Creation of Kartikeya (ch44, Mahabharata)

MAHABHARATA

CHAPTER 44

(GADAYUDDHA PARVA)-Continued

The investiture of Kartikeya. His companions

SYNOPSIS

In this passage, King Janamejaya requests Vaishampayana to narrate the details of Skanda's (Kartikeya's) investiture as the commander-in-chief of the celestial army, his divine origins, and his defeat of the Daityas (demons).

Vaishampayana begins by recounting the extraordinary birth of Skanda. The vital seed of Maheshvara (Shiva) was entrusted to Agni (the fire god), who, unable to contain it, passed it to the river Ganga. Ganga, likewise overwhelmed by its energy, deposited it on the golden peaks of the Himalayas. There, the child Skanda was born, radiating fiery splendor. The six celestial Krittikas discovered the child lying on a clump of reeds, each claiming him as their own. In response, Skanda assumed six faces to simultaneously nurse from all six mothers, earning him the name Kartikeya.

As Skanda grew, his beauty, strength, and divine energy captivated the gods, ascetics, and celestial beings. Worshipped by Gandharvas and praised through hymns, he embodied unparalleled charm and power. The celestial priest Brihaspati performed his birth rites, and the Vedas themselves approached him with reverence. Skanda’s divine attributes, including self-restraint, ascetic power, and extraordinary prowess, became evident as he matured.

When Skanda approached Mahadeva (Shiva), Parvati, Ganga, and Agni, each expected the child to honor them first. To fulfill their desires equally, Skanda divided himself into four identical forms, each paying homage to one of the gods or goddesses. This miraculous display astonished all celestial beings, who gathered in awe to witness the event.

Acknowledging Skanda's unmatched virtues and strength, Brahma, the creator was petitioned by Shiva, Parvati, Ganga, and Agni to bestow a suitable position of sovereignty upon the child. Recognizing Skanda’s divine purpose, Brahma appointed him as the generalissimo of the celestial army, granting him dominion over all beings.

The investiture ceremony was conducted on the sacred banks of the Sarasvati River at Samantapanchaka, with the gods, Gandharvas, and celestial hosts assembling in joy and reverence. The passage celebrates Skanda's divine destiny, his role as the protector of the gods, and his role as the harbinger of cosmic order and victory.

CHAPTER 44

जनमेजय उवाच

सरस्वत्याः प्रभावोऽयमुक्तस्ते द्विजसत्तम ।
कुमारस्याभिषेकं तु ब्रह्मन् व्याख्यातुमर्हसि ॥ १॥

janamejaya uvāca
sarasvatyāḥ prabhāvo’yamuktaste dvijasattama |
kumārasyābhiṣekaṃ tu brahman vyākhyātumarhasi || 1||

Janamejaya said

"You have described the merits of the Sarasvati, O best of Brahmanas. You should, O Rishi, describe to me the investiture of Kumara by the gods.

यस्मिन् देशे च काले च यथा च वदतां वर ।
यैश्चाभिषिक्तो भगवान् विधिना येन च प्रभुः ॥ २ ॥
स्कन्दो यथा च दैत्यानामकरोत् कदनं महत् ।
तथा मे सर्वामाचक्ष्व परं कौतूहलं हि मे ॥ ३ ॥

yasmin deśe ca kāle ca yathā ca vadatāṃ vara |
yaiścābhiṣikto bhagavān vidhinā yena ca prabhuḥ || 2 ||
skando yathā ca daityānāmakarot kadanaṃ mahat |
tathā me sarvāmācakṣva paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me || 3 ||

Great is my curiosity. Tell me everything, therefore, about the time, place, and manner in which the worshipful and powerful Skanda was appointed the commander-in-chief of the celestial hosts! Tell me also, O best of speakers, who invested in him and who performed the actual rites and how the celestial generalissimo killed the Daityas."

