मार्कण्डेय उवाच ग्रहाः सोपग्रहाश्चैव ऋषयो मातरस्तथा। हुताशनमुखाश्चैव दृप्ताः पारिषदां गणाः॥ एते चान्ये च बहवो घोरास्त्रिदिववासिनः। परिवार्य महासेनं स्थिता मातृगणैः सह॥ संदिग्धं विजयं दृष्ट्वा विजयेप्सुः सुरेश्वरः। आरुखैरावतस्कन्धं प्रययौ दैवतैः सह॥
Markandeya said: The planets with their satellites, the Rishis and the mothers, Agni and numerrous other blazing countries and many other fearful dwellers of heaven waited on Mahasena with the mothers. The illustrious lord of the celestial, wishing to win victory and believing success to be difficult to be attained mounted his elephant. Airavata; and attended by the other celestial advanced towards Skanda.
आदाय वलां बलवान् सर्वैर्देवगणैर्वृतः। विजिघांसुर्महासेनमिन्द्रस्तूर्णतरं ययौ॥ उग्रं तं च महानादं देवानीकं महाप्रभम्। विचित्रध्वजसंनाहं नानावाहनकार्मुकम्॥ प्रवराम्बरसंवीतं श्रिया जुष्टमलङ्कृतम्। विजिघांसुं तमायान्तं कुमारः शक्रमन्वयात्॥ विनदन् पार्थ देवेशो द्रुतं याति महाबलः। संहर्षयन् देवसेनां जिघांसुः पावकात्मजम्॥ सम्पूज्यमानस्त्रिदशैस्तथैव परमर्षिभिः। समीपमथ सम्प्राप्तः कार्तिकेयस्य वासवः॥
Surrounded by all the celestial and armed with thunder, the mighty Indra with the object of killing Mahasena quickly marched with the fearful celestial army of great effulgence. They sounded their shrill war cry. Furnished with various sorts of war materials, armed with various armours and with numerous bows the warriors rode on various animals. When Mahasena saw the gloriously attired and brilliantly adorned Shakra advancing with the determination of killing him; he to advanced to meet him. O son of Pritha, the mighty Vasava, the lord of the celestial, then uttered a loud shout to encourage his warriors. Marching quickly to kill that son of Agni and being praised by the Tredasas and the great Rishis, he at last reached the abode of Kartikeya.
सिंहनादं ततश्चक्रे देवेशः सहितः सुरैः। गुहोऽपि शब्दं तं श्रुत्वा व्यनदत् सागरो यथा!॥
Thereupon the lord of the celestial with the celestial sent forth lion-like roars. Having heard that roar, Guha also roared like the Ocean.
तस्य शब्देन महता समुद्भूतोदधिप्रभम्। बभ्राम तत्र तत्रैव देवसैन्यमचेतनम्॥
On hearing that noise, the celestial army was agitated like the great ocean-and it was stunned and it remained fixed in one place.
जिघांसूनुपसम्प्राप्तान् देवान् दृष्ट्वा स पावकिः। विससर्ज मुखात् क्रुद्धः प्रवृद्धाः पावकार्चिषः॥
Having seen the celestial come near him with the intention of killing him, that son of Agni was filled with anger and set forth rising flames of fire from within his mouth.
अदहद् देवसैन्यानि वेपमानानि भूतले। ते प्रदीप्तशिरोदेहाः प्रदीप्तायुधवानहाः॥ प्रच्युताः सहसा भान्ति व्यस्तास्तारागणा इव। दह्यमानाः प्रपन्नास्ते शरणं पावकात्मजम्॥ देवा वलाधरं त्यक्त्वा ततः शान्तिमुपागताः। त्यक्तो देवैस्ततः स्कन्दे वलां शक्रो न्यपातयत्॥
Those flames made the celestial army struggle on the ground. Their heads, their bodies, their arms and their riding animals were all burnt in that conflagration; they all appeared like stars displaced from their proper spheres. Thus afflicted they all abandoned the wielder of thunder and took protection of the son of Agni. Thus they secured peace. Being thus forsaken by the celestial, Indra hurled his thunder on Skanda.
तद्विसृष्टं जघानाशु पार्श्व स्कन्दस्य दक्षिणम्। विभेद च महाराज पार्श्व तस्य महात्मनः॥
O great king, it pierced the right side of Skanda and it severed that side of that highsouled being.
वलाप्रहारात् स्कन्दस्य संजात: पुरुषोऽपरः। युवा काञ्चनसंनाहः शक्तिधृग् दिव्यकुण्डलः॥
Being (thus) struck by the thunder, there rose another being from the body of Skanda. He was a gold-complexioned youth with a mace in his hand and celestial ear-rings in his ears.
यद्वलाविशनाज्जातो विशाखस्तेन सोऽभवत्। संजातमधरं दृष्ट्वा कालानलसमद्युतिम्॥ भयादिन्द्रस्तु तं स्कन्दं प्राञ्जलिः शरणं गतः। तस्याभयं ददौ स्कन्दः सह सैन्यस्य सत्तमः। ततः प्रहृष्टास्त्रिदशा वादित्राण्यभ्यवादयन्॥
Because he was born on account of the piercing of the thunder-bolt, he was named Vishakha. Seeing that another being looking like the fearful and all destroying Agni had arisen, he (Indra) was alarmed and with joined hands he sought the protection of Skanda. That high-souled deity asked him to abandon all fear. The celestial were then filled with joy and their musicians then began to play.