Elements of Hindu Iconography v4.c26.4

v4.c26.4

The Vana-parvan of the *Mahābhārata* has another account of the birth of Kārttikēya. Indra, whose army (*dēvasēna*) was defeated by the *dānavas*, was meditating upon his reverses, when he heard the cry of a female calling for help and invoking a husband to afford her protection. Indra seeing that she had been seized by the demon Kēśin remonstrated with him. But the *asura* did not heed it but hurled his club against Indra. Indra cut it off with his *vajra* and Kēśin was finally defeated and driven away. Indra then learnt from the woman he had rescued that she was called Dēvasēna (the army of the gods) and that she had a sister named Daityasēna (the army of the demons) and that they both were the daughters of Prajāpati. She added that her sister liked Kēśin, but she herself did not; therefore she requested Indra to secure for her a proper husband who would be able to overcome all the enemies of the gods. Indra took Dēvasēna to Brahmā and desired him to provide her with a valorous husband; Brahmā promised that the help-mate of Dēvasēna would soon be born, under the circumstances described below.