वैशम्पायन उवाच
कुरुवंशस्य सदृशं कौतूहलमिदं तव ।
हर्षमुत्पादयत्येव वचो मे जनमेजय ॥ ४ ॥

vaiśampāyana uvāca
kuruvaṃśasya sadṛśaṃ kautūhalamidaṃ tava |
harṣamutpādayatyeva vaco me janamejaya || 4 ||

Vaishampayana said

"Your curiosity indeed becomes a Kuru. The words that I shall speak, will, O Janamejaya, please you.

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि शृण्वानस्य नराधिप ।
अभिषेकं कुमारस्य प्रभावं च महात्मनः ॥५॥

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi śṛṇvānasya narādhipa |
abhiṣekaṃ kumārasya prabhāvaṃ ca mahātmanaḥ ||5||

I shall describe to you the appointment of Kumara and the prowess of that high-souled one, since, O king, you wish to hear it.

 
तेजो माहेश्वरं स्कन्नमग्नौ प्रपतितं पुरा।
तत् सर्वभक्षो भगवान् नाशकद् दग्धुमक्षयम्॥ ६ ॥

tejo māheśvaraṃ skannamagnau prapatitaṃ purā|
tat sarvabhakṣo bhagavān nāśakad dagdhumakṣayam|| 6 ||

In days of yore, the vital seed of Maheshvara dropped into a blazing fire. The consumer of everything, the worshipful Agni, could not burn that indestructible seed.

तेनासीदतितेजस्वी दीप्तिमान् हव्यवाहनः ।
न चैव धारयामास गर्भं तेजोमयं तदा ॥ ७ ॥

tenāsīdatitejasvī dīptimān havyavāhanaḥ |
na caiva dhārayāmāsa garbhaṃ tejomayaṃ tadā || 7 ||

On the other hand, the carrier of sacrificial libations, for that seed, became possessed of great energy and splendor. He could not bear that powerful seed within himself.

स गङ्गामभिसंगम्य नियोगाद् ब्रह्मणः प्रभुः ।
गर्भमाहितवान् दिव्यं भास्करोपमतेजसम्॥ ८॥

sa gaṅgāmabhisaṃgamya niyogād brahmaṇaḥ prabhuḥ |
garbhamāhitavān divyaṃ bhāskaropamatejasam|| 8||

At the behest of Brahma, the lord Agni, approaching the river Ganga, threw into her that divine seed effulgent like the Sun.

अथ गङ्गापि तं गर्भमसहन्ती विधारणे ।
उत्ससर्ज गिरौ रम्ये हिमवत्मरार्चिते ॥ ९ ॥

atha gaṅgāpi taṃ garbhamasahantī vidhāraṇe |
utsasarja girau ramye himavatmarārcite || 9 ||

Ganga also, unable to hold it, threw it on the beautiful breast of Himavat adored of the celestials.

स तत्र ववृधे लोकानावृत्य ज्वलनात्मजः ।
ददृशुर्ज्वलनाकारं तं गर्भमथ कृत्तिकाः ॥ १० ॥

sa tatra vavṛdhe lokānāvṛtya jvalanātmajaḥ |
dadṛśurjvalanākāraṃ taṃ garbhamatha kṛttikāḥ || 10 ||

Thereupon Agni's son began to grow there, overpowering all the worlds by his energy. Meanwhile, the six Krittikas saw that child of fiery splendor.

शरस्तम्बे महात्मानमनलात्मजमीश्वरम् ।
ममायमिति ताः सर्वाः पुत्रार्थिन्योऽभिचुक्रुशुः ॥ ११ ॥

śarastambe mahātmānamanalātmajamīśvaram |
mamāyamiti tāḥ sarvāḥ putrārthinyo’bhicukruśuḥ || 11 ||

Seeing that powerful lord, that great son of Agni, lying on a clump of reeds, all the six Krittikas, who wanted to have a son, cried aloud, saying - "This child is mine, this child is mine.'

तासां विदित्वा भावं तं मातॄणां भगवान् प्रभुः।
प्रस्नुतानां पयः षड्भिर्वदनैरपिबत् तदा ॥ १२ ॥

 
tāsāṃ viditvā bhāvaṃ taṃ mātṝṇāṃ bhagavān prabhuḥ|
prasnutānāṃ payaḥ ṣaḍbhirvadanairapibat tadā || 12 ||

Understanding the feelings of those six mothers, the wonderful lord Skanda sucked the breasts of all, having assumed six months.

