Mahabharata 3.220: viṃśatyadhika dviśatatamo'dhyāyaḥ

3.220.1

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca |
yadā skandena mātṝṇāmevametatpriyaṃ kṛtam |
athainamabravītsvāhā mama putrastvamaurasaḥ || 1 ||

Markandeya continued, "When Skanda had bestowed these powers, Swaha appeared to him and said, 'Thou art my natural son,--I desire that thou shalt grant exquisite happiness to me."

3.220.2

icchāmyahaṃ tvayā dattāṃ prītiṃ paramadurlabhām |
tāmabravīttataḥ skandaḥ prītimicchasi kīdṛśīm || 2 ||

"Skanda replied, 'What sort of happiness dost thou wish to enjoy?'"

3.220.3

svāhovāca |
dakṣasyāhaṃ priyā kanyā svāhā nāma mahābhuja |
bālyātprabhṛti nityaṃ ca jātakāmā hutāśane || 3 ||

"Swaha replied, 'O mighty being, I am the favourite daughter of Daksha, by name Swaha; and from my youthful days I have been in love with Hutasana (the Fire-god); but that god, my son, does not understand my feelings. I desire to live for ever with him (as his wife).'"

3.220.4

na ca māṃ kāminīṃ putra samyagjānāti pāvakaḥ |
icchāmi śāśvataṃ vāsaṃ vastuṃ putra sahāgninā || 4 ||

3.220.5

skanda uvāca |
havyaṃ kavyaṃ ca yatkiṃciddvijā mantrapuraskṛtam |
hoṣyantyagnau sadā devi svāhetyuktvā samudyatam || 5 ||

"Skanda replied, 'From this day, lady, all the oblations that men of virtuous character, who swerve not from the path of virtue, will offer to their gods or ancestors with incantation of purifying hymns by Brahmanas, shall always be offered (through Agni) coupled with the name of Swaha, and thus, excellent lady, wilt thou always live associated with Agni, the god of fire.'"

3.220.6

adya prabhṛti dāsyanti suvṛttāḥ satpathe sthitāḥ |
evamagnistvayā sārdhaṃ sadā vatsyati śobhane || 6 ||

3.220.7

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca |
evamuktā tataḥ svāhā tuṣṭā skandena pūjitā |
pāvakena samāyuktā bhartrā skandamapūjayat || 7 ||

"Markandeya continued, Thus addressed and honoured by Skanda, Swaha was greatly pleased; and associated with her husband Pavaka (the Fire-god), she honoured him in return.'"

3.220.8

tato brahmā mahāsenaṃ prajāpatirathābravīt |
abhigaccha mahādevaṃ pitaraṃ tripurārdanam || 8 ||

"Then Brahma, the lord of all creatures, said to Mahasena, 'Do thou go and visit thy father Mahadeva, the conqueror of Tripura. Rudra coalescing with Agni (the Fire-god) and Uma with Swaha have combined to make thee invincible for the well-being of all creatures. And the semen of the high-souled Rudra cast into the reproductive organ of Uma was thrown back upon this hill, and hence the twin Mujika and Minjika came into being. A portion of it fell into the Blood Sea, another portion, into the rays of the sun, another upon the earth and thus was it distributed in five portions. Learned men ought to remember that these thy various and fierce-looking followers living on the flesh of animals were produced from the semen'. 'Be it so,' so saying, the high-souled Mahasena with fatherly love, honoured his father Maheswara."

3.220.9

rudreṇāgniṃ samāviśya svāhāmāviśya comayā |
hitārthaṃ sarvalokānāṃ jātastvamaparājitaḥ || 9 ||

3.220.10

umāyonyāṃ ca rudreṇa śukraṃ siktaṃ mahātmanā |
āste girau nipatitaṃ miñjikāmiñjikaṃ yataḥ || 10 ||

3.220.11

saṃbhūtaṃ lohitode tu śukraśeṣamavāpatat |
sūryaraśmiṣu cāpyanyadanyaccaivāpatadbhuvi |
āsaktamanyadvṛkṣeṣu tadevaṃ pañcadhāpatat || 11 ||

3.220.12

ta ete vividhākārā gaṇā jñeyā manīṣibhiḥ |
tava pāriṣadā ghorā ya ete piśitāśanāḥ || 12 ||

3.220.13

evamastviti cāpyuktvā mahāseno maheśvaram |
apūjayadameyātmā pitaraṃ pitṛvatsalaḥ || 13 ||

