After cursing all the gods, the wrathful sage turned her anger toward the earth itself, declaring, “O earth, you shall not have a single form; you shall become one with many wives.” Then, addressing another, she proclaimed, “Your clouded mind shall be denied the joy that comes from a son, for you do not desire my child and have angered me.” Witnessing the gods afflicted by these curses, the lord of the gods resolved to act. He journeyed toward the region guarded by Varuṇa, and upon reaching the northern slope of a mountain born of Himavat, the great lord Śiva, accompanied by the goddess, began severe austerities. “O Rāma,” the narrator continued, “this tale was told to you by the daughter of the mountain. Now, listen closely, along with Lakṣmaṇa, as I recount the origin of Gaṅgā.” As Śiva performed his austerities, the gods—led by Indra and Agni—approached the Grandfather of all, seeking a new commander for their celestial army. They bowed respectfully and said, “O lord, the commander you once appointed is now engaged in deep austerities with his wife. For the welfare of the worlds, please arrange what must be done, for you are our supreme refuge.” Comforting the immortals with gentle words, the Grandfather replied, “What the mountain’s daughter spoke is not fitting for creatures with their own wives; her words are pure and true, without doubt. This celestial Gaṅgā, in whom Agni will beget a son, shall bear the commander of the gods’ army, the destroyer of enemies. The eldest daughter of the king of mountains will honor that son, and he will be greatly esteemed by Umā, without doubt.” Hearing this, all the gods, their purpose fulfilled, bowed and worshipped the Grandfather. Then, journeying to the supreme, jewel-adorned Kailāsa, they appointed Agni to fulfill the task of obtaining a son. They implored, “O Agni, accomplish this for us: release your energy into Gaṅgā, the daughter of the mountain.” Agni promised the gods and approached Gaṅgā. He said, “O goddess, bear the embryo; this is dear to the gods.” Hearing these words, Gaṅgā assumed a divine form, and Agni’s energy dispersed in all directions, anointing the goddess on every side. All the streams of Gaṅgā became full. Overwhelmed by the blazing energy, Gaṅgā spoke to the assembly of gods, “O gods, I am unable to bear the fire that has arisen from you.” Burned and distressed, she was addressed by Agni, the receiver of all offerings: “Let this embryo be placed here, on the slopes of the Himalayas.” Obeying, Gaṅgā released the radiant embryo. From her streams, the mighty and radiant embryo emerged, shining with the brilliance of molten gold. Gold, as bright as the sun, reached the earth, along with radiant silver, copper, and black iron—all born from its sharpness. Her impurity became tin and lead, and, as these metals reached the earth, their abundance increased. When the radiant embryo was deposited, the entire forest, encircled by mountains, became golden. From that time, it was known as ‘jātarūpa’—gold, equal in brilliance to fire; all grass, trees, creepers, and shrubs there became golden. Then, the gods, together with Indra and the wind deities, assigned the Krittikas to nourish the newborn boy. The Krittikas agreed, saying, “He is the son of all of us,” and the gods declared, “He shall be called Kartikeya; he will become renowned throughout the three worlds as our son—there is no doubt.” The gods bathed the radiant child, who had emerged from the flow of the embryo, with supreme splendor, as if he were blazing fire. They called him Skanda, for he had flowed forth from the embryo. Kartikeya, mighty-armed and shining like fire, received the excellent milk of the Krittikas. With six faces, he drank milk from each of the six. In a single day, his tender body nourished, Kartikeya conquered the demon armies by his own strength. All the immortals, led by Agni, anointed him—this one of great splendor—as the commander of the divine armies. “O Rāma,” the narrator concluded, “thus I have told you the full story of Gaṅgā and the blessed birth of the boy. Any man devoted to Kartikeya, blessed with sons and grandsons, will attain the world of Skanda.” Thus ends the thirty-seventh sarga in the Bālakāṇḍa of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, and the next chapter begins.