Markandeya said: - -
1-3. The planets with their satelites, 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 celestials, wishing to win victory and believing success to be difficult to be attained mounted his elephant. Airavata; and attended by the other celestials advanced towards Skanda.
4-8. Surrounded by all the celestials 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 celestials, 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.
9. Thereupon the lord of the celestials with the celestials sent forth lion-like roars. Having heard that roar, Guha also roared like the ocean.
10. On hearing that noise, the celestial army was agitated like the great ocean— and it was stunned and it remained fixed in one place.
11. Having seen the celestials 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.
12-14. 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 celestials, Indra hurled his thunder on Skanda.
15. O great king, it pierced the right side of Skanda and it severed that side of that high-souled being.
16. 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.
17-18. Because he was born on account of the piercing of the thunder-bolt, he was named Vishakha. Sing 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 celestials were then filled with joy and their musