HINDU FASTS & FESTIVALS : 21 - 2.

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 21. Skanda Sashti - 2.



    Indra, the chief of the gods, thereupon requested Cupid to go with his wife, Rati, and his companion Vasanta (the season of spring), to Mount Kailas, the abode of Siva.

Cupid carried out the instruction at once, for it was already springtime.

Standing behind a tree, Cupid shot his arrow of passion towards Siva, whilst Parvati was placing some flowers in His hands.

The moment their hands met, Siva experienced a distracting feeling.

He wondered what it was that disturbed His Yoga.

He looked around and saw Cupid crouching behind the tree.


    The Lord opened His “third eye”, the inner eye of intuition, and Cupid was burnt to ashes by the fire that emanated from it. That is why the God of Love is also called Ananga, which means “bodiless”.


    After burning Cupid, the Lord ascertained by His Yogic vision that the birth of Lord Subramanya was absolutely necessary to destroy the powerful Taraka.

Siva’s seed was thrown into the fire which, unable to retain it, threw it into the Ganges, which in turn threw it into a reed forest.

This is where Lord Subramanya was born; hence, He is called Saravanabhava—“born in a reed-forest”.

He became the leader of the celestial hosts and the destroyer of Taraka as Brahma had ordained.

Swami Sivananda
 To be continued  .....


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