3.220.14

arkapuṣpaistu te pañca gaṇāḥ pūjyā dhanārthibhiḥ |
vyādhipraśamanārthaṃ ca teṣāṃ pūjāṃ samācaret || 14 ||

"Markandeya continued, 'Men who are desirous of acquiring wealth, should worship those five classes of spirits with the sun flower, and for alleviation of diseases also worship must be rendered to them. The twin Mujika and Minjika begotten by Rudra must always be respected by persons desiring the welfare of little children; and persons who desire to have children born to them must always worship those female spirits who live on human flesh and are produced in trees. Thus all Pisachas are said to be divided into innumerable classes. And now, O king, listen to the origin of the bells and standards of Skanda. Airavata (Indra's elephant) is known to have had two bells of the name of Vaijayanti, and the keen-witted Sakra had them brought to him, and personally gave them to Guha. Visakha took one of those bells and Skanda the other. The standards of both Kartikeya and Visakha were of a red colour. That mighty god Mahasena was pleased with the toys that had been given to him by the gods. Surrounded by hosts of gods and Pisachas and seated on the Golden Mountain, he looked splendid in all the grandeur of prosperity. And that mountain covered with fine forests, also looked grand in his companionship, just as the Mandara hill abounding with excellent caves shines with the rays of the sun. The White Mountain was adorned with whole tracts of wood-land covered with blossoming Santanaka flowers and with forests of Karavira, Parijata, Jana and Asoke trees,--as also with wild tracts overgrown with Kadamva trees; and it abounded with herds of celestial deer and flocks of celestial birds. And the rumbling of clouds serving the purpose of musical instruments sounded like the murmur of an agitated sea, and celestial Gandharvas and Apsaras began to dance. And there arose a great sound of joy from the merriment of all creatures. Thus the whole world with Indra himself seemed to have been transferred to the White Mountain. And all the people began to observe Skanda with satisfaction in their looks, and they did not at all feel tired of doing so."

3.220.15

miñjikāmiñjikaṃ caiva mithunaṃ rudrasaṃbhavam |
namaskāryaṃ sadaiveha bālānāṃ hitamicchatā || 15 ||

3.220.16

striyo mānuṣamāṃsādā vṛddhikā nāma nāmataḥ |
vṛkṣeṣu jātāstā devyo namaskāryāḥ prajārthibhiḥ || 16 ||

3.220.17

evamete piśācānāmasaṃkhyeyā gaṇāḥ smṛtāḥ |
ghaṇṭāyāḥ sapatākāyāḥ śṛṇu me saṃbhavaṃ nṛpa || 17 ||

3.220.18

airāvatasya ghaṇṭe dve vaijayantyāviti śrute |
guhasya te svayaṃ datte śakreṇānāyya dhīmatā || 18 ||

3.220.19

ekā tatra viśākhasya ghaṇṭā skandasya cāparā |
patākā kārttikeyasya viśākhasya ca lohitā || 19 ||

3.220.20

yāni krīḍanakānyasya devairdattāni vai tadā |
taireva ramate devo mahāseno mahābalaḥ || 20 ||

3.220.21

sa saṃvṛtaḥ piśācānāṃ gaṇairdevagaṇaistathā |
śuśubhe kāñcane śaile dīpyamānaḥ śriyā vṛtaḥ || 21 ||

3.220.22

tena vīreṇa śuśubhe sa śailaḥ śubhakānanaḥ |
ādityenevāṃśumatā mandaraścārukandaraḥ || 22 ||

3.220.23

saṃtānakavanaiḥ phullaiḥ karavīravanairapi |
pārijātavanaiścaiva japāśokavanaistathā || 23 ||

3.220.24

kadambataruṣaṇḍaiśca divyairmṛgagaṇairapi |
divyaiḥ pakṣigaṇaiścaiva śuśubhe śvetaparvataḥ || 24 ||

3.220.25

tatra devagaṇāḥ sarve sarve caiva maharṣayaḥ |
meghatūryaravāścaiva kṣubdhodadhisamasvanāḥ || 25 ||

3.220.26

tatra divyāśca gandharvā nṛtyantyapsarasastathā |
hṛṣṭānāṃ tatra bhūtānāṃ śrūyate ninado mahān || 26 ||

3.220.27

evaṃ sendraṃ jagatsarvaṃ śvetaparvatasaṃsthitam |
prahṛṣṭaṃ prekṣate skandaṃ na ca glāyati darśanāt || 27 ||