Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.2333

c9.2333

Brahmā informed Agni about the birth of the child and the latter, in great happiness, hastened to it on a fast goat. Gaṅgā who met Agni on the way and asked him about his hurried trip was told about the birth of the child and between the two developed an argument about the ownership of the child. Mahāviṣṇu who came that way just then listened to the above argument and directed them to Śiva for settlement of their claims. Agni and Gaṅgā asked Śiva to which of them the child really belonged. Śiva then told Pārvatī “Fortunate, fortunate.” Only after seeing the child could it be decided as to whose it was and so Śiva, Pārvatī, Agni and Gaṅgā proceeded together to the forest where they saw the child in the lap of the Kṛttikās. Śiva then said “Let us see whom the child looks at before settling its parentage.” Understanding the ideas of the visitors the child, by its yogic power, assumed four bodies called Kumāra, Viśākha, Śākha and Naigameya. Kumāra looked at Śiva, Viśākha at Pārvatī, Śākha at Gaṅgā and Naigameya at Agni and all of them felt immensely happy. The Kṛttikās asked Śiva whether Ṣaṇmukha (child with six faces) was his son to which Śiva answered as follows : “Let him be your son under the name Kārttikeya; Gaṅgā’s son under the name Kumāra; Pārvatī’s son under the name Skanda; my son under the name Guha and Agni’s son with the name Mahāsena and under the name Śaravaṇa ‘Śaravaṇa’s (the forest where it was born) son. He is a great yogī and will be known by these various names. As he possesses six faces he will become famous as ‘Ṣaṇmukha’ also.