While the Devtaa, with Vishnu, Brahmaa and Indra at their head, were proceeding towards Mount Kailaash, the great Sanakaadi Muni, Sanak, Sanat Kumaar, Sanaatan and Sanandan arrived at Kailaash to receive instructions from Shiv regarding the fourfold path to Self-realization ie, Yam, Niyam, Yog and Samaadhi. The Lord explained to them the various details of these four stages, and by way of demonstrating the last stage Samaadhi, he himself remained in it, completely absorbed in Supreme Silence (Mahaa Maun). Thus he showed the Rishi that the last stage is not to be explained but to be realized actually in that state of Supreme Silence.

At this critical juncture, the Devtaa along with Indra, Brahmaa and Vishnu entered the hills and were stopped from proceeding further by Nandee, who explained to them how it was not a suitable time to see the Lord. Overcome by disappointment at this, the Devtaa retreated not knowing what to do. They held an emergency meeting to find out some way out of this impasse. They were quite convinced that without Shiv´s grace and help they could not overthrow the tyranny of the Asur; but they were unable to devise any means by which this grace and help could be obtained; nor, at the same time, had they the courage to approach and disturb the Lord in his meditation. Hence they found themselves at their wit's end.

Brahmaa Jee suggested that Manmath (Cupid or Kaam Dev), the god of love, should be sent to wake up the Lord from his Yaugik trance. Though at first he refused, but as he was forced to yield to the request, he made his way to the presence of Shiv. With his arrows of flowers he awoke Shiv. At this disturbance, there broke out from his Tri-Kuti a terrific beam of unendurable light and heat which burnt Manmath to ashes. This made the Devtaa more panicky. They rushed to the presence of the Lord, fell at his feet and beseeched him to save them from his wrath and from the Asur. The Lord sympathized with their plight and assured them of protection. And at the request of Rati, the wife of Manmath, the latter was brought back to life and made visible to Rati, though invisible to all others. Having thus been assured of help, the Devtaa left Kailaash, anxiously awaiting the day of their release from the tyranny of the Asur.

Paarvatee Jee, who had been born as the daughter to the Himvaan, was doing severe Tapas on Shiv for attaining him as her husband. The Lord, much pleased with her penance, appeared before her in the guise of a hunter. After testing the purity, sincerity of Paarvatee and her intense devotion to him, He revealed himself to her and promised her that he would marry her very soon. Parvat Raaj (Himaalaya), father of Paarvatee, accordingly made preparation for the marriage; and it was duly performed on a lavish and grand scale.

Shiv retired with Paarvatee to Mount Kailaash. Shortly after this, the Devtaa appeared before him and reminded him of his promise to redeem them from their present slavery to the Asur. In order to help them as desired, He assumed his original form with six faces. From each of these faces a Divine spark shot forth. The resplendence of these Divine sparks only tended to increase the sufferings and confusion of the Devtaa. But the Lord ordered Vaayu Dev (Wind god) and Agni Dev (Fire god) to carry these six sparks and leave them in the sacred Gangaa, who was to take them to a pond known by the name of Shar Van -appoihai. Vaayu and Agni Dev obeyed him at once. By the grace of Shiv, the sparks were carried by holy Gangaa to Shar Van-appoihai. On arriving at the pond, the sparks assumed the form of six children of paralleled beauty. Each baby was lying on a lotus and was being lulled to sleep by the Devee of the Krittikaa (the 3rd constellation of the 27 Stars - see the names of all stars or Nakshatra here).

To witness this Avataar of the Savior, all Devtaa hastened to the pond along with Shiv and Paarvatee. Paarvatee, out of the extreme fondness of a mother, took up the babies together and called them Skand. Instead of remaining as six separate individual babies, they arose the form of one Deity with six faces and twelve hands. Hence he was known as Lord Shanmukh - the Lord with six faces. As he was nursed by the six Devee of the Krittikaa Star, he was also known as Kaarttik Swaamee, or Kaarttikeya. Thus, to the great joy of the persecuted Devtaa, the Lord himself appeared in the form of Shanmukh to protect the good and to punish the wicked. As the form of Shanmukh originated in a pond of shrubs, he was known as Sharvan-bhava. Along with him there appeared nine other divine heroes, the eldest of them being Veerabaahu by name. These nine brother heroes were to assist Skand in his war with the Asur.

