Chapter 5 - Kārttikeya is crowned

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Brahmā said:—

1-2. In the meantime he saw an excellent, lustrous and wonderful chariot, made by Viśvakarman. It was a commodious with a hundred wheels. It was beautiful and had the quickness of the mind. It had been sent by Pārvatī and was surrounded by the excellent attendants of Śiva.

3. With an aching heart, Kārttikeya, born of the semen of lord Śiva, the perfectly wise and endless Being, got into it.

4. At the same time, the distressed grief-stricken Kṛttikās approached him with dishevelled hair and began to speak like mad women.

Kṛttikās said'.—

5. O ocean of mercy, how is it that you ruthlessly leave us and go? This is not a virtuous thing for a fostered son to forsake his mothers.

6. You have been brought up by us affectionately. Hence you are our son in virtue of that. What shall we do? Where shall we go? What can we do?

7. After saying this and closely embracing Kārttikeya, the Kṛttikās fell into a swoon due to the imminent separation from their son.

8. Restoring them to consciousness and instructing them with spiritual utterances, O sage, he got into the chariot along with them and the Pārṣadas too.

9. Seeing and hearing various auspicious and pleasing things Kumāra went to the palace of his father along with the Pārṣadas.

10. Kumāra reached the foot of a Nyagrodha tree at Kailāsa in the fast chariot along with Nandin seated to his right.

11. There Kumāra, the son of Śiva, an expert in various divine sports, waited along with the Kṛttikās and the chief of Pārṣadas, in great delight.

12. Then all the gods, sages, Siddhas, Cāraṇas, Viṣṇu and Brahmā announced his arrival.

13. Then in order to see him Śiva, along with Viṣṇu, Brahmā, the gods, sages and others went there.

14. Many conches, Bherīs and Tūryas were sounded. There was great jubilation among the delighted gods.

15. Vīrabhadra and other Gaṇas followed them with different chiming cymbols beating the time and sporting about.

16. Eulogising and being eulogised they sang songs of praise.

17. Shouting cries of “Victory” and “Obeisance” the delighted people went to see the excellent son of Śiva born in the grove of Śara plants.^[1]

18. Pārvatī caused the entire outskirts of the city fully decorated with Padmarāga and other gems. The main highway was rendered beautiful and auspicious.

19. The thirty goddesses Lakṣmī and others stood in front, along with chaste ladies whose husbands and sons were alive and Pārvatī stood ahead of them.

20. At the bidding of Pārvatī, the smiling celestial damsels, Rambhā and others, dressed gorgeously, were engaged in singing and dancing.

21. Those who looked at Kumāra resembling Śiva saw a great halo pervading the three worlds.

22. Immediately they saluted Kumāra who was enveloped by the brilliant halo, the lustre of molten gold and the refulgence of the sun.

23. With shoulders stooping down and eagerly engaged in shouting the cry of “Obeisance” they flanked him to the right and left and stood by.

24. Viṣṇu, Indra and I as well as the gods prostrated on the ground and went round Kumāra.

25. In the meantime Śiva, and Pārvatī highly delighted and jubilant came there and saw their son.

26. On seeing his son, the great lord Śiva, the sole kinsman of the universe along with the great goddess Pārvatī was filled with pleasure and love—the lord who wore snakes on his body and was surrounded by the Pramathas.

27. On seeing Pārvatī and Śiva, Kārttikeya got down from the chariot immediately and saluted them.

28. Embracing him with love, Śiva kissed Kumāra on the head. He, the cause of great affection, was highly delighted.

29. Embracing him in great excitement and melting with love, Pārvatī suckled him at her breasts.

30. The Nīrājana rite was performed by the delighted gods in the company of their wives.

31. The sages adored Kumāra with the Vedic chants, the musicians by singing songs, and others by playing upon musical instruments.

32. Placing Kumāra shining with brilliant lustre on his lap Pārvatī shone with glory as the greatest among women who carried sons.

33. At the bidding of Śiva, Kumāra in the company of his Gaṇas came to Śiva’s abode. He felt very happy in the company of jubilant gods.

34. The couple shone simultaneously being saluted by the sages and surrounded by the important gods.

35. Kumāra delightedly played about in the lap of Śiva. He teased Vāsuki^[2] round Śiva’s neck with his hands.

36. Seeing that sportive act with his merciful vision, lord Śiva spoke about it to Pārvatī laughingly.

37. Seeing the gentle smile of Kumāra, lord Śiva and Pārvatī attained great joy. The lord, the sole ruler of the worlds and kinsman of the universe uttered nothing with his throat choked through affection.

