dart for the destruction of the enemies of the gods. That
dart produces a loud whiz and is adorned with many large bells. Possessed
of great splendour, it seemed to blaze with light. And Indra also gave
him a banner effulgent as the morning sun. Shiva gave him a large army,
exceedingly fierce and armed with diverse kinds of weapons, and endued
with great energy begotten of ascetic penances. Invincible and possessing
all the qualities of a good army, that force was known by the name of
Dhananjaya. It was protected by 30,000 warriors each of whom was
possessed of might equal to that of Rudra himself. That force knew not
how to fly from battle. Vishnu gave him a triumphal garland that enhances
the might of the wearer. Uma gave him two pieces of cloth of effulgence
like that of the Sun. With great pleasure Ganga gave unto Kumara a
celestial water-pot, begotten of amrita, and Brihaspati gave him a sacred
stick. Garuda gave him his favourite son, a peacock of beautiful
feathers. Aruna gave him a cock of sharp talons. The royal Varuna gave
him a snake of great energy and might. The lord Brahma gave unto that god
devoted to Brahman a black deer-skin. And the Creator of all the worlds
also gave him victory in all battles.

"Having obtained the command of the celestial forces, Skanda looked
resplendent like a blazing fire of bright flames. Accompanied by those
companions and the mothers, he proceeded for the destruction of the
Daityas, gladdening all the foremost of the gods. The terrible host of
celestials, furnished with standards adorned with bells, and equipped
with drums and conchs and cymbals, and armed with weapons, and decked
with many banners, looked beautiful like the autumnal firmament
bespangled with planets and stars.

"Then that vast assemblage of celestials and diverse kinds of creatures
began cheerfully to beat their drums and blow their conchs numbering
thousands. And they also played on their patahas and jharjharas and
krikacas and cow-horns and adambaras and gomukhas and dindimas of loud
sound. All the gods, with Vasava at their head, praised Kumara. The
celestials and the Gandharvas sang and the Apsaras danced.

"Well-pleased (with these attentions) Skanda granted a boon unto all the
gods, saying, 'I shall slay all your foes, them, that is, that desire to
slay you.' Having obtained this boon from that best of gods, the
illustrious celestials regarded their foes to be already slain. After
Skanda had granted t