 
तं प्रभावं समालक्ष्य तस्य बालस्य कृत्तिकाः ।
परं विस्मयमापन्ना देव्यो दिव्यवपुर्धराः ॥ १३ ॥

 
taṃ prabhāvaṃ samālakṣya tasya bālasya kṛttikāḥ |
paraṃ vismayamāpannā devyo divyavapurdharāḥ || 13 ||

Beholding that power of the child, the Krittikas, those beautiful goddesses, were stricken with wonder.

यत्रोत्सृष्टः स भगवान् गङ्गया गिरिमूर्धनि ।
स शैलः काञ्चनः सर्वः सम्बभौ कुरुसत्तम ॥ १४ ॥

yatrotsṛṣṭaḥ sa bhagavān gaṅgayā girimūrdhani |
sa śailaḥ kāñcanaḥ sarvaḥ sambabhau kurusattama || 14 ||

And because the adorable child had been thrown by the river Ganga upon the summit of Himavat, that mountain looked beautiful, having, O delighter of the Kurus, been transformed into gold.

वर्धता चैव गर्भेण पृथिवी तेन रञ्जिता ।
अतश्च सर्वे संवृत्ता गिरयः काञ्चनाकराः ।। १५ ।।

vardhatā caiva garbheṇa pṛthivī tena rañjitā |
ataśca sarve saṃvṛttā girayaḥ kāñcanākarāḥ || 15 ||

With that growing child the whole Earth became beautiful and it was therefore that mountains produced gold.

कुमारः सुमहावीर्यः कीर्तिकेय इति स्मृतः ।
गाङ्गेयः पूर्वमभवन्महायोगबलान्वितः ॥ १६ ॥

kumāraḥ sumahāvīryaḥ kīrtikeya iti smṛtaḥ |
gāṅgeyaḥ pūrvamabhavanmahāyogabalānvitaḥ || 16 ||

Possessed of great energy, the child passed by the name of Kartikeya. At first, he was called Gangeya. He was endowed with high ascetic powers.

शमेन तपसा चैव वीर्येण च समन्वितः ।
ववृधेऽतीव राजेन्द्र चन्द्रवत् प्रियदर्शनः ॥ १७ ॥

śamena tapasā caiva vīryeṇa ca samanvitaḥ |
vavṛdhe’tīva rājendra candravat priyadarśanaḥ || 17 ||

Possessed of self-restraint, asceticism, and great energy, the child grew up. O king, into a person of highly charming features like Soma himself.

स तस्मिन् काञ्चने दिव्ये शरस्तम्भे श्रिया वृतः ।
स्तूयमानः सदा शेते गन्धर्वैर्मुनिभिस्तथा ॥ १८ ॥

sa tasmin kāñcane divye śarastambhe śriyā vṛtaḥ |
stūyamānaḥ sadā śete gandharvairmunibhistathā || 18 ||

Highly beautiful the child lay on that excellent and golden clump of reeds, worshipped and lauded by Gandharvas and ascetics.

तथैतमन्वनृत्यन्तः देवकन्या सहस्रशः ।
दिव्यवादित्रनृत्यज्ञाः स्तुवन्त्यश्चारुदर्शनाः ॥ १९ ॥

tathaitamanvanṛtyantaḥ devakanyā sahasraśaḥ |
divyavāditranṛtyajñāḥ stuvantyaścārudarśanāḥ || 19 ||

Thousands of celestial girls, with very handsome features, accomplished in celestial music and dance, lauded him and danced before him.

अन्वास्ते च नदी देवं गङ्गा वै सरितां वरा ।
दधार पृथिवी चैनं बिभ्रती रूपमुत्तमम् ॥ २० ॥

anvāste ca nadī devaṃ gaṅgā vai saritāṃ varā |
dadhāra pṛthivī cainaṃ bibhratī rūpamuttamam || 20 ||

The best of all rivers, viz., Ganga, waited upon that god. The earth also, assuming great beauty, held the child on her lap.

