Skanda Utpatti
The Skanda Utpatti is the account in the Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 223 to 232, of the birth of Kārttikeya. He is also called Skanda, Kumāra and Shaḍānana (the six-faced one). Mārkaṇḍeya Maharshi tells it to Yudhishṭhira.
The account covers the crisis that called for Skanda’s birth, the work of Svāhā Devī in bringing Śiva’s seed, carried by Agni, to a golden vessel on the white mountain, and the birth of the child with six faces and twelve arms. It goes on to his defeat of the army of the devas, the birth of Viśākha from the wound made by the vajra, his appointment as Senāpati (commander), his marriage to Devasenā, the making of the Kumāra-grahas, and the great battle in which he killed Mahishāsura. It ends with Yudhishṭhira learning the twenty-six names of Kārttikeya.
The need: Indra’s search for a commander
The devas had no able Senāpati, and the asura armies were growing bolder. Indra heard a cry in the forest and went to look. He found a woman in distress. The gandharva Keśī had carried off her sister Daitya-senā. Indra fought Keśī, drove him off with the vajra and set Daitya-senā free.
The woman who had cried out told Indra that she was Devasenā, the daughter of Prajāpati. Indra took her to Brahmā and told him what had happened. Brahmā said that a great commander for the devas would soon be born, a being of cosmic power who would arise from a wonderful meeting of divine forces. Until then, Indra should be patient.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 223.
Svāhā’s work: the seed gathered in six stages
Svāhā Devī is the daughter of Daksha and the śakti (power) who rules over the call “svāhā” in yajña. She had loved Agni for a long time but had never found the right moment to go to him. Now the great ṛshis were gathered in the forest for their yajñas, and Svāhā saw her chance.
She went to Agni in the forest, but not in her own form. She took the form of Śivā, the wife of the ṛshi Aṅgiras, and showed herself to Agni. Agni was moved by her beauty and by her seeming willingness, and he joined with her. Right after, Svāhā gathered Agni’s vīrya (divine seed) in a golden vessel and carried it to the white Śveta mountain.
Svāhā did this six times. Each time she took the form of a different one of the wives of the seven ṛshis of the Kṛttikā group, all except Arundhatī, the wife of Vasishṭha. Arundhatī’s virtue was so complete that even a devī could not take her form. After each time Svāhā put the gathered vīrya into the golden vessel on the Śveta mountain. The vīrya gathered over six times was the seed from which Skanda would be born.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 224.
Skanda’s birth: the six-faced child
On the Pratipad tithi (the first day of the bright fortnight), Skanda was born from the golden vessel on the Śveta mountain. He had six faces (shaḍānana), one for each gathering of vīrya. He had twelve eyes, twelve ears, twelve hands, one throat and one stomach. His light blazed across the three worlds. From the moment of birth he showed great power. With one volley of arrows he broke the Krauñca mountain.
Viśvāmitra had followed Agni in secret and had seen everything. He understood what had happened. He came to the divine child and performed all thirteen saṃskāras (rites of passage), from jātakarma (the birth rite) through the childhood rites, and so brought the child formally into the sacred order.
The forest-dwellers accused six ṛshi-wives of having been with a man other than their husbands, because of Svāhā’s changes of form. Svāhā came forward and told the truth: she alone had been with Agni. Even so, the six ṛshis were misled by what they had seen and left their wives.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapters 225 and 226.
Indra’s attack and the birth of Viśākha
When the devas heard of the child’s birth and his great power, Indra was afraid, not glad. He led the whole army of the devas against the infant Skanda. Skanda met them. At his roar, one great cry, the whole army of the devas fell senseless where it stood. Indra came forward alone and struck Skanda with the vajra, and the blow opened a wound in his side.
From the wound of the vajra Viśākha was born. He was a divine being of golden colour, radiant and strong, and he carried the śakti weapon. The Mahābhārata gives Viśākha’s birth from the wound as his origin. He is the companion of Skanda and a form of Skanda’s own gathered power, set free by the blow of the vajra.
After Viśākha appeared, Skanda faced Indra himself. Indra saw that he had no power against this child. He gave up the fight and bowed to him. Skanda gave Indra abhaya (freedom from fear), a sign of his great compassion.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 227.
The Kumāra-grahas and the divine mothers
From the wound made by the vajra came another wave of divine beings, the Kumāra-grahas. They are beings who rule over the troubles that visit babies and children. The text lists these grahas in detail and names the troubles they cause in children from birth up to the age of sixteen.
Seven divine mothers, the Mātṛkās, also came forth: Kākī, Halimā, Mālinī, Bṛṃhatā, Āryā, Palālā and Vaimitra. They produced a fearsome child-graha called Śiśu. The Vīranavakas, groups of terrible beings, were also made in this burst of Skanda’s divine power.
The text says that Śukla-pañcamī (the fifth day of the bright fortnight) is the day tied to the making of these pārshadas (attendants), and that Shashṭhī (the sixth tithi) is the great tithi of Skanda’s power.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 228.
Marriage to Devasenā and the appointments
After Indra gave in, the ṛshis came to Skanda and offered him Indra’s own throne. Skanda refused, a sign that he had no wish for power or rank. Indra was moved by this refusal. He gave Skanda his greatest gift: Devasenā as his wife. Bṛhaspati carried out the wedding rites.
The text names Devasenā with seven divine roles at once. She is Shashṭhī (who rules the sixth day and guards children), Lakshmī (divine prosperity), Āśā (hope), Sinīvālī (the lunar day of good beginnings), Kuhū (the new moon), Sad-vṛtti (right conduct) and Aparājitā (the unconquered). Because of these seven names, Devasenā is more than a queen. She stands for the good, making and guarding powers of the world.
