देवा ऊचुः । सेनापतिं नो देवेश देहि दैत्यवधाय वै । देवानां ब्रह्ममुख्यानामेतदेव हितं भवेत् ।। २५.
The gods said: O Lord of the gods, grant us a commander for the destruction of the demons. This alone would be beneficial for the gods, with Brahmā at their head.
रुद्र उवाच । ददामि सेनानाथं वो देवा भवत विज्वराः । भविष्यमस्ति पौराणं योगादीनामचिन्तयन् ।। २५.
Rudra said: I grant you a commander of the army, O gods; be free from distress. There will be a future, ancient one, who will be the leader of yogis, beyond thought.
एवमुक्त्वा हरो देवान् विसृज्य स्वाङ्गसंस्थिताम् । शक्तिं संक्षोभयामास पुत्रहेतोः परंतप ।। २५.
Having thus spoken, Hara dismissed the gods and stirred the power residing in his own body, for the sake of a son, O subduer of enemies.
तस्य क्षोभयतः शक्तिं ज्वलनार्कसमप्रभः । कुमारः सहजां शक्तिं बिभ्रज्ज्ञानैकशालिनीम् ।। २५.
As he agitated his power, a son arose, shining like fire and the sun, bearing his innate power, endowed with singular knowledge.
उत्पत्तिस्तस्य राजेन्द्र बहुरूपा व्यवस्थिता । मन्वन्तरेष्वनेकेषु देवसेनापतिः किल ।। २५.
His origin, O king, is manifold and established in various forms; in many different ages, he is indeed the commander of the gods' army.
योऽसौ शरीरगो देवः अहंकारेति कीर्त्तितः । प्रयोजनवशाद् देवः सैव सेनापतिर्विभो ।। २५.
That deity who abides in the body is called 'Ego.' According to necessity, that very god becomes the commander of the army, O Lord.
तस्मिन् जाते स्वयं ब्रह्मा सर्वदैवैः समन्वितः । पूजयामास देवेशं शिवं पशुपतिं तदा ।। २५.
When he was born, Brahmā himself, accompanied by all the gods, worshipped the Lord of gods, Śiva, the Lord of creatures, at that time.
सर्वैश्च देवै ऋषिभिश्च सिद्धैः सेनापतिर्वरदानेन तेन । आप्यायितः सोऽपि सुरानुवाच सखायार्थं क्रडने कार्यमेव ।। २५.
By all the gods, sages, and perfected beings, the commander of the army was honored with a boon. He, being satisfied, spoke to the gods about the matter of a companion for play.
श्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य् महानुभावो महादेवो वाक्यमिदं जगाद । ददामि ते क्रीडनकं तु कुक्कुटं तथानुगौ शाखविशाखसंज्ञौ । कुमार भूतग्रहनायको भवान् भवस्व देवेश्वर सेनयापतिः ।। २५.
Hearing his words, the great Lord spoke: 'I give you a rooster as a plaything, and also two attendants named Śākha and Viśākha. O Kumāra, you shall be the leader of spirits and the commander of the gods' army, O Lord of the gods.'
एवमुक्त्वा ततो देवः सर्वे देवाश्च पार्थिव । तुष्टुवुर्वाग्भिरिष्टाभिः स्कन्दं सेनापतिं तदा ।। २५.
Having thus spoken, the god and all the gods, O king, praised Skanda, the commander of the army, with desired words.
देवा ऊचुः । भवस्व देवसेनानीर्महेश्वरसुत प्रभो । षण्मुख स्कन्द विश्वेश कुक्कुटध्वज पावके ।। २५.
The gods said: 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!
कम्पितारे कुमारेश स्कन्द बालग्रहानुग । जितारे क्रौञ्चविध्वंस कृत्तिकासुत मातृज ।। २५.
O subduer of trembling, Lord of Kumāras, Skanda, follower of the planets that afflict children, conqueror, destroyer of Krauncha, son of the Krittikas, born of the Mothers!
भूतग्रहपतिश्रेष्ठ पावकि प्रियदर्शन । महाभूतपतेः पुत्र त्रिलोचन नमोऽस्तु ते ।। २५.
O foremost among the lords of spirits and planets, O son of Fire, of delightful appearance, son of the Lord of the great elements, O three-eyed one, salutations to you!
एवं स्तुतस्तदा देवैर्ववर्ध भवनन्दनः । द्वादशादित्यसंकाशो बभूवाद्भुतदर्शनः । त्रैलोक्यमपि तत्तेजस्तापयामास पार्थिव ।। २५.
Thus praised by the gods, the son of Bhava grew; he became wondrous to behold, shining like twelve suns, and his radiance scorched even the three worlds, O king.
प्रजापाल उवाच । कथं तं कृत्रिकापुत्रमुक्तवन्तः सुरं गुरुम् । कथं च पावकिरसौ कथं वा मातृनन्दनः ।। २५.
