Vaikashi Visakam.

 

Today is Vaikashi Visakam.

The birthday of the eternal one Skanda who manifested in for shapes Kumara, Vishakha, Sakha and Naigameya

Skanda is indeed an enigma. Lord Shiva holds his patent. He was inengaged in the process of implanting His progeny in the womb of Uma. But gods interrupted in haste because the process was too prolonged and the gods wanted the child to be born very soon to subdue demons like tatraka. The semen just leaked out and fell on earth in the process and the mother Uma was very angry and cursed that no woman in Heaven would ever conceive.

However, the potency of Shiva in tha form of Semen lived on in and this is the Skanda Stage.

The Gods anyway wanted the hild to be born. Therefore, Agni was asked to carry the potency, but he decalared defeat after a few millenniums. After agni carried the semen of Shiva He became Hiranyaretas (of golden semen) and the presence of Shivas potency turned everything around into Goid. A genuine Midas touch.

He deposited athe embryo in Ganga and Gangs carried it in Her womb for thousands of years. Still the full form of the child did not emerge. Therefore, she pushed the pregnancy into an estuary of Dharbha or Sharavana grasses within Herself and waited for thousands of years. Finally, the most owerful, most attractive, most beautiful child revealed Himself in the estuary Sharavana and the six Karthika mothers who all resided there wanted to fondle him and nurse him. He turned His face to all the six of them and split Himself into six and landed in all their laps

The cry of the six naughty boys attracted the attention of Brahmadeva and there were many climants for the parentage of the Child. Even Brahma and Vishnu could not decided and the issue was placed for the final orders of Shiva. Shiva decided that the child should go to the one on whom he sets his eye on.

However the Merciful Lord Skanda split himself ito four, Kumara, Vishakha, Sakha and Naigameya and went of Shiva, Parvati, Ganga and Agni

Yes our Lord is the son of Siva and Uma, carried in the womb of agni and Ganga and breast-fed by Krittika mothers.

He is Mheshaha, Umasuta, Angigrabha, Gaangeya, Sharavana

Shanmugha, Karthikeya, Skanda Kumara and so on

The onlu eptithet that can descrie hime is Achnthya Shakti अचिन्त्यशक्ति the supreme one whose power ono one can ever thim of

Krittika Stars

The Vedic mantra invoking Krittikaa is as follows

अग्निर्न्नः पातु कृत्तिकाः। नक्षत्रंदेवमिन्द्रियं। इदमासाँविचक्षणं। हविरासञ्जुहोतन। यस्य भान्ति रश्मयोयस्य केतवः। यस्येमा विश्वा भुवनानि सर्वा। सकृत्तिकाभिरभिसँव्वसानः। अग्निर्न्नो देवसूविते दधातु। अग्नये स्वाहाः। कृत्तिकाभ्यः स्वाहाः। अंबा...यै स्वाहाः। दुलायै स्वाहाः। नितन्त्यै स्वाहाः। भ्रयन्त्यै स्वाहाः। मेघयन्त्यै स्वाहाः। वर्षयन्त्यै स्वाहाः। चुपुणिकायै स्वाहाः।

May the Agni manifesting as presiding deitye of star Krittika protect us.. This group of Stars is the supreme among the Gods. These are the most powerful stars. Let us offer them havis. The rays of the stars and the flames of the fire shine forth. The whole universe belong to them. The Agni who is for ever residing in this hexad of stars may give us the blessedness and grace of all God..