The gods, finding themselves in great distress, approached the Lord, the son of the mighty Mahādeva, and addressed him with reverence: “O Lord, son of the great Lord, become the commander of the divine armies! O six-faced one, Skanda, Lord of the universe, bearer of the cock-banner, O son of Fire, we seek your leadership.” With heartfelt devotion, they continued their praise: “O subduer of fear, Lord of the Kumāras, Skanda, you who follow the planets that trouble children, mighty conqueror, destroyer of Krauncha, son of the Krittikas, born of the Mothers, we honor you! Foremost among the lords of spirits and planets, son of Fire, radiant and delightful in form, son of the Lord of the great elements, O three-eyed one, we bow to you!” Thus extolled by the gods, the son of Bhava—Skanda—grew in stature. His form became wondrous to behold, shining with the brilliance of twelve suns. Such was his radiance that even the three worlds felt its scorching heat. At this, Prajāpāla, filled with curiosity, inquired, “How do you address him as the son of the Krittikas, as the guru of the gods, as the son of Fire, and as the son of the Mothers?” Mahātapā replied, “In the first Manvantara, as I have described his origin, so too did the gods, who perceive the subtle, praise the Lord in this way. The Krittikas, Fire, other mothers, and Girijā—all these were the causes of Guha’s birth in his twice-born incarnation.” He continued, “Thus, O best of kings, I have explained to you, as you asked, the secret of self-knowledge, the nectar of wisdom, and the origin of ego. Skanda himself is the great god, destroyer of all sins. At his consecration, the grandsire gave him the sixth lunar day as his own. Whoever, with a controlled mind, regularly recites this hymn with desire for its fruit—though childless, will obtain sons; though poor, will obtain wealth; whatever one desires in the heart, that shall be attained. And whoever recites this hymn of Kārtikeya, in that person’s house the welfare and health of sons will prevail.” Prajāpāla then asked, “O twice-born one, how does the body take form from light? Remove this doubt of mine, O best of the twice-born, as I bow before you.” Mahātapā answered, “That self, the single, eternal power of knowledge, when it desired a second, then, remaining in itself, it blazed forth. That which is called the Sun—shining, radiant—its energies became agitated and illuminated the three worlds. Within him are contained all the gods, siddhas, their hosts, and the great sages. Therefore, O Lord, the Sun is praised as the source of all. “From that swiftly moving, agitated radiance, a body arose. Thus, separately, he is called Ravi by those who expound the Vedas. Illuminating all the worlds, since he rises in the sky, he is called Bhāskara, and, due to his brilliance, Prabhākara. He is called Divākara because he causes the day to be known as ‘day’; as the origin of all the worlds, he is called Āditya. From him, the twelve suns arose, each with their own radiance, yet he is always recognized as the foremost among them. “Seeing that Supreme Lord pervading the universe, the gods who dwelt within him emerged and sang his praise: ‘You are the ancient source of the world; you consume the worlds with your relentless fire. O Lord, now arisen, bring peace—do not scorch the realms of the gods, O witness of all deeds. Your radiance, O Sun, spreads everywhere, blazing forth as the Yajurveda commences. Your fierce chariot wheel, divine in form, is called Time and dispels darkness. The sages declare that the sun, the first of the gods, is the essence of all that moves and does not move; Varuṇa and Yama embody the power of the grandsire, and you are said to be both past and future. You dispel darkness and are honored by the celestial realms; the ancestors say, “Proceed to peace.” You are known through Vedānta, invoked in sacrifices, and truly you are Viṣṇu, O Lord. Protect us, O auspicious one, do not overpower us.’ “Hearing the prayers of the gods, the great shining one assumed a gentle form, quickly becoming radiant for the deities. All the burning of the gods was pacified; on the seventh day, the Sun took form on earth. Whoever worships the Sun with devotion in this way, to him Bhāskara grants the desired fruit. Thus, O King, I have told you the ancient account of the Sun; listen now to what happened in the first Manvantara, O Mother.” Mahātapā then spoke of another tale: “Long ago, there was a powerful demon named Andhaka on earth. Endowed with a boon from Brahmā, he brought the gods under his control. Because of him, all the gods, though mighty, abandoned Mount Meru, terrified by Andhaka, and sought refuge with Brahmā. “When they arrived, Brahmā asked, ‘What is the reason for your coming, O gods? Tell me, what brings you here?’ “The gods replied, ‘O Lord of the world, we are all afflicted by Andhaka. Protect us, O four-faced grandsire; we bow to you.’ “But Brahmā said, ‘O best of gods, I am not able to protect you from Andhaka. Let us go to mighty Śarva, the great god, and seek refuge with him. Earlier, I granted Andhaka a boon: he would be invulnerable, unless his body touched the earth. Yet, among all, Rudra alone—the fierce destroyer—can slay that powerful one. Let us all go to the Lord who dwells on Kailāsa.’ “Having spoken thus, Brahmā, along with the gods, went to the presence of Bhava. Rudra welcomed them and addressed Brahmā, ‘What is to be done, O gods, who have come into my presence? Tell me what it is, and I will do it at once; your command must be carried out quickly.’ “The gods pleaded, ‘Protect us, O Lord, from the powerful Andhaka, whose mind is wicked.’ “Even as they spoke, Andhaka himself arrived with a great army, assembled in four divisions, intent on slaying Bhava in battle and seizing his wife, the daughter of the mountain.” Thus, the story unfolds: of Skanda’s glory and origins, of the birth of the Sun, and of the gods seeking protection from the mighty Andhaka.