Chapter 86

“Yudhishthira said, ‘Thou hast, O grandsire, discoursed to me, in detailon the merits that attach to the gift of gold agreeably with theordinances laid down in the scriptures as indicated in the auditions ofthe Veda. Thou hast also narrated what the origin is of gold. Do thoutell me now how Taraka met with destruction. Thou hast said, O king, thatAsura had become unslayable by the gods. Do thou tell me in detail howhis destruction was brought about. O perpetuator of Kuru’s race, I desireto hear this from thee. I mean the details of Taraka’s slaughter. Greatis my curiosity to hear the narrative.’

“Bhishma said, ‘The gods and the Rishis, O monarch, reduced to greatdistress (by Taraka’s prowess and the conduct of Ganga in casting offAgni’s seed), urged the six Krittikas to rear that child. Amongst thecelestial ladies there were none, save these, that could, by theirenergy, bear the seed of Agni in their wombs. The god of fire becameexceedingly gratified with those goddesses for their readiness to sustainthe conception caused by the cast off seed of Agni which was endued withhis own high energy. When the energy of Agni, O king, was divided intosix portions and placed within the channels (leading to the womb), thesix Krittikas began to nourish the portion that each held in her womb. Asthe high-souled Kumara, however, began to grow within their wombs, theirbodies being afflicted by his energy, they failed to obtain peaceanywhere (in heaven or on earth). Filled with energy as their bodieswere, the time at last came for delivery. All of them, it so happened, Oprince of men, delivered at the same time. Though held in six differentwombs, yet all the portions, as they came out, united into one. Thegoddess Earth held the child, taking it up from a heap of gold. Verily,the child, endued with excellent form, blazed with splendour even likethe god of Fire. Of beautiful features, he began to grow in a delightfulforest of reeds. The six Krittikas beheld that child of theirs lookinglike the morning sun in splendour. Filled with affection forhim,–indeed, loving him very much,–they began to rear him with thesustenance of their breasts. In consequence of his having been born ofthe Krittikas and reared by them, he came to be known throughout thethree worlds as Kartikeya. Having sprung from the seed which had fallenoff from Rudra he was named Skanda, and because of his birth in thesolitude of a forest of reeds he came to be called by the name of Guha(the secret-born). The gods numbering three and thirty, the points of thecompass (in their embodied forms) together with the deities presidingover them, and Rudra and Dhatri and Vishnu and Yama and Pushan andAryaman and Bhaga, and Angas and Mitra and the Sadhyas and Vasava and theVasus and the Aswins and the Waters and the Wind and the Firmament andChandramas and all the Constellations and the Planets and Surya, and allthe Ricks and Samans and Yajuses in their embodied forms, came there tobehold that wonderful child who was the son of the deity of blazingflames. The Rishis uttered hymns of praise and the Gandharvas sang inhonour of that child called Kumara of six heads, twice six eyes, andexceedingly devoted to the Brahmanas. His shoulders were broad, and hehad a dozen arms, and the splendour of his person resembled that of fireand Aditya. As he lay stretched on a clump of heath, the gods with theRishis, beholding him, became filled with great delight and regarded thegreat Asura as already slain. The deities then began to bring him diversekinds of toys and articles that could amuse him. As he played like achild, diverse kinds of toys and birds were given unto him. Garuda ofexcellent feathers gave unto him a child of his, viz., a peacock enduedwith plumes of variegated hue. The Rakshasas gave unto him a boar and abuffalo. Aruna himself gave him a cock of fiery splendour. Chandramasgave him a sheep, and Aditya gave him some dazzling rays of his. Themother of all kine, viz., Surabhi, gave him kine by hundreds andthousands. Agni gave him a goat possessed of many good qualities. Ilagave him an abundant quantity of flowers and fruit. Sudhanwan gave him ariding chariot and a car of Kuvara. Varuna gave him many auspicious andexcellent, products of the Ocean, with some elephants. The chief of thecelestials gave him lions and tigers and pards and diverse kinds offeathery denizens of the air, and many terrible beasts of prey and manyumbrellas also of diverse kinds. Rakshasas and Asuras, in large bands,began to walk in the train of that puissant child. Beholding the son ofAgni grow up, Taraka sought, by various means, to effect his destruction,but he failed to do anything unto that puissant deity. The god in timeinvested Agni’s son born in the solitude (of a forest of reeds) with thecommand of their forces. And they also informed him of the oppressionscommitted upon them by the Asura Taraka. The generalissimo of thecelestial forces grew up and became possessed of great energy andpuissance. In time Guha slew Taraka, with his irresistible dart. Verily,Kumara slew the Asura as easily as if in sport. Having accomplished thedestruction of Taraka he re-established the chief of the deities in hissovereignty of the three worlds. Endued with mighty prowess, thecelestial generalissimo blazed with beauty and splendour. The puissantSkanda became the protector of the deities and did what was agreeable toSankara. The illustrious son of Pavaka was endued with a golden form.Verily, Kumara is always the leader of the celestial forces. Gold is thepuissant energy of the god of fire and was born with Kartikeya (from thesame seed). Hence is Gold highly auspicious and, as a valuable, isexcellent and endued with inexhaustible merit. Even thus, O son of Kuru’srace, did Vasishtha recite this discourse unto Rama of Bhrigu’s race indays of old. Do thou, therefore, O king of men, try to make gifts ofGold. By making gifts of Gold, Rama became cleansed of all his sins, andfinally attained to a high place in heaven that is unattainable by othermen.'”