Prajāpāla said: How did 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?
महातपा उवाच । आदिमन्वन्तरे देव उत्पत्तिर्या मयोदिता । परोक्षदर्शिभिर्देवैरेवमेव स्तुतः प्रभुः ।। २५.
Mahātapā said: In the first Manvantara, O god, as I have described his origin, so too was the Lord praised by the gods who perceive the subtle.
कृत्तिका पावकस्त्वन्यमातरो गिरिजा तथा । द्विजीयजन्मनि गुहस्यैते उत्पत्तिहेतवः ।। २५.
The Krittikas, Fire, other mothers, and Girijā—these were the causes of Guha's birth in his twice-born incarnation.
एवमेतत् तवाख्यातं पृच्छतः पार्थिवोत्तम । आत्मविद्याऽमृतं गुह्यमहंकारस्य संभवः ।। २५.
Thus, O best of kings, I have explained to you, as you asked, the secret of self-knowledge, the nectar, and the origin of ego.
स्वयं स्कन्दो महादेवः सर्वपापप्रणाशनः । तस्य षष्ठीं तिथिं प्रादादभिषेके पितामहः ।। २५.
Skanda himself is the great god, destroyer of all sins; to him, the grandsire gave the sixth lunar day at his consecration.
एतां फलाशनो यस्तु क्षयेन्नियतमानसः । अपुत्रोऽपि लभेत् पुत्रानधनोऽपि धनं लभेत् । यं यमिच्छेत मनसा तं तं लभति मानवः ।। २५.
Whoever, with controlled mind, regularly recites this hymn desiring its fruit, though childless will obtain sons, though poor will obtain wealth; whatever a person desires in his mind, that he attains.
यश्चैतत् पठति स्तोत्रं कार्तिकेयस्य मानवः । तस्य गेहे कुमाराणां क्षेमारोग्यं भविष्यति ।। २५.
And whoever recites this hymn of Kārtikeya, in his house the welfare and health of sons will prevail.
प्रजापाल उवाच । शरीरस्य कथं मूर्तिग्रहणं ज्योतिषो द्विज । एतन्मे संशयं छिन्धि प्रणतस्य द्विजोत्तम ।। २६.
Prajāpāla said: 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 to you.
महातपा उवाच । योऽसावात्मा ज्ञानशक्तिरेक एव सनातनः । स द्वितीयं यदा चैच्छत् तदा स्वात्मस्थितो ज्वलत् ।। २६.
Mahātapā said: That self, the single, eternal power of knowledge, when it desired a second, then, remaining in itself, it blazed forth.
यः सूर्य इति भास्वांस्तु अन्योन्येन महात्मनः । लोलीभूतानि तेजांसि भासयन्ति जगत्त्रयम् ।। २६.
That which is called the Sun, shining, the radiant energies of that great soul, becoming agitated, illuminate the three worlds.
तस्मिन् सर्वे सुराः सिद्धा गणाः सर्वे महर्षिभिः । समं सूता इति विभो तस्मात् सूर्यो भवन् स्तुतः ।। २६.
In him all the gods, siddhas, and hosts, along with the great sages, are contained; therefore, O Lord, the Sun is praised as the source.
लोलीभूतस्य तस्याशु तेजसोऽभूच्छरीरकम् । पृथक्त्वेन रविः सोऽथ कीर्त्त्यते वेदवादिभिः ।। २६.
From that swiftly moving, agitated radiance, a body arose; thus, separately, he is called Ravi by those who expound the Vedas.
भासयन् सर्वलोकांस्तु यतोऽसावुत्थितो दिवि । अतोऽसौ भास्करः प्रोक्तः प्रकर्षाच्च प्रभाकरः ।। २६.
Illuminating all the worlds, since he rises in the sky, therefore he is called Bhāskara, and, due to his brilliance, Prabhākara.
दिवा दिवस इत्युक्तस्तत्कारित्वाद् दिवाकरः । सर्वस्य जगतस्त्वादिरादित्यस्तेन उच्यते ।। २६.
He is called Divākara because he causes the day to be called 'day'; and, as the origin of all the worlds, he is therefore called Āditya.
एतस्य द्वादशादित्याः संभूतास्तेजसा पृथक् । प्रधान एव सर्वेषां सर्वदा स विबुध्यते ।। २६.
From him the twelve suns arose, each with their own radiance; yet he is always recognized as the foremost among them all.
तं दृष्ट्वा जगतो व्याप्तिं कुर्वाणं परमेश्वरम् । तस्यैवान्तः स्थिता देवा विनिष्क्रम्य स्तुतिं जगुः ।। २६.
Seeing that Supreme Lord pervading the universe, the gods dwelling within him emerged and sang his praise.