Kārttikeya's Victory and Homecoming

A mountain asks for shelter

Tāraka lay dead, and the gods were still gathered around the young commander who had killed him. It was then, Brahmā tells Nārada, that a mountain came to Kumāra for refuge. His name was Krauñca.

Krauñca was being tormented by a daitya called Bāṇa. During the war with Tāraka this Bāṇa had not been able to bear the blaze of Kumāra's splendour, and he had run from the field with ten thousand soldiers. Having escaped, he turned on Krauñca and made the mountain's life a misery.

Krauñca bowed with devotion at Kumāra's feet and praised him with affection. “Kumāra! Skanda! Lord of the gods, destroyer of Tāraka!” he said. “I have come to you for shelter. Protect me from the daitya Bāṇa.”

“Mahāsena, he fled from you in fear during the battle with Tāraka, and now he has come and is tormenting me. In great distress I have run to you. You who were born among the reeds, have mercy. Destroy this Bāṇa and make me happy again. You are the slayer of daityas, the protector of the gods, your own sovereign.”

The spear that came back

Kārttikeya, who protects those devoted to him, was pleased with Krauñca's praise. He took his matchless spear, the śakti, in his hand, and in his heart he remembered Śiva. Then Śiva's son aimed at Bāṇa and let it fly.

There was a tremendous sound. The sky and all ten directions blazed with light. In a single moment the spear burned the asura to ashes together with his army — and then it came back to Kumāra's hand.

“Go home now without fear,” Kārttikeya told the mountain. “The asura has been destroyed, and his army with him.”

The lord of mountains was filled with joy. He praised Kumāra once more and went back to his own place.

The liṅgas at the place of victory

Kārttikeya was glad, and what he did next was to honour his father. On that very spot he set up three liṅgas of Maheśvara, with full rites and with reverence — liṅgas, the Purāṇa says, that destroy sin.

The first is named Pratijñeśvara, the second Kapāleśvara, and the third Kumāreśvara. All three, it is said, grant every attainment.

Then, close to the pillar of victory that stood there, he joyfully established one more liṅga, called Stambheśvara — the Lord of the Pillar.

Viṣṇu and all the other gods followed his example and happily set up a liṅga of Śiva, the god of gods, in the same place. The Purāṇa says that the glory of all these liṅgas is wonderful: they fulfil every wish, and to those who worship with devotion they give liberation.

Kumuda, the son of Śeṣa

With glad hearts Viṣṇu and the gods now thought of setting out for Mount Kailāsa, with Kārttikeya at their head. But just then another suppliant arrived: Kumuda, the son of Śeṣa, the king of serpents.

He too was being harassed by daityas. A powerful asura named Pralamba, a follower of Tāraka, had fled from the same battle and had begun to cause havoc in Kumuda's realm. Kumuda, great as he was, came to the son of Girijā's lord for refuge and began to praise him.

“God of gods, noble son of Mahādeva, great lord!” said Kumuda. “Tormented by the asura Pralamba, I have come to your shelter. Kumāra, Skanda, enemy of Tāraka, protect me. You are the friend of the helpless, an ocean of compassion, tender to your devotees. You punish the wicked, you give refuge, and you are the goal of the good.”

When Kumuda had praised him and asked for the daitya's death, Kumāra fixed his mind on Śaṅkara's lotus feet and took up his spear. The son of Girijā aimed it at Pralamba and released it. Again there was a mighty sound, and again the sky and every direction seemed to catch fire.

That spear of wondrous deeds swiftly burned Pralamba with his ten thousand troops, and all at once it was back beside Kārttikeya.

“The asura has been killed along with his followers,” Kumāra said to Śeṣa's son. “Go home now, and do not be afraid.” Kumuda praised him, bowed to him, and went back happily to Pātāla, the world below.

What the hearing of this gives

Here Brahmā pauses to tell Nārada what he has now heard in full: Kumāra's victory, his deeds, and the astonishing killing of Tāraka.

This account, he says, is divine. It removes all sins and fulfils every human wish; it brings blessing and good name, lengthens life, and gives good people both enjoyment and liberation.

Those who recite these divine deeds of Kumāra become people of great fame and great good fortune, and in the end they go to Śiva's world. Those who listen to his glory with faith and devotion enjoy the highest happiness here, and at the last reach divine liberation.

The gods praise Kumāra, and he blesses the mountains

Seeing Tāraka dead, Viṣṇu and the gods and everyone else there turned to Kumāra with shining faces and praised him with devotion.

“We bow to you, whose very form is blessing,” they said. “Auspiciousness of the universe, friend of the universe, we bow to you. Slayer of the great daityas, who took the life of Bāṇa and killed Pralamba — son of Śaṅkara, pure one, we bow to you again and again.”

“Son of Agni, you are the maker, the sustainer and the withdrawer of this world; all that is seen is your own unfolding. Son of Śambhu, friend of the helpless, be pleased with us. Protect us always. By killing Tāraka with all his following you have freed every one of us from calamity.”

