Whoever recites the great hymn of Kārtikeya, it is said, will find that the welfare and health of sons flourish in their household. Now, Prajāpāla, full of curiosity and reverence, approached the sage Mahātapā and asked, “O twice-born one, how does the body take form from light? Please remove this doubt of mine, O best of the twice-born, as I bow to you.” Mahātapā replied, “Listen, O wise one. That self, the one eternal power of knowledge, when it desired to become two, blazed forth while remaining within itself. This is what is called the Sun, ever-shining; the radiant energies of that great soul, when stirred, illuminate 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 very source. “From that swiftly moving, agitated radiance, a body arose; thus, he is separately called Ravi by those learned in the Vedas. Since he rises in the sky and illuminates all the worlds, he is called Bhāskara; and, because of his brilliance, he is also named Prabhākara. He is called Divākara, for he causes the day to be known as day; and as the origin of all worlds, he is 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 dwell within him emerged and sang his praise. They said: ‘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, 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. Thus praised with devotion by the gods, they implored: “Protect us, O auspicious one, do not overpower us.”’ “Hearing the gods’ prayers, the Sun assumed a gentle form; the great shining one quickly became radiant for the deities. All the burning that afflicted the gods was pacified, and on the seventh day, the Sun took form on earth. Whoever worships the Sun with such devotion, Bhāskara grants the desired fruit. “Thus, O King, I have told you the ancient account of the Sun. Now listen to what happened in the first Manvantara, O Mother.” Mahātapā continued: “Long ago, there was a mighty and powerful demon on earth named Andhaka. Endowed with a boon from Brahmā, he brought the gods under his control. Because of his might, all the gods, though strong, abandoned Mount Meru, terrified by Andhaka, and sought refuge with Brahmā. “When they arrived, Brahmā asked those foremost of the gods, ‘What brings you here, O gods? Tell me the reason for your coming.’ “The gods replied, ‘O Lord of the world, we are all afflicted by Andhaka; protect us, O four-faced grandsire, our reverence to you.’ “Brahmā said, ‘O best of gods, I am unable 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.’ “So, Brahmā, along with the gods, went to the presence of Bhava. Seeing them arrive, Rudra welcomed them and addressed Brahmā, Lord of the world: ‘What is to be done, O gods, who have come into my presence? Tell me, and I will do it at once; your command must be carried out quickly.’ “The gods answered, ‘Protect us, O Lord, from the powerful Andhaka, whose mind is wicked.’ “While the gods were thus speaking to the supreme lord, at that very moment Andhaka arrived there with a great army. With a fourfold force, desiring to kill Bhava in battle, he came, equipped for war, seeking to seize his wife, the daughter of the mountain. “Seeing him suddenly approach, the gods, struck by the threat of the lord of the demons, quickly armed themselves and became followers of Rudra. Rudra, meditating on Vasuki, Takshaka, and Dhananjaya, transformed them into bracelets, a girdle, and a sacred thread. “The demon king named Nila, taking the form of an elephant, swiftly approached Bhava, appearing as mighty as Indra’s elephant. Nandi recognized this demon and pointed him out to Virabhadra. Virabhadra, taking the form of a lion, quickly struck him down. Tearing open the hide of that elephant, dark as collyrium, he offered it to Rudra, who then made it his garment. From that time, Rudra became known as the wearer of the elephant hide. “Clad in the elephant hide and shining with serpent ornaments, Rudra took up his terrible trident and, with his attendants, pursued Andhaka. Then a great battle began between the gods and the demons. Indra and the other guardians of the worlds, Skanda the commander, and all the hosts of gods fought in that war. “Witnessing this fierce battle, Nārada went to Nārāyaṇa and reported the great war taking place on Kailāsa with the demons. Hearing this, Janārdana mounted Garuda, took up his discus, and came to that very place to fight with the demons. “Then, even as Hari reinforced the gods in battle, the gods became downcast and turned to flight.