 
जातकर्मादिकास्तत्र क्रियाश्चक्रे बृहस्पतिः ।
वेदश्चैनं चतुर्मूर्तिरूपतस्थे कृताञ्जलिः ॥ २१ ॥

jātakarmādikāstatra kriyāścakre bṛhaspatiḥ |
vedaścainaṃ caturmūrtirūpatasthe kṛtāñjaliḥ || 21 ||

The celestial priest Brihaspati performed the usual rites consequent upon the birth, of that child. The Vedas, assuming a fourfold form, approached the child with clasped hands.

 
धनुर्वेदश्चतुष्पादः शस्त्रग्रामः ससंग्रहः ।
तत्रैनं समुपातिष्ठत् साक्षाद् वाणी च केवला ॥ २२ ॥

dhanurvedaścatuṣpādaḥ śastragrāmaḥ sasaṃgrahaḥ |
tatrainaṃ samupātiṣṭhat sākṣād vāṇī ca kevalā || 22 ||

The science of arms, with its four divisions and all the weapons, as well as all kinds of arrows, came to him.

स ददर्श महावीर्यं देवदेवमुमापतिम् ।
शैलपुत्र्या समासीनं भूतसंघशतैर्वृतम्॥ २३ ॥

sa dadarśa mahāvīryaṃ devadevamumāpatim |
śailaputryā samāsīnaṃ bhūtasaṃghaśatairvṛtam|| 23 ||

One day, the highly energetic child, saw that god of gods, viz., the lord of Uma, seated with the daughter of Himavat, amid a number of goblins.

निकाया भूतसंघानां परमाद्भुतदर्शनाः ।
विकृता विकृताकारा बिकृताभरणध्वजाः ॥ २४ ॥

nikāyā bhūtasaṃghānāṃ paramādbhutadarśanāḥ |
vikṛtā vikṛtākārā bikṛtābharaṇadhvajāḥ || 24 ||

Those goblins, of lean bodies, had wonderful features. They were ugly both in person and in features and bore on this person awkward ornaments and marks.

व्याघ्रसिंहर्क्षवदना विडालमकराननाः ।
वृषदंशमुखाश्चान्ये गजोष्ट्रवदनास्तथा ।। २५ ।
उलूकवदनाः केचिद् गृध्रगोमायुदर्शनाः ।

vyāghrasiṃharkṣavadanā viḍālamakarānanāḥ |
vṛṣadaṃśamukhāścānye gajoṣṭravadanāstathā || 25 |
ulūkavadanāḥ kecid gṛdhragomāyudarśanāḥ |

Their faces were like those of tigers and lions and bears and cats and Makaras. Others had faces like those of scorpions; others had faces like those of elephants camels and owls. And some had faces like those of vultures and jackals.

 
क्रौञ्चपारावतनिभैर्वदनै राङ्कवैरपि ॥ २६ ॥
श्वाविच्छल्यकगोधानामजैडकगवां तथा ।
सदृशानि वपूंष्यन्ये तत्र यत्र व्यधारयन् ॥ २७॥
केचिच्छैलाम्बुदप्रख्याश्चक्रोद्यतगदायुधाः ।
केचिदञ्जनपुञ्जाभाः केचिच्छ्वेताचलप्रभाः ॥ २८ ॥
सप्त मातृगणाश्चैव समाजग्मुर्विशाम्पते ।

krauñcapārāvatanibhairvadanai rāṅkavairapi || 26 ||
śvāvicchalyakagodhānāmajaiḍakagavāṃ tathā |
sadṛśāni vapūṃṣyanye tatra yatra vyadhārayan || 27||
kecicchailāmbudaprakhyāścakrodyatagadāyudhāḥ |
kecidañjanapuñjābhāḥ kecicchvetācalaprabhāḥ || 28 ||
sapta mātṛgaṇāścaiva samājagmurviśāmpate |

And some had faces like those of cranes and pigeons and Kurus. And some had bodies like those of dogs and porcupines and iguanas and goats and sheep and cows. And some resembled mountains and some, oceans and some stood with uplifted discs and maces for their weapons. And some looked like masses of antimony and some, like mountains. The seven matris also were present there, O king.