In the same part two events in the sky are told. The Abhijit nakshatra fell from the sky, because it went to do tapas (austerity), and the Kṛttikā stars rose to fill the place Abhijit left. The bird Garuḍa, called the Vināyaka bird here, asked to stay near Skanda for good, and this was granted.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 229.
The six ṛshi-wives as mothers
The six ṛshi-wives, whose husbands had left them because of Svāhā’s changes of form, came to Skanda and told him their story. Skanda was moved by their pain and knew they were without fault. He took them as his divine mothers. They took their place beside Brāhmī, Māheśvarī and the other Mātṛkās, all of whom asked to be recognised and given authority. Skanda gave all the Mātṛkās the authority to watch over children from birth to the age of sixteen, as kind guardians against the grahas that could harm children in this weak time.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 230.
Svāhā’s vara
Svāhā had borne the look of dishonour for Agni’s sake and had made Skanda’s birth possible. She came to Skanda and asked one thing: to be joined with Agni forever. Skanda granted the vara in this form. From that day, every havish (offering) given in any yajña anywhere in the three worlds would be joined with the words “Agnaye Svāhā”. Through those words Svāhā would be present at every moment of every fire yajña, joined with Agni for all time. This is the origin of the call “Svāhā” at the moment of the offering.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 231.
The meeting with Śiva
Brahmā told Skanda to go to Bhagavān Śiva to receive his blessing for the appointment. The text describes Śiva’s great procession in detail. Kubera, Indra, Yama, Varuṇa and the great yaksha Piṅgala were all in his company. Bhagavān Śiva met Skanda with a father’s joy and put a golden necklace around his neck, as a mark of a father’s welcome and blessing.
The slaying of Mahishāsura
A great army of dānavas, led by Mahishāsura, attacked the gathered devas. Mahishāsura, the buffalo-headed asura of great power, lifted a mountain and threw it at the army of the devas. It killed ten thousand devas as it landed. The devas fled in disorder.
Skanda entered the battle. He hurled the śakti, the divine spear that is his chief weapon, straight at Mahishāsura. It struck him, and Mahishāsura died with one blow. The dānavas who were left fled. Indra came forward and offered a great stotra praising Skanda’s courage.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 231.
The twenty-six names of Kārttikeya
Yudhishṭhira asked Mārkaṇḍeya for the divine names of Kārttikeya. Mārkaṇḍeya gave twenty-six names with their meanings.
- Āgneyuḍu: born of Agni’s fire
- Skanda: the one who leaps forth (from skand, to overflow)
- Dīpta-kīrti: the one of blazing fame
- Anāmaya: free from all affliction
- Mayūraketu: the one whose banner is the peacock
- Dharmātma: the soul of dharma
- Bhūteśa: ruler of beings
- Mahishāri: the slayer of Mahisha
- Kāmajit: conqueror of desire
- Kāmada: giver of what is wished for
- Kānta: the beautiful one
- Priya: the beloved
- Candrānana: moon-faced
- Dīpta-śakti: the one of the blazing śakti weapon
- Praśāntātma: the one of calm nature
- Bhadrakṛt: the maker of good
- Kūṭamohana: the remover of delusion
- Shashṭhīpriya: beloved of Shashṭhī (the sixth)
- Dharmātmā: the dharmic soul (second time, with a different stress)
- Pavitra: the pure one
- Mātṛvatsala: the one who is tender toward mothers
- Kanyābhartā: husband of the maiden (Devasenā)
- Vibhakta: the distinct one, the ruler
- Svāheya: born of Svāhā’s devotion
- Revatīsuta: son of Revatī (a variant names Kṛttikā)
- Prabhu: the master
Mārkaṇḍeya ended with a long stotra of Kārttikeya. Yudhishṭhira received the teaching with deep respect. Here the Mārkaṇḍeya Samāsyā Parva came to an end.
The Mahābhārata gives this in Vana Parva, Chapter 232.
Other accounts of Skanda’s birth
Other texts tell parts of this account in their own way.
- Svāhā’s part. In the Mahābhārata, Svāhā herself brings about the gathering of Agni’s vīrya by taking the forms of the ṛshi-wives. In the Kumāra Khaṇḍa of the Śiva Purāṇa, Agni carries the seed on behalf of the devas, and it passes along a different chain.
- The six ṛshi-wives. In the Mahābhārata they are wrongly accused and later honoured by Skanda. In some Purāṇic versions they carry the seed themselves.
- Viśākha’s birth. In the Mahābhārata, Viśākha alone is born from the wound of the vajra. The Śiva Purāṇa records three beings: Śākha, Viśākha and Naigama.
- Mahishāsura. The Mahābhārata has Skanda kill Mahishāsura. The Devī Purāṇa tradition and the Devī Māhātmya say it was Devī Durgā who killed him.
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 223 to 232 (Mārkaṇḍeya Samāsyā Parva)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 223 (Indra, Keśī, Devasenā)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 224 (Svāhā and the six gatherings of vīrya)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 225 and 226 (the birth; Viśvāmitra; the ṛshi-wives)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 227 (Indra’s attack; Viśākha)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 228 (the Kumāra-grahas and the Mātṛkās)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 229 (Devasenā)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 230 (the ṛshi-wives as mothers)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 231 (Svāhā’s vara; Mahishāsura)
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 232 (the twenty-six names)
- Śiva Purāṇa, Kumāra Khaṇḍa
- Devī Purāṇa
- Devī Māhātmya