Fifth Narata - Maa Skandmata

One day, something unusual happened with Mahadev. Though he was the master of yog and free from desire, his divine essence touched the earth.

Agni dev saw it. He took the form of a dove and swallowed it. But the moment he did, his whole being caught fire. The heat was unbearable—even for the god of fire. In pain, Agni cried out to Shiva for help.

Shiva looked at him with calm eyes. He said, “Agni, what you did was wrong. My veerya is too powerful to consume. If you want shanti, place it carefully in the womb of a worthy woman.”

Just then, Narad Muni appeared. With a knowing smile he said, “Agni, in the month of Magh, women bathe at dawn in the holy waters. Give Shiva’s seed to them, and your burning will end.”

Soon, the wives of the seven Rishis came to the river. They bathed in the icy waters. Shivering, six of them rushed toward the fire. The seventh, Arundhati, sensed something divine. She tried to stop them, but the others, caught in Maya, did not listen.

As they neared the fire, sparks of Shiva’s veerya entered their bodies. Agni felt relief at last. But now the women carried the fiery burden. Restless and uneasy, they went home. Finally, unable to bear it, they released the glowing garbh on the Himalaya. How? With trembling, sweating, and agony, they forced it out through their yoni, the same way a fetus exits.

Thus, Parvati became known as Skandmata — the Mother of Skanda.

Long ago, the devta-gann were in despair. The demon Tarakasura had grown too powerful. No one could defeat him, for he had a boon — ONLY THE SON OF SHIVA COULD KILL HIM. But Shiva was lost in deep tapasya, far away from the world.

The gods prayed. They sang stutis. Finally, Lord Shiva opened his eyes. From the blaze of TRINETRA, six brilliant sparks flew out. They were not ordinary sparks. Each one HAD PRANA.

Agni dev carried the sparks carefully. Vayu dev helped him, cooling the heat as they flew. Together, they placed the sparks in Ganga Maiyya. Ganga received them with grace.

But the fire was too much even for her. So she carried the sparks gently and laid them down in a forest of reeds — the Sara Vana.

There, from the sparks, six divine infants were born. Each lay upon a lotus, shining like the sun.

Their cries filled the forest with music. The six celestial sisters — the Krittikas — came down from the heavens. They gathered the babies in their arms and nursed them with love. That is why the child came to be called Kartikeya — the son of the Krittikas.

“Six sons? Six destinies? No… my child must be one.
I cannot split my motherhood.
I will raise one son, not six.”

The gods watched in silence. Even the wind stilled, waiting for what would happen.

And then — the miracle.
As Parvati’s arms encircled them, the six infants glowed with one light. Their forms began to melt into each other, like rivers joining the ocean. The six cries became one. The six hearts beat as one. The six children merged into a single radiant boy.But the union did not erase them. From each child, a face remained.

Thus the boy stood before Parvati, with six shining faces, each looking in a different direction. Each face carried a different gift: wisdom, strength, valor, fame, grace, and detachment.
Parvati smiled through tears.

She pressed him to her heart and whispered, “You are mine. You are Skanda.”

The devas rejoiced. The child of fire, river, forest, stars, Shiva, and Parvati had now become one being.

• He was Kartikeya, the son of the Krittikas.
• He was Shanmukha, the six-faced warrior.
• He was Skanda, the spilled fire that became an unstoppable light.