13. Story of Karthikeya

      This is continuation of Lalithopakyanam. As told in it, demon named Taraka got a boon from Brahma that he can be killed by only Shiva's son. At the end of Lalithopakyanam, Shiva and Parvathi got married. It was a ritual that during first night, to tease newly married couple, some one will be appointed to see through window or some how secretly. Agni deva (god of fire) was appointed to tease Shiva & Parvathi. But Parvathi observed him and moved away resulting Shiva's sperm falling on floor. Shiva's sperm was so unbearable that if it falls on earth, earth may blow. So Agni deva got the sperm in his hands and was looking for some place to get rid of it. He couldnt bear it in hands for so long and left it in river Ganga which transported the sperm into the Saravana forest into a pond called Saravana Poigai. There the sperm got devided into 6 and 6 kids were born out of it. Those six kids were raised by 6 Karthikas (Starts). Parvathi combined these 6 kids into one with her will power thus born Shanmukha (6 heads). He was also called Karthikeya as raised by Karthikas. As he born in Saravana, he was also called Saravanabhava. During his bachelorhood, he was called Kumara Swamy (Bachelor god).

      Karthikeya carries a lance called Vel given by his mother Parvathi embodies her energy and power. He became the supreme general of the demi-gods and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras like Taraka, Surapadma etc. Surapadma was slayed into two parts among which one part became Karthikeya's ride peacock and another part became a rooster placed in the flag of his army. Once the two daughters of Lord Vishnu, Amrita Valli and Sundara Valli, wanted to be consorts of Karthikeya. They both went to Saravana Poigai and commenced austere penance to fulfil their desires. Pleased with their prayer and worship, Karthikeya appeared before them and told Amrita Valli that she will be brought up by Indra and shall marry Karthikeya in due course. Sundara Valli was also blessed that she will born to sage Sivamuni and brought up by Nambi, the headman of Veddas and will get married to Karthikeya. Those stories goes like this.

      Amrita Valli took the form of a female child and went to Mount Meru, the abode of Indra and told him that she is the daughter of Lord Vishnu and the responsibility of looking after her had been entrusted to him. On hearing this, Indra became very happy and directed Airavatam, his white elephant, to take care of the child. The elephant with all love brought her up and affection and she attained the age of marriage in course of time. Hence she came to be known as Devayanai, one who was brought up by the heavenly elephant of Indra (Yanai means elephant). When Karthikeya killed Surapadma, all the devas and heavenly beings whom he had released from the untold miseries caused by Surapadma approached him. Indra desired to get his daughter Devayanai married to Karthikeya as a mark of his gratitude for relieving him and the devas from the depredations of the demon Surapadma. Thus Karthikeya married to Devayani.

      Once in a village lived a hunter called Nampi who got all his children as boys. He longed for a little girl. Near to that village an ascetic by name of Sivamuni was engaged in austerities. One day a gazelle went by and the ascetic was aroused by its lovely shape. His lascivious thoughts made the gazelle pregnant. The daughter of Mal incarnated in the embryo. In due time, the gazelle gave birth to a girl in a pit. The female deer having round out that she had given birth to a strange being abandoned the child which was discovered by the hunter-chief Nampi and his wife. Overwhelmed with joy they took the little girl to their hut and named her Valli. When Valli reached the age of twelve, she was sent to the millet field to guard the crop against parrots and other birds, sitting in an elevated platform. The sage Narada who saw the girl went to inform Karthikeya about Valli's exceptional beauty. Karthikeya assumed the form of a hunter and arrived at Valli's field. He told her that he would like to love her. Valli was shocked but later she also fall in love with him. Finally they also got married.