एवम् उक्तः स वै मात्रा विशाखो देवतास्त्रियः यथासुखं बलाद् रेमे देवपत्न्यो ऽपि रेमिरे
Thus addressed by his mother, Vishakha delighted in the company of the wives of the gods, and the goddesses also enjoyed themselves.
ततः संभुज्यमानासु देवपत्नीषु नारद नाशक्नुवन् वारयितुं कार्त्तिकेयं दिवौकसः
O Narada, as the wives of the gods were being enjoyed, the gods dwelling in heaven were unable to restrain Karttikeya.
ततो निवेदयाम् आसुः पार्वत्यै पुत्रकर्म तत् असकृद् वार्यमाणो ऽपि मात्रा देवैः स शक्तिधृक्
Then they informed Pārvatī about the rites concerning her son; though repeatedly restrained by his mother and the gods, he, bearing power, did not desist.
नैवासाव् अकरोद् वाक्यं स्त्रीष्व् आसक्तस् तु षण्मुखः अभिशापभयाद् भीता पार्वती पर्यचिन्तयत्
But he, six-faced, attached to women, did not obey; out of fear of a curse, Pārvatī, frightened, began to reflect.
पुत्रस्नेहात् तथैवेशा देवानां कार्यसिद्धये देवपत्न्यश् चिरं रक्ष्या इति मत्वा पुनः पुनः
Out of motherly affection, and considering that the wives of the gods must be long protected for the accomplishment of the gods’ purpose, she pondered again and again.
यस्यां तु रमते स्कन्दः पार्वती त्व् अपि तादृशी तद्रूपम् आत्मनः कृत्वा वर्तयाम् आस पार्वती
Wherever Skanda took delight, there Pārvatī herself took on a similar form, and, having assumed that appearance, she acted accordingly.
इन्द्रस्य वरुणस्यापि भार्याम् आहूय षण्मुखः यावत् पश्यति तस्यां तु मातृरूपम् अपश्यत
When Ṣaṇmukha summoned the wives of Indra and Varuṇa, and gazed upon them, he saw the form of his mother in them.
ताम् अपास्य नमस्याथ पुनर् अन्याम् अथाह्वयत् तस्यां तु मातृरूपं स प्रेक्ष्य लज्जाम् उपेयिवान्
Turning away from her with reverence, he then summoned another; but in her too, seeing the form of his mother, he was overcome with shame.
एवं बह्वीषु तद् रूपं दृष्ट्वा मातृमयं जगत् इति संचिन्त्य गाङ्गेयो वैराग्यम् अगमत् तदा
Thus, seeing that form in many women, and perceiving the world as filled with his mother, the son of Gaṅgā then became detached.
स तु मातृकृतं ज्ञात्वा प्रवृत्तस्य निवर्तनम् निवार्यश् चेद् अहं भोगात् किंतु पूर्वं प्रवर्तितः
Realizing that his withdrawal from enjoyment was caused by his mother, he thought, 'If I am restrained now, I had already begun before.'
तस्मान् मातृकृतं सर्वं मम हास्यास्पदं त्व् इति लज्जया परया युक्तो गौतमीम् अगमत् तदा
Therefore, all this, caused by my mother, is now a source of ridicule for me; filled with great shame, he then went to Gautamī.
इयं च मातृरूपा मे शृणोतु मम भाषितम् इतः स्त्रीनामधेयं यन् मम मातृसमं मतम्
And this, in the form of my mother—let her hear my words: from now on, any woman named after my mother shall be regarded as equal to her by me.
एवं ज्ञात्वा लोकनाथः पार्वत्या सह शंकरः पुत्रं निवारयाम् आस वृत्तम् इत्य् अब्रवीद् गुरुः
Knowing thus, the lord of the world, Śaṅkara, together with Pārvatī, restrained his son and said, 'This conduct must cease,' so spoke the teacher.
ततः सुरपतिः प्रीतः किं ददामीति चिन्तयन् कृताञ्जलिपुटः स्कन्दः पितरं पुनर् अब्रवीत्
Then the lord of the gods, pleased, wondered, 'What shall I give?' With hands joined in reverence, Skanda again spoke to his father.
सेनापतिः सुरपतिस् तव पुत्रो ऽहम् इत्य् अपि अलम् एतेन देवेश किं वरैः सुरपूजित
I am already the commander of the gods, O lord of gods, and your son; enough of this, O revered one—what use have I for boons, worshipped by the gods?
