After the gods had witnessed the birth of the radiant child, they declared with one voice, “He shall be called Kartikeya. Throughout the three worlds, he will be renowned as our son—there is no doubt.” Their words echoed with certainty and joy. They then bathed the luminous one, who had emerged from the flow of the embryo, with supreme splendor. The gods treated him as if he were blazing fire, so brilliant was his form. Because he had flowed forth from the embryo, the gods named him Skanda. Thus, Kartikeya, mighty-armed and shining like fire, stood before them. At that moment, the excellent milk of the Krittikas—the six mothers—appeared. Kartikeya, with six faces, took the nourishing milk from each of their breasts. In a single day, though his body was tender, he drank their milk and, by his own strength, conquered the hosts of demon armies. All the immortals, led by Agni, then anointed Kartikeya, the one of great splendor, as the commander of the divine armies. Thus, he became the leader of the celestial forces. “O Rama,” said the storyteller, “I have thus recounted the full story of Ganga and the auspicious, blessed birth of the boy.” He continued, “O Kakutstha, any man on earth who is devoted to Kartikeya, and 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, the first poem. Here begins the thirty-eighth sarga. Having sweetly narrated the tale to Rama, Viśvāmitra spoke further words to Kakutstha. “O hero, there was once a king of Ayodhyā, a righteous ruler named Sagara, who longed for offspring but was childless. Sagara’s elder queen was Keśinī, daughter of the king of Vidarbha, virtuous and truthful. His second wife was Sumati, sister of Suparṇa and daughter of Ariṣṭanemi. Desiring children, the great king performed austerities with both his wives. They journeyed to Mount Himavat, reaching the Bhṛguprasravaṇa peak. After a hundred years had passed, the sage Bhṛgu, foremost among the truthful, was pleased by their steadfast austerities and granted Sagara a boon. “O sinless one,” said Bhṛgu, “you will obtain great offspring and incomparable fame in the world, O best of men. One of your wives will bear a single son, the continuer of your line; the other will bear sixty thousand sons.” Joyful, the two princesses joined their hands in reverence and addressed the sage. “O Brāhmaṇa, which of us will have the single son, and which will bear the many? We wish to hear; may your words come true.” Bhṛgu replied, “Let it be as you each desire in this matter. Let one have a single son to continue the line, or let there be many mighty, renowned, and energetic sons—let each choose the boon she wishes.” Keśinī chose to have a single son to continue the line. Sumati, sister of Suparṇa, chose to have sixty thousand sons, energetic and renowned. Having circumambulated the sage and bowed to him, the king and his wives returned to their city. After some time, Keśinī bore Sagara a firstborn son, who became known as Asamañja. Sumati, O tiger among men, gave birth to a gourd-like womb, from which sixty thousand sons emerged when it was split open. Nurses raised them in jars filled with ghee, and in due course, all attained youth. Thus, after a long time, Sagara had sixty thousand sons, all endowed with beauty and youth. But the eldest son, Asamañja, would take children and throw them into the waters of the Sarayu, laughing as he watched them drown, behaving sinfully and obstructing the good people. Engaged in actions harmful to the citizens, he was banished from the city by his father. Asamañja’s son was named Aṃśumān, a man of great strength, approved by all and kindly spoken. In due time, wisdom arose in him. Sagara, resolved to perform a sacrifice, prepared with his teachers to conduct the Vedic ritual. Now hear the thirty-ninth sarga. Having heard Viśvāmitra’s words at the end of the story, Rama, delighted, spoke to the sage, radiant like fire. “I wish to hear, may good befall you, this story in detail: how did my ancestor, O Brāhmaṇa, complete the sacrifice?” Viśvāmitra, filled with curiosity and smiling in delight, replied, “Listen in detail, O Rama, to the story of the great-souled Sagara. His father-in-law, renowned by name, was Himavat. Having reached Mount Vindhya, they gazed at each other; between them, O best of men, that sacrifice took place.