Story of Skanda as contained in Valmiki Ramayana

Story of  Skanda  as contained  in Valmiki Ramayana

From Translation  of Valmiki Ramayana

By

P.R.Ramachander

Today  is Skanda  Sashti and many of you  may be wondering , which  is the first  book  , which tells   about  the stiry of Skanda

     I am sure  many  of you do not know   that  Sage Viswamithra  told   the story  Of Skanda, possibly   for   the first time in our  epics to Sri  Rama  and his brother  Lakshmana (Chapters 35, 36, 37  of  Bala Kanda .Those interested  to know  the full story  may read  my  translation https://englishvalmikiramayanam.blogspot.com/2013/06/bala-kanda-27-49.html

    You may also  be interested to know   that  the famous  sloka  of Waking up Rama  “kausalya  Supraja Rama,,,” is the first  sloka of chapter 35  .  The story told in these  chapters is slightly different from the story of  Lord Subrahmanya  that we all know)

Summary of the story  contained   in these  chapters  of Ramayana

Rama along with the sages reach the banks of river Ganges and they stay there for a night. When Rama asks about the river Ganges, Viswamithra starts telling him about the river. He tells them she was the first daughter of “ Himalayas and  Mena”   and as per the request of devas, she becomes a river and   is taken to deva loka.

Her sister Uma does penance and marries Lord Shiva Shiva and Uma lead a family life but no children are born to them. Worried that all the three worlds would be destroyed if a son to both of them is not born to them , at the request of devas, the earth receives the seed of Shiva  , which  flowers in to a God within fire. That God is Karthikeya.   Uma curses the devas as well as earth and Shiva and Uma do further penance.

The devas   who needed a commander to their army approached Brahma       and he asked them to  make the seed of Shiva which was with fire God to be placed in the wombs of Ganga. Since she was not able to tolerate his heat, he was slid down on the rivers and for suckling him the Krithika maidens are appointed.  He develops six faces to drink milks from six maidens. He grows up in a day and is anointed as  their commander  by the devas.

Saying this   sage Viswamithra  says

“Oh Rama, Now I have told you in great detail    the story of Ganga  and also told you   about  the birth of the divine  and honored  lad.” 37.31

“Oh Rama the devotees among  human beings of earth of this Karthikeya  would live long, have sons and grandsons  and in the end would go to the world of Skanda.”