अथवा दातुकामो ऽसि लोकानां हितकाम्यया याचे ऽहं नात्मना देव तद् अनुज्ञातुम् अर्हसि
But if you wish to give, desiring the welfare of the worlds, I ask not for myself, O god—may you grant this.
महापातकिनः केचिद् गुरुदाराभिगामिनः अत्राप्लवनमात्रेण धौतपापा भवन्तु ते
Let those who have committed great sins, who have approached their teacher’s wife, by merely bathing here, become cleansed of their sins.
आप्नुवन्तूत्तमां जातिं तिर्यञ्चो ऽपि सुरेश्वर कुरूपो रूपसंपत्तिम् अत्र स्नानाद् अवाप्नुयात्
Let even animals, O lord of gods, attain the highest birth; let the deformed gain beauty by bathing here.
एवम् अस्त्व् इति तं शंभुः प्रत्यनन्दत् सुतेरितम् ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं कार्त्तिकेयम् इति श्रुतम् तत्र स्नानं च दानं च सर्वक्रतुफलप्रदम्
So be it, said Śambhu, delighted with his son’s words; from that time, that sacred place became known as Kārttikeya’s. Bathing and giving there bestow the fruit of all sacrifices.
यत् ख्यातं कृत्तिकातीर्थं कार्त्तिकेयाद् अनन्तरम् तस्य श्रवणमात्रेण सोमपानफलं लभेत्
That which is known as Kṛttikā’s holy place, after Kārttikeya—by merely hearing of it, one obtains the fruit of drinking soma.
पुरा तारकनाशाय भवरेतो ऽपिबत् कविः रेतोगर्भं कविं दृष्ट्वा ऋषिपत्न्यो ऽस्पृहन् मुने
Long ago, for the destruction of Tāraka, the sage drank Śiva's seed; seeing the embryo formed from that seed, the wives of the sages desired the sage.
सप्तर्षीणाम् ऋतुस्नातां वर्जयित्वा त्व् अरुन्धतीम् तासु गर्भः समभवत् षट्सु स्त्रीषु तदाग्नितः
Except for Arundhatī, among the wives of the seven sages who had completed their monthly purification, a pregnancy arose in six women from that fire-born seed.
तप्यमानास् तु शोभिष्ठा ऋतुस्नातास् तु ता मुने किं कुर्मः क्व नु गच्छामः किं कृत्वा सुकृतं भवेत्
Those radiant women, purified by their monthly rites, said to each other, 'What shall we do? Where shall we go? By doing what will we attain merit?'
इत्य् उक्त्वा ता मिथो गङ्गां व्यग्रा गत्वा व्यपीडयन् ताभ्यस् ते निःसृता गर्भाः फेनरूपास् तदाम्भसि
Having spoken thus among themselves, they hurried to the Gaṅgā and, distressed, released their embryos, which took the form of foam in that water.
अम्भसा त्व् एकतां प्राप्ता वायुना सर्व एव हि एकरूपस् तदा ताभ्यः षण्मुखः समजायत
All those embryos, merging together in the water and united by the wind, became one form; from them, Ṣaṇmukha was born.
स्रावयित्वा तु तान् गर्भान् ऋषिपत्न्यो गृहान् ययुः तासां विकृतरूपाणि दृष्ट्वा ते ऋषयो ऽब्रुवन्
After discharging those embryos, the wives of the sages returned to their homes; seeing their altered forms, the sages said,
गम्यतां गम्यतां शीघ्रं स्वैरी वृत्तिर् न युज्यते स्त्रीणाम् इति ततो वत्स निरस्ताः पतिभिस् तु ताः
'Go, go quickly! Independent conduct is not proper for women.' Thus, O child, those women were cast out by their husbands.
ततो दुःखं समाविष्टास् त्यक्ताः स्वपतिभिश् च षट् ता दृष्ट्वा नारदः प्राह कार्त्तिकेयो हरोद्भवः
Then, overwhelmed by sorrow, abandoned by their husbands, those six women were seen by Nārada, who said, 'Kārttikeya is born from Hara.'
गाङ्गेयो ऽग्निभवश् चेति विख्यातस् तारकान्तकः तं यान्तु न चिराद् एव प्रीतो भोगं प्रदास्यति
'He is known as the son of Gaṅgā and as fire-born, the slayer of Tāraka. Go to him without delay; pleased, he will grant you enjoyment.'
देवर्षेर् वचनाद् एव समभ्येत्य च षण्मुखम् कृत्तिकाः स्वयम् एवैतद् यथावृत्तं न्यवेदयत्
At the words of the divine sage, the Kṛttikās approached Ṣaṇmukha and themselves reported all that had happened.