 
साध्या विश्वेऽथ मरुतो वसवः पितरस्तथा ॥ २९ ॥
रुद्रादित्यास्तथा सिद्धा भुजगाः दानवाः खगाः ।
ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर्भगवान् सपुत्रः सह विष्णुना ॥ ३० ॥
शक्रस्तथाभ्ययाद् द्रष्टुं कुमारवरमच्युतम्।

sādhyā viśve’tha maruto vasavaḥ pitarastathā || 29 ||
rudrādityāstathā siddhā bhujagāḥ dānavāḥ khagāḥ |
brahmā svayambhūrbhagavān saputraḥ saha viṣṇunā || 30 ||
śakrastathābhyayād draṣṭuṃ kumāravaramacyutam|

The Saddhyas, the Vishvedevas, the Maruts, the Vasus, the Pitris, the Rudras, the Adityas, the Siddhas, the Danavas, the birds, the self-create and worshipful Brahman with his sons and Vishnu and Shakra, all went there for beholding that child of ever-increasing glory.

नारदप्रमुखाश्चापि देवगन्धर्वसत्तमाः ।। ३१ ।।
देवर्षयश्च सिद्धाश्च बृहस्पतिपुरोगमाः ।
पितरो जगतः श्रेष्ठा देवानामपि देवताः ॥ ३२ ॥
तेऽपि तत्र समाजग्मुर्यामा धामाश्च सर्वशः ।

nāradapramukhāścāpi devagandharvasattamāḥ || 31 ||
devarṣayaśca siddhāśca bṛhaspatipurogamāḥ |
pitaro jagataḥ śreṣṭhā devānāmapi devatāḥ || 32 ||
te’pi tatra samājagmuryāmā dhāmāśca sarvaśaḥ |

And many leading celestials and Gandharvas, headed by Narada and many celestial Rishis and Siddhas headed by Brihaspati and the guardian deities of the universe, those foremost ones, they that are regarded as gods of the gods and the Yamas and the Dhamas, all went there.

स तु बालोऽपि बलवान महायोगबलान्वितः ॥ ३३ ॥
अभ्याजगाम देवेशं शूलहस्तं पिनाकिनम् ।

sa tu bālo’pi balavāna mahāyogabalānvitaḥ || 33 ||
abhyājagāma deveśaṃ śūlahastaṃ pinākinam |

Gifted with great strength and great ascetic power, the child proceeded before that lord of the gods, viz., Mahadeva, armed with a trident and Pinaka.

तमाव्रजन्तमालक्ष्य शिवस्यासीन्मनोगतम्॥ ३४॥
युगपच्छैलपुत्र्याश्च गङ्गायाः पावकस्य च।
कं नु पूर्वमयं बालो गौरवादभ्युपैष्यति ॥ ३५ ॥
अपि मामिति सर्वेषां तेषामासीन्मनोगतम् ।

tamāvrajantamālakṣya śivasyāsīnmanogatam|| 34||
yugapacchailaputryāśca gaṅgāyāḥ pāvakasya ca|
kaṃ nu pūrvamayaṃ bālo gauravādabhyupaiṣyati || 35 ||
api māmiti sarveṣāṃ teṣāmāsīnmanogatam |

Seeing the child coming, the thought entered the mind of Shiva, that of Himavat's daughter and that of Ganga and of Agni, as to whom amongst the four, the child would first approach to honor him or her. Each of them thought -He will come to me.'

 
तेषामेतमभिप्रायं चतुर्णामुपलक्ष्य सः ॥ ३६॥
युगपद् योगमास्थाय ससर्ज विविधास्तनूः ।

teṣāmetamabhiprāyaṃ caturṇāmupalakṣya saḥ || 36||
yugapad yogamāsthāya sasarja vividhāstanūḥ |

Understanding the desire of each of those four, he had recourse to his Yoga powers and assumed simultaneously four different forms.

