l generalissimo named
Kumara, in his younger days, disregarding the three worlds with all the
celestial denizens, threw down his dart, piercing the Earth therewith.
Throwing down his dart, Skanda addressing the universe, said,--'If there
be any person that is superior to me in might, or that holds Brahmanas to
be dearer, or that can compare with me in devotion to the Brahmanas and
the Vedas, or that is possessed of energy like unto me, let him draw up
this dart or at least shake it!'--Hearing this challenge, the three worlds
become filled with anxiety, and all creatures asked one another,
saying,--'Who will raise this dart?'--Vishnu beheld all the deities and
Asuras and Rakshasas to be troubled in their senses and mind. He
reflected upon what should be the best to be done under the
circumstances. Without being able to bear that challenge in respect of
the hurling of the dart, he cast his eyes on Skanda, the son of the
Fire-god. The pure-souled Vishnu caught hold of the blazing dart, with
his left hand, and began to shake it. When the dart was being thus shaken
by Vishnu possessed of great might, the whole Earth with her mountains,
forests, and seas, shook with the dart. Although Vishnu was fully
competent to raise the dart, still he contented himself with only shaking
it. In this, the puissant lord only kept the honour of Skanda intact.
Having shaken it himself, the divine Vishnu, addressing Prahlada,
said,--'Behold the might of Kumara! None else in the universe can raise
this dart!' Unable to bear this, Prahlada resolved to raise the dart. He
seized it, but was unable to shake it at all. Uttering a loud cry, he
fell down on the hill-top in a swoon. Indeed, the son of Hiranya-kasipu
fell down on the Earth. Repairing towards the northern side of those
grand mountains, Mahadeva, having the bull for his sign, had undergone
the austerest penances. The asylum where Mahadeva had undergone those
austerities is encompassed on all sides with a blazing fire.
Unapproachable by persons of uncleansed souls, that mountain is known by
the name of Aditya. There is a fiery girdle all around it, of the width
of ten Yojanas, and it is incapable of being approached by Yakshas and
Rakshasas and Danavas. The illustrious god of Fire, possessed of mighty
energy, dwells there in person employed in removing all impediments from
the side of Mahadeva of great wisdom who remained there for a thousand
celestial years, all the while standing on one foo