38. Then Śiva, the lord of the universe, following the worldly convention delightedly placed Kārttikeya on a beautiful gemset throne.

39. With hundreds of gemset pots filled with the waters of holy centres sanctified by Vedic mantras he performed his ceremonial ablution joyously.

40. Viṣṇu gave him a crown, a coronet and bracelets moulded and set in gems, his own necklace Vaijayanti and the discus.

41. Śiva gave him the trident, the bow Pināka, the axe, the arrow Paśupata, the weapon of destruction and the greatest lore.

42. I gave him the holy thread, the Vedas, the mantra Gāyatrī, the vessel Kamaṇḍalu, the arrow Brahmāstra and the lore that destroys the enemy.

43. Then Indra gave him a lordly elephant and a thunderbolt. The lord of the waters, Varuṇa, gave him a white umbrella and a necklace of gems to wear.

44. The sun gave him a chariot as fast as the mind and a coat of mail with great equipments; Yama his own staff: the moon a vessel full of nectar.

45. Agni lovingly gave him a spear; Nirṛti his own weapon and the wind his own weapon.

46. Kubera gave him a mace; Śiva a spear; the gods different kinds of weapons and implements.

47. The delighted lord of Kāma gave him the weapon of love, a club and his own lore with great pleasure.

48. The ocean of milk gave him valuable gems and a splendid anklet set with gems. Himavat gave him divine ornaments and garments.

49. Garuḍa gave him his own son Citrabarhaṇa; Aruṇa a powerful cock Tāmracūḍa.

50. Pārvatī gave him power and prosperity smilingly and joyously. She gave him longevity too with great pleasure.

51. Lakṣmī gave him divine wealth and a great and beautiful necklace. Sāvitrī gave him the entire Siddhavidyā^[3] with joy.

52. O sage, the other goddesses too who had come there gave him their respective presents. The Kṛttikās too did the same.

53. O excellent sage, there was great jubilation there. Everyone was delighted, especially Pārvatī and Śiva.

54. In the meantime, O sage, the powerful Śiva, spoke to Brahmā and to other gods laughingly and joyously.

Śiva said:—

55. “O Viṣṇu, O Brahmā, O gods, you listen to my words. I am delighted in all respects. Please choose the boons you wish.”

Brahmā said:—

56. O sage, on hearing those words of Śiva, Viṣṇu and other gods spoke to Śiva with faces beaming with pleasure.

The gods said:—

57. “O lord, Tāraka will certainly be killed by Kumāra. It is for that purpose that he is born.

58. Hence in our effort to kill him we shall start this very day. Please give your directions to Kumāra. Let him slay Tāraka for our happiness.

59. Thinking that it shall be so, lord Śiva entrusted his son to the gods in order to kill Tāraka, urged by his mercy that he was.

60. At the bidding of Śiva, Brahmā, Viṣṇu and other gods jointly started from the mountain keeping Kumāra in front.

61. After coming out of Kailasa, at the behest of Viṣṇu, Tvaṣṭṛ built a wonderfully fine city very near the mountain.

62. There he built a divine, exquisite and wonderfully brilliant house for Kumāra. Tvaṣṭṛ set up an excellent throne there.

63. The intelligent Viṣṇu performed the auspicious ceremony of crowning Kārttikeya in the company of the gods by means of waters from all holy centres.

64. He bedecked Kārttikeya in every manner and dressed him gorgeously. He went through the ceremony in brief and made everyone celebrate the event with pleasure.

65. Viṣṇu joyously gave him the suzerainty of the universe. He applied the Tilaka mark and worshipped him along with the gods.

66. Bowing to Kārttikeya with pleasure along with the gods and sages he eulogised the eternal form of Śiva with various hymns.

67. Karttikeya seated in the excellent throne and assuming the lordship and protectorate of the universe shone extremely well.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kumāra is said to be born of Śiva’s semen that was first swallowed by the Fire assuming the form of a pigeon, then by the Kṛttikās, the six wives of the sages, then by Gaṅgā who deposited it in the reeds. Kumāra is thus called “āgneya, kārttikeya, gāṅgeya and śaraja”.

[2]:

Vāsuki, the King of the Nāgas, is said to adorn Śiva’s neck.

[3]:

Siddhavidyā is the supreme knowledge of Yogic attainment that renders a person spiritually efficacious.