Kumāra, praised in this way, gave the gods new boons, each in turn. Then he noticed that the mountains were praising him too. He was delighted, and he gave them a boon as well.

“All of you mountains,” said Skanda, “will always be honoured and resorted to by ascetics, by those who perform the rites, and by the wise. By my word you will stand as special forms of Śiva — as his very liṅga. Of this there is no doubt. And this best of mountains, the greatly blessed Himālaya, my mother's father, will be the one who grants ascetics the fruit of their tapas.”

The journey to Kailāsa

“You have killed Tāraka, the lord of the asuras, and with your boons you have made all of us happy, and the whole moving and unmoving world with us,” the gods said. “Now, with love, set out for Kailāsa, Śiva's home, to see your mother and father, Pārvatī and Śiva.”

With Kārttikeya's consent the gods held a great festival, and then they set out for Kailāsa, taking Kumāra with them. As he started on his way, auspicious signs appeared everywhere, and shouts of “Victory!” rang out.

Kumāra mounted a celestial chariot, a vimāna, that was beautiful, richly adorned on every side, endowed with every splendour, and set high above all the rest.

“Viṣṇu and I,” Brahmā tells Nārada, “were overjoyed. With great care and affection we waved the yak-tail fans over him.” Indra and the other gods walked on every side, each lovingly serving Kumāra in the way that suited him.

So, calling out “Victory to Śiva!” and with auspicious music sounding, they all arrived in great joy at Mount Kailāsa.

On his parents' lap

Viṣṇu and the others saw Śivā and Śiva, hurried to bow to them with devotion, and stood before them with joined palms and lowered heads.

Kumāra, humble at heart, stepped down from the vimāna and bowed happily to Pārvatī and Śiva, who were seated on their throne. When the divine couple saw their son, as dear to them as life, they were overjoyed.

The great Lord lifted him up and seated him on his lap. Gladly he breathed in the scent of the boy's head and stroked him lovingly with his hand. Overwhelmed with joy, Śiva kissed the face of Kumāra, the enemy of Tāraka.

Pārvatī did the same. She took him onto her own lap, breathed in the scent of his forehead, and kissed his face.

The Purāṇa remarks that the two of them, husband and wife, were following the ways of the world just then, as any parents would — and that it gave them immense joy. Festival after festival began in Śiva's house, and on every side there were cries of “Victory!” and “Homage!”

The gods praise Śiva

Then Viṣṇu, the gods and the sages bowed joyfully to Śiva and praised him. “God of gods, Mahādeva, giver of fearlessness to your devotees, we bow to you. Have mercy on us. Friend of the helpless, your play is wonderful, and it brings happiness to all good people.”

“We are dull and ignorant, Lord. We do not know how you, the eternal one, are to be invoked in worship, nor do we understand your wondrous ways. We bow to you who bear the waters of the Gaṅgā, the support of all; to Śaṅkara, whose banner is the bull, lord of the gaṇas, lord of all and of the three worlds; to the eternal one who creates, nourishes and withdraws all the worlds, the master of the three guṇas.”

“We bow to the unattached one, the supreme Self, pure and imperishable, beyond all the world's unfolding; to you who are Time itself, with staff and noose in hand. Past, present and future, and everything that moves or stands still, have arisen from your own form. We have taken refuge in you in every way; be pleased with us and protect us always.”

“We bow to the dark-throated Rudra; to you who are formless, who have form, and whose form is the universe; to Nīlakaṇṭha, whose body always wears the ash of the funeral ground; to Śrīkaṇṭha, to Mahādeva, whose feet all beings worship.”

“Among the gods you are Brahmā, among the Rudras you are Nīlalohita, and in all living beings you are the Self; the followers of Sāṅkhya call you Puruṣa. Among mountains you are Sumeru, among the stars the moon, among the seers Vasiṣṭha, among the gods Indra, and in all the Vedas you are the syllable Oṁ. We who carry out your commands cannot find the end of your forms, though we count them in thousands of millions. God of gods, we bow to you. Protect us.”

“Whenever trouble comes, turn to me”

Having praised him, the gods bowed to Śiva again and again and stood before him. Hearing their hymn, the compassionate Lord of all was pleased — and he laughed.

“Hari, Brahmā, all you gods, listen carefully to my words,” said Śiva. “In every way I am the protector of the good, and for you gods I am a treasury of compassion. I destroy the wicked. I am the lord of the three worlds, who brings good to all and is tender to his devotees; the maker, sustainer and withdrawer of everything, and yet without change.”

“Best of gods, whenever calamity comes upon you, then, for the sake of your happiness, worship me.”

With Śiva's leave, Viṣṇu and the gods and the great sages bowed to Pārvatī, to the Lord and to Kumāra. They went back, each to his own abode, in the highest joy, telling as they went of the lovely glory of Pārvatī, Śiva and their son.

And Śiva stayed on that mountain, happy and full of love, with his gaṇas, with Kumāra Kārttikeya and with Pārvatī. “So,” Brahmā says to Nārada, “I have told you the whole divine, joy-giving story of Kumāra and of Śiva. What more do you wish to hear?”