ascetic power and merit. He then resolved to perform a very difficult penance to accumulate ascetic merit and defeat the Gods.
He expounded his plan to the other Asuras. Two powerful Asuras, named Vidyunmali and Taraka offered to join him in his meditations. All three retired to a remote place and performed a tough penance for many thousand years. At last, Lord Brahma was pleased and appeared before them and offered them boons. Naturally, all three wanted immortality. Upon being told that it was impossible, Maya said, “We Asuras live in constant fear of the Devas. Our cities are not safe from the assaults of the Gods. I shall construct three forts, one each of steel, silver, and gold. Let them be impregnable against all Gods.”
Brahma said, “Just as mortals may not obtain immortality, inanimate objects also cannot be impregnable. You must choose the mode of these forts’ destruction also. You can make it as difficult as you wish, making them practically impregnable.”
Maya said, “Let them not be destroyed unless Lord Shiva himself destroys all three with a single flaming arrow.” Now, Maya was a great devotee of Shiva and was confident of his protection, so he proposed this method of destruction. Lord Brahma said, “So be it,” and disappeared.
Maya put forth all his skills and constructed three great forts, of steel (for Taraka), of silver (for Vidyunmali), and of gold (for himself). These forts were also well stocked with all sorts of advanced weapons to fend off invaders. When word got out of their safety, all the Asuras flocked to them. Soon, you could not find an Asura who lived outside these forts. The three forts were known as Tripura (Tri=three, pura=city). Usually, they floated separately in the sky, but their orbits were such that, whenever the star Pushya was ascendant, they became a single fort.
Thanks to the benevolent nature of Maya, the Asuras were no longer evil. They were all great devotees of Lord Shiva. Regular worship was offered to him. Of course, this tame state of affairs could not last long. Slowly, the demons became intoxicated with a sense of their own importance. They let loose a reign of oppression on all creatures. Maya repeatedly warned them against their evil acts, but they would not listen.
Indra and the Devas were alarmed at this development. They went to the abode of Brahma and said to him, “Sire, please save us from the ravages of these demons. They are threatening to turn the whole world upside down! Because of your boon, we cannot defeat these Asuras as long as they are safe in their forts.”
Brahma said, “Only Lord Shiva can help us now. Let us all pray to him.”
Accordingly, all of them prayed to Lord Shiva. He appeared before them and consented to destroy the cities. A special chariot was built for Shiva. Brahma became his charioteer. The entire army of Devas was arrayed behind him. The battle began. The Ganas also fought alongside the Devas. Nandi slew Vidyunmali after a fierce battle. But, Maya brought the Asura back to life with the help of a herbal bath.
Seeing Vidyunmali come back to life, the Asuras cheered loudly and fought with renewed vigor. At this point, Shiva entered the battlefield, and the Asuras were scattered, unable to bear the onslaught of the Lord. Maya sought to rally the demons, reminding them that the forts were impregnable as long as Shiva did not destroy them with a single arrow.
Nandi killed Taraka in battle. He then engaged Vidyunmali in combat and slew that demon for a second time. At this time, the star Pushya became ascendant. The three cities became the single city of Tripura. This was the moment Shiva was waiting for. He affixed a flaming arrow to his bow Pinaka and let it fly. The arrow burned Tripura and all the demons within. The only survivor was Maya, who was saved because of his good deeds and unswerving devotion to Shiva. However, from that day, he began living underwater, afraid to live in a city.
This story is based on [Maha:10.18].
Once the Krita-Yuga had ended, the celestials wished to perform a grand sacrifice to enhance their own powers. Following the instructions laid down in the Vedas, they duly prepared the sacrificial altar and collected the clarified butter and other offerings essential for the Yagna. A share of the sacrificial offerings was allotted to each deity, in proportion to their power and influence.
However, not knowing the magnificence of Lord Shiva, the celestials considered him of little account and left him out of the sacrifice altogether. No part of the Havis was allotted to him. When Mahadeva (Shiva) came to know of this insult, he became enraged. In anger, he constructed a powerful bow that was five cubits long, and whose string was infused with the essence of a sacred Mantra known as vashat.
Armed with this bow and his unerring arrows, he arrived at the sacrificial hall. When the immortals beheld his angry visage, with his matted locks swaying like angry snakes as he trod purposefully at them, they ran away from the hall in fear. The Goddess earth trembled, along with her diverse mountains and seas. As Vayu was terrified, the life-giving wind ceased to move, and as a result of Agni’s stupefaction, the sacrificial fire, although fed with clarified butter, did not blaze forth. The planets swerved from their ordained courses and the Sun and the Moon lost their splendor. There was gloom and despair all around.
Seeing that Rudra (Shiva) was intent upon his destruction, the deity that was the embodiment of the sacrifice took the form of a deer and fled away, accompanied by Agni. Mahadeva gave chase to them both and harried them with sharp arrows shot from his celestial bow.
With Agni and the sacrificial deity gone, the immortals began to lose their powers. Their luster dimmed, and they began to decay rapidly. Rudra then turned his attention on the stunned celestials and with his bow, he broke the arms of Savitri (Surya) and plucked out the eyes of Bhaga. He broke the teeth of Pushan. He then whirled the horn of his bow and laughed aloud, paralyzing the assembled celestials.
Pandemonium broke out as the remaining gods fled away from this scene of destruction. At last, they made a united stand, and combining all their power, they caused the string of Shiva’s bow to break. In the brief respite that ensued, they sought refuge with him, and by singing his praises, tried to gratify him.
Pacified, the benevolent Shiva forgave the immortals and allowed the sacrifice to proceed. He restored the arms of Savitri, the eyes of Bhaga, and the teeth of Pushan. From that day, it has been ordained that no sacrifice is complete without an offering to the Lord of Lords, the puissant Mahadeva.