 
ततोऽभवच्चतुर्मूति: क्षणेन भगवान् प्रभुः ॥३७॥
तस्य शाखो विशाखश्च नैगमेयश्च पृष्ठतः ।

tato’bhavaccaturmūti: kṣaṇena bhagavān prabhuḥ ||37||
tasya śākho viśākhaśca naigameyaśca pṛṣṭhataḥ |

The worshipful and powerful lord assumed those four forms in an instant. The three forms that stood behind were Shakra Vishakha and Naigameya.

एवं स कृत्वा ह्यात्मानं चतुर्धा भगवान् प्रभुः ॥ ३८ ॥
यतो रुद्रस्ततः स्कन्दो गजामाद्भुतदर्शनः ।

evaṃ sa kṛtvā hyātmānaṃ caturdhā bhagavān prabhuḥ || 38 ||
yato rudrastataḥ skando gajāmādbhutadarśanaḥ |

Having divided himself into four forms, he went towards the four that sat expecting him. The wonderful form called Skanda proceeded to where Rudra was sitting.

विशाखस्तु ययौ येन देवी गिरीवरात्मजा ॥ ३९॥
शाखो ययौ स भगवान् वायुमूर्तिर्विभावसुं ।
नैगमेयोऽगमद् गङ्गां कुमारः पावकप्रभः॥४०॥

viśākhastu yayau yena devī girīvarātmajā || 39||
śākho yayau sa bhagavān vāyumūrtirvibhāvasuṃ |
naigameyo’gamad gaṅgāṃ kumāraḥ pāvakaprabhaḥ||40||

Vishakha went where the divine daughter of Himavat was. The adorable Shakha, which is Kartikeya's airy form, went towards Agni. Naigameya, that child of fiery splendor, went before Ganga.

सर्वे भासुरदेहास्ते चत्वारः समरूपिणः ।
तान् समभ्ययुरव्यग्रास्तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्॥ ४१॥

sarve bhāsuradehāste catvāraḥ samarūpiṇaḥ |
tān samabhyayuravyagrāstadadbhutamivābhavat|| 41||

All those four forms, of similar appearance, were highly effulgent. The four forms went calmly to the four gods and goddesses. It was indeed wonderful.

हाहाकारो महानासीद् देवदानवरक्षसाम् ।
तद् दृष्ट्वा महदाश्चर्यमद्भूतं लोमहर्षणम् ॥ ४२ ॥

hāhākāro mahānāsīd devadānavarakṣasām |
tad dṛṣṭvā mahadāścaryamadbhūtaṃ lomaharṣaṇam || 42 ||

The gods, the Danavas, and the Rakshasas made a loud noise seeing that exceedingly wonderful and hair-stirring incident.

ततो रुद्रश्च देवीं च पावकश्च पितामहम् ।
गङ्गा सहिताः सर्वे प्रणिपेतुर्जगत्पतिम् ॥ ४३ ॥

 
tato rudraśca devīṃ ca pāvakaśca pitāmaham |
gaṅgā sahitāḥ sarve praṇipeturjagatpatim || 43 ||

Then Rudra and the goddess Uma and Agni and Ganga, all bowed unto Brahma, that lord of the universe.

प्रणिपत्य ततस्ते तु विधिवद् राजपुङ्गव ।
उदमूचुर्वचो राजन् कार्तिकेयप्रियेप्सया ॥ ४४ ॥
अस्य बालस्य भगवन्नाधिपत्यं यथेप्सितम् ।
अस्मात्प्रियार्थं देवेश सदृशं दातुमर्हसि ॥ ४५ ॥

praṇipatya tataste tu vidhivad rājapuṅgava |
udamūcurvaco rājan kārtikeyapriyepsayā || 44 ||
asya bālasya bhagavannādhipatyaṃ yathepsitam |
asmātpriyārthaṃ deveśa sadṛśaṃ dātumarhasi || 45 ||

Having duly bowed into him, they said these words, O king, from the desire of doing god unto Kartikeya:- "O Lord of the gods, for the sake of our happiness you should give this youth some kind of sovereignty that may suit him and that he may desire.'

