मार्कण्डेय उवाच स्कन्दपारिषदान् घोराशृणुष्वाद्भुतदर्शनान्। वलाप्रहारात् स्कन्दस्य जजुस्तत्र कुमारकाः॥
Markandeya said : Now hear about the fearful and curiouslooking followers of Skanda. Struck with the thunder, (Skanda gave birth to) a number of male children.
ये हरन्ति शिशूञातान् गर्भस्थांश्चैव दारुणाः। वलाप्रहारात् कन्याश्च जज्ञिरेऽस्य महाबलाः॥
These fearful ones (creatures) steal (the life of) little children whether born in the womb. When he was struck with thunder some female children also sprung up from the mighty one.
कुमारास्ते विशाखं च पितृत्वे समकल्पयन्। स भूत्वा भगवान् संख्ये रक्षश्छागमुखस्तदा॥ वृतः कन्यागणैः सर्वैरात्मीयैः सह पुत्रकैः। मातृणां प्रेक्षमाणानां भद्रशाखश्च कौसलः॥ ततः कुमारपितरं स्कन्दमाहुर्जना भुवि। रुद्रमग्निमुमां स्वाहां प्रदेशेषु महाबलाम्॥ यजन्ति पुत्रकामाश्च पुत्रिणश्च सदा जनाः। यास्तास्त्वजनयत् कन्यास्तपो नाम हुताशनः॥ किं करोमीति ताः स्कन्दं सम्प्राप्ताः समभाषयन्।
These children adopted Visakha as their father. That adorable and clever Bhadrasakha, with a face like that of a goat, was at the time surrounded by all his sons and daughters whom he guarded carefully in the presence of the great mothers. For this reason the dwellers of earth called Skanda the father of Kumaras. Those who desire to have sons worship the mighty Rudra in the form of the fire-god and Uma in the form of Svaha. By this means they are blessed with sons. The daughters, begotten by Hutasana named Tapa. Having gone to Skanda, were thus addressed by him, 'What can I do for you?'
कुमार्य ऊचुः भवेम सर्वलोकस्य मातरो वयमुत्तमाः॥ प्रसादात् तव पूज्याश्च प्रियमेतत् कुरुष्व नः। सोऽब्रवीद् बाढमित्येवं भविष्यध्वं पृथग्विधाः॥ शिवाश्चैवाशिवाश्चैव पुनः पुनरुदारधीः। ततः संकल्प्य पुत्रत्वे स्कन्दं मातृगणोऽगमत्॥
The girls said, “Do us this favour, by your blessing may we become the good and the respected mothers of all the worlds." He replied, “Let it be so." And that high-souled one again and again said, “You shall be devided into Shivas and Ashivas (good and evil spirits). Then after having established Skanda's sonship, the mothers went away.
काकी च हलिमा चैव मालिनी बृहता तथा। आर्या पलाला वैमित्रा सप्तैताः शिशुमातरः॥
Kaki, Halima, Malini, Brinhata, Arya, Palala and Vaimitra, these were the seven mothers of Shishu.
एतासां वीर्यसम्पन्नः शिशु मातिदारुणः। स्कन्दप्रसादजः पुत्रो लोहिताक्षो भयंकरः॥
They had a powerful, red-eyed, terrific and very turbulent son, named Shishu, born by the blessings of Skanda.
एष वीराष्टकः प्रोक्तः स्कन्दमातृगणोद्भवः। छागवक्त्रेण सहितो नवकः परिकीर्त्यते॥
He was regarded as the eighth hero born of the mothers of Skanda called 'Virashtaka. But he is known also as the Vira-navaka when the being with the face of a goat is included.
षष्ठं छागमयं वक्त्रं स्कन्दस्यैवेति विद्धि तत्। घशिरोऽभ्यन्तरं राजन् नित्यं मातृगणार्चितम्॥
Know that the sixth face of Skanda was that of a goat. That face, O king, is situated in the middle of the sixth. It is always adored by the mothers.
घण्णां तु प्रवरं तस्य शीर्षाणामिह शब्द्यते। शक्तिं येनासृजद् दिव्यां भद्रशाख इति स्म ह॥ इत्येतद् विविधाकारं वृत्तं शुक्लस्य पञ्चमीम्। तत्र यद्धं महाघोरं वृत्तं षष्ठ्यां जनाधिप॥
That head by which Bhadrashakha created the celestial energy and prowess is considered to be the best (of all his heads). O lord of men, these holy and wonderful events all took place on the fifth day of the bright fortninght of the lunar month and on the sixth day a very fearful battle was fought at that place.