May 9 - Sargas 37 and 38 of Balakanda.
We get more details of the birth and glory of Karttikeya. The story then moves to Sri Rama's dynasty.
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The energy of Shiva was expelled on to earth. And an incensed Parvati cursed the gods and earth to have no progeny themselves. Distraught, the gods went to Lord Brahma. They had in fact anticipated that a great warrior son would have been born among themselves i. e. gods, to go and vanquish Tarakasura, a formidable demon. But now Shiva's energy had been expelled and all the gods also had incurred the curse of being childless. What to do now?
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इयमाकाशगा गङ्गा यस्यां पुत्रः हुताशनः।
जनयिष्यति देवानां सेनापतिमरिन्दमम् ॥
ज्येष्ठा शैलेन्द्रदुहिता मानयिष्यति तं सुतम्।
उमायास्तद्बहुमतं भविष्यति न संशयः ॥
Brahma advised, "that fire energy that was expelled by Shiva must be entrusted to this celestial river Ganga who will deliver him as a son. That son alone will be worthy of leading the gods' army in battle.
Since Ganga is the elder daughter of Himavan, her younger sister Uma would reconcile to the seed taking birth as Ganga's son."
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On the request of the gods, Agni took the energy expelled by Shiva and delivered to Ganga, asking her to create the baby. She was delighted with this idea, but the moment the energy entered her, she was unable to bear it. She cried to Agni that she couldn't handle such energy.
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दह्यमानाग्निना तेन संप्रव्यथितचेतना ।
अथाब्रवीदिदं गङ्गां सर्वदेवपुरोहितः ॥
इह हैमवते पादे गर्भोऽयं संनिवेश्यताम्।
श्रुत्वा त्वग्निवचो गङ्गा तं गर्भमतिभास्वरम् ॥
Ganga was burning from that bundle of energy deposited by Agni in her. Then Agni advised her that she should simply carry that energy up to the Himalayan mountain slopes and deposit it there. She did so.
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That energy now became a most brilliant baby. As soon as that energy became a baby, the placenta and other fluids and excretions spread on the sides of the Himalayan mountain. This gave rise to several precious elements, minerals and such. Because of this, gold was formed and it came to be called Jatarupa (born in this instance).
We can see in this narrative how the poet Valmiki has given us a paradigm for creation and how nature created the animate out of the inanimate. Worthy of contemplation.
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क्षीरसंभावनार्थाय कृत्तिका समयोजयन् ।
ताः क्षीरं जातमात्रस्य कृत्वा समयमुत्तमम् ॥
स्नापयन् परया लक्ष्म्या दीप्यमानं यथानलम्।
स्कन्द इत्यब्रुवन् देवाः स्कन्दं गर्भपरिस्रवात् ॥
To breast-feed milk to the new-born, the gods appealed to the six nakshatras called Krittikas. They agreed to come and breastfeed the baby, as long as he would be recognised as their son Karttikeya. The gods gladly agreed. The Nakshatra goddesses came down and breast-fed the baby, who assumed six heads so he could suckle with six mouths. That is how he is called Shanmukha (six-faced).
The krittikas washed the baby clean and he was radiant very much like a fire. Since he had also been delivered by slipping from the womb of Ganga, he was named Skanda (one who has slipped).
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This Skanda is no ordinary baby as you can see. Very quickly he commands the army of devas and conquers the demon. Valmiki blesses that whoever reads this story will be emancipated.
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Next we come to the story of Sagara, former king of Ayodhya who belonged to Ikshwaku dynasty, same as Sri Rama.
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अथ वर्षशते पूर्णे तपसाराधितो मुनिः ।
सगराय वरं प्रादाद् भृगुः सत्यवतां वरः ॥
एको वंशकरो वास्तु बहवो वा महाबलाः।
कीर्तिमन्तो महोत्साहाः का वा कं वरमिच्छति ॥
King Sagara wanted sons. He went to Himalayas and did a severe penance to propitiate the sage Bhrigu. (In Bhagavadgita, the Lord says that he is Bhrigu among the maharshis. Any reading of the puranas will show that Bhrigu and his successors, called Bhargavas, played a crucial role in several major events in history.)
After a hundred years, Bhrigu appeared pleased. The sage, best among knowers of truth, gave the king boons. Sagara had two wives, Keshini and Sumati. On Sagara's request, the sage clarified that one would get a son who would extend the lineage. The other would get several children, who would become famous for their valarous deeds. Who wanted what was their choice.
In due course, Keshini delivered a son by name Asamanjasa (literally the word means unbalanced!). Sumati delivered 60000 children.
Asamanjasa came to no good. He used to kill off babies by drowning them in Sarayu. So Sagara banished him forever. This is cited as an example of how Ayodhya kings placed welfare of all above filial ties. Thus his banishment happened, but not before Asamanjasa had procreated a son by name Anshuman. Anshuman in his time turned out to be a worthy prince and acquired fame by his righteous and valorous deeds.
Sagara, along with his other 60000 sons, now wanted to perform a glorious yajna for the welfare of the land after getting counsel from his advisors. What happens next will be seen soon!
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
