Chapter 222

“Markandeya continued, ‘O sinless scion of Kuru’s race, I have describedto thee the various branches of the race of Agni. Listen now to the storyof the birth of the intelligent Kartikeya. I shall tell thee of thatwonderful and famous and highly energetic son of the Adbhuta firebegotten of the wives of the Brahmarshis. In ancient times the gods andAsuras were very active in destroying one another. And the terribleAsuras always succeeded in defeating the gods. And Purandara (Indra)beholding the great slaughter of his armies by them and anxious to findout a leader for the celestial host, thought within himself, ‘I must findout a mighty person who observing the ranks of the celestial armyshattered by the Danavas will be able to reorganize it with vigour.’ Hethen repaired to the Manasa mountains and was there deeply absorbed inthought of nature, when he heard the heart-rending cries of a woman tothe effect, ‘May some one come quick and rescue me, and either indicate ahusband for me, or be my husband himself.’ Purandara said to her, ‘Do notbe afraid, lady!’ And having said these words, he saw Kesin (an Asura)adorned with a crown and mace in hand standing even like a hill of metalsat a distance and holding that lady by the hand. Vasava addressed thenthat Asura saying, ‘Why art thou bent on behaving insolently to thislady? Know that I am the god who wields the thunderbolt. Refrain thoufrom doing any violence to this lady.’ To him Kesin replied, ‘Do thou, OSakra, leave her alone. I desire to possess her. Thinkest thou, O slayerof Paka, that thou shalt be able to return home with thy life?’ Withthese words Kesin hurled his mace for slaying Indra. Vasava cut it up inits course with his thunderbolt. Then Kesin, furious with rage, hurled ahuge mass of rock at him. Beholding that, he of a hundred sacrifices rentit asunder with his thunderbolt, and it fell down upon the ground. AndKesin himself was wounded by that falling mass of rock. Thus sorelyafflicted, he fled leaving the lady behind. And when the Asura was gone,Indra said to that lady, ‘Who and whose wife art thou, O lady with abeautiful face, and what has brought thee here?'”