Even as a boy Shanmukh showed his extraordinary prowess and valor. His Leelaa during boyhood supplied confirmation to the Devtaa that he was the fittest savior and the best General to command the army against the mighty Asur, Surapadm. Once, while he was playing up and down the hills, some Devtaa, being ignorant of the real greatness of Skand, dragged him playfully to fight, treating him as an ordinary child. Ultimately Indra arrayed his army against this boy for a fight, but was defeated in the end and almost got killed. At the intervention of Naarad, the Devtaa realized their folly in fighting against their own savior and begged Kaartikeya's pardon. Out of compassion the Lord brought back the dead Devtaa to life.

On one occasion, he heard the news of the terror and destruction caused by a goat-headed Asur. Kaarttikeya immediately sought him out and, in a hand-to-hand fight, took hold of the Asur by his horns, but out of mercy, instead of killing him, he made him his Vaahan or vehicle.

Kaarttikeya and Meaning of Aum

Once, the Devtaa along with Brahmaa and Vishnu came to Mount Kailaash to have Darshan of Lord Shiv. While returning after their worship, they had the Darshan of Shanmukh and offered their humble obeisance to him, too. But Brahmaa Jee, obsessed by a sense of his rank and importance, declined to do so and ignored Shanmukh. Noticing and resenting this attitude of Brahmaa, Kaarttik called him to his hall and asked him to take a seat along with other Devtaa. When they were all seated, Kaarttikeya put a series of queries to Brahmaa Jee. Brahmaa Jee answered them.

Finally Kaarttikeya asked Brahmaa Jee whether he could explain the real significance of the Pranav (Aum). Brahmaa Jee was unable to do this satisfactorily. Thus proving the ignorance of Brahmaa, and with the intention of punishing him for his pride Shanmukh ordered him to be imprisoned. The work of creation from that time onwards was taken over by he himself. The news of Brahmaa's imprisonment reached Shiv, when the Devtaa interceded on Brahmaa's behalf and requested him to release Brahmaa. Shiv proceeded with the other Devtaa to the abode of Skand and asked him to release Brahmaa Jee, but Skand at first refused to do so on the ground that a Devtaa who did not know the significance of the Pranav was not fit to function as the Creator of the Universe. However, in obedience to the words of his father, Shanmukh released him from prison.

Then Shankar playfully challenged Skand to explain the meaning of the Pranav himself. Shanmukh accepted the challenge and treating his father as a disciple expatiated on the subject. Shiv was delighted with the thoroughness of the exposition and he himself for the first time realized the immensity of the significance as expounded by his philosopher son.

After some time, Shiv thought it was time to prepare Kaarttikeya for the fight against the Asur. He summoned him accordingly and blessed him with the peerless Vel (Spear) and many other formidable weapons. Veerabaahu and his eight brothers made all the necessary arrangements for the expedition under the guidance of Kaarttikeya. When everything was made ready, Shiv gave him his benediction and assurance of victory; and loudly cheered by the Devtaa, he, accompanied by his nine brothers and hosts of other warriors, proceeded to South for the conquest of the Asur.

On the way, he met the mountain-Asur, Kraunch, who was entrapping and killing innocent passers-by. With one throw of his Vel, Kaarttikeya ended the wicked wretch. The destruction of Kraunch, one of the lieutenants of Taarakaasur, infuriated the latter, and he came raging to Shanmukh. He had the Sudarshan Chakra of Vishnu dangling around his neck as a token of his having defeated Lord Vishnu. In the grim fight that ensued, Taarakaasur employed all the known tactics of warfare and used innumerable missiles against the army of the Devtaa battling under the generalship of Kaarttikeya, but to his utter disappointment and dismay, no missile had any effect on him, and, what was completely disastrous to him that none returned to the sender, as it was the wont heretofore. Having failed with every other weapon, Taarak took up the Paashupataastra, which he had wrested from Shiv and sent it in due form against Kaarttik. Kaarttikeya meditating with concentration upon the glories of his father, calmly received the Astra and kept it aside. This unexpected finale filled the Asur with dread and a sense of helplessness. At last Kaarttikeya dispatched his Vel, and killed Taarakaasur, the younger brother of Surapadm. Kaarttikeya then proceeded to further South.

News of the death of Taarakaasur reached Mahendra Pur, the capital of Surapadm, and to Asur, the capital of Sinhamukh, by Asurendra, son of the dead demon. After traversing many lands, Kaarttikeya reached the seashore in the South and halted at the place called Tiruchendur. Fresh news reached him there through the Dev Guru Brihaspati of the great atrocities and cruelties perpetrated by the Asur afresh against the Devtaa.