red by the
latter and obtained great joy.

"After the Kraunca mountain had been pierced and after the son of Canda
had been slain, drums were beaten, O king, and conchs were blown. The
celestial ladies rained floral showers in succession upon that divine
lord of yogis. Auspicious breezes began to blow, bearing celestial
perfumes. The Gandharvas hymned his praises, as also great Rishis always
engaged in the performance of sacrifices. Some speak of him as the
puissant son of the Grandsire, Sanat-kumara, the eldest of all the sons
of Brahma. Some speak of him as the son of Maheshvara, and some as that
of Agni. Some again describe him as the son of Uma or of the Krittikas or
of Ganga. Hundreds and thousands of people speak of that Lord of yogis of
blazing form and great might, as the son of one of those, or of either of
two of those, or of any one of four of those.

"I have thus told thee, O king, everything about the installation of
Kartikeya. Listen now to the history of the sacredness of that foremost
of tirthas on the Sarasvati. That foremost of tirthas, O monarch, after
the enemies of the gods had been slain, became a second heaven. The
puissant son of Agni gave unto each of the foremost ones among the
celestials diverse kinds of dominion and affluence and at last the
sovereignty of the three worlds. Even thus, O monarch, was that adorable
exterminator of the Daityas installed by the gods as their generalissimo.
That other tirtha, O bull of Bharata's race, where in days of yore Varuna
the lord of waters had been installed by the celestials, is known by the
name of Taijasa. Having bathed in that tirtha and adored Skanda, Rama
gave unto the Brahmanas gold and clothes and ornaments and other things.
Passing one night there, that slayer of hostile heroes, Madhava, praising
that foremost of tirthas and touching its water, became cheerful and
happy. I have now told thee everything about which thou hadst enquired,
how the divine Skanda was installed by the assembled gods!"

47

Janamejaya said, "This history, O regenerate one, that I have heard from
thee is exceedingly wonderful, this narration, in detail, of the
installation, according to due rites, of Skanda. O thou possessed of
wealth of asceticism, I deem myself cleansed by having listened to this
account. My hair stands on end and my mind hath become cheerful. Having
heard the history of the installation of Kumara and the destruction of
the Daityas, great hath be