ततः स भगवान् धीमान् सर्वलोकपितामहः ।
मनसा चिन्तयामास किमयं लभतामिति ॥ ४६॥

tataḥ sa bhagavān dhīmān sarvalokapitāmahaḥ |
manasā cintayāmāsa kimayaṃ labhatāmiti || 46||

Thereat, the worshipful grandfather of all the worlds, endued with great intelligence, began to think within his mind as to what he should confer of that youth.

ऐश्वर्याणि च सर्वाणि देवगन्धर्वरक्षसाम् ।
भूतयक्षविहङ्गानां पन्नगानां च सर्वशः ॥ ४७ ॥
पूर्वमेवादिदेशासौ निकायेषु महात्मनाम् ।
समर्थं च तमैश्वर्ये महामतिरमन्यत ॥ ४८ ॥

aiśvaryāṇi ca sarvāṇi devagandharvarakṣasām |
bhūtayakṣavihaṅgānāṃ pannagānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ || 47 ||
pūrvamevādideśāsau nikāyeṣu mahātmanām |
samarthaṃ ca tamaiśvarye mahāmatiramanyata || 48 ||

He had formerly given away to the gods all kinds of wealth over which the great celestials, the Gandharvas, the Rakshasas, ghosts, Yakshas, birds, and snakes now region. Brahman, therefore, considered that youth as fully qualified to have the dominion which had been bestowed upon the gods.

ततो मुहूर्तं स ध्यात्वा देवानां श्रेयसि स्थितः ।
सैनापत्यं ददौ तस्मै सर्वभूतेषु भारत ।। ४९ ।।

tato muhūrtaṃ sa dhyātvā devānāṃ śreyasi sthitaḥ |
saināpatyaṃ dadau tasmai sarvabhūteṣu bhārata || 49 ||

Having thought for a moment, the grandfather, always seeking the well-being of the celestials, conferred upon him the dignity of a generalissimo among all creatures, Bharata.

सर्वदेवनिकायानां ये राजानः परिश्रुताः ।
तान् सर्वान् व्यादिदेशास्मै सर्वभूतपितामहः ॥ ५० ॥

 
sarvadevanikāyānāṃ ye rājānaḥ pariśrutāḥ |
tān sarvān vyādideśāsmai sarvabhūtapitāmahaḥ || 50 ||

He further ordered all those leading gods and other formless beings to wait upon him.

 
ततः कुमारमादाय देवा ब्रह्मपुरोगमाः ।
अभिषेकार्थमाजग्मुः शैलेन्द्रं सहितास्ततः ।। ५१ ।।

tataḥ kumāramādāya devā brahmapurogamāḥ |
abhiṣekārthamājagmuḥ śailendraṃ sahitāstataḥ || 51 ||

Then the gods headed by Brahman, taking that youth with them, came in a body to Himavat.

पुण्यां हैमवतीं देवीं सरिच्छ्रेष्ठां सरस्वतीम् ।
समन्तपञ्चके या वै त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता ॥ ५२ ॥

puṇyāṃ haimavatīṃ devīṃ saricchreṣṭhāṃ sarasvatīm |
samantapañcake yā vai triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā || 52 ||

The site selected by them was the bank of the sacred and divine Sarasvati, which is foremost of rivers, taking her rise from Himavat, which is celebrated over the three worlds by the name of Samantapanchaka.

तत्र तीरे सरस्वत्याः पुण्ये सर्वगुणान्विते ।
निषेदुर्देवगन्धर्वाः सर्वे सम्पूर्णमानसाः ॥ ५३ ॥

tatra tīre sarasvatyāḥ puṇye sarvaguṇānvite |
niṣedurdevagandharvāḥ sarve sampūrṇamānasāḥ || 53 ||

There, on the sacred bank of the Sarasvati, the gods and the Gandharvas took their seats with gladness on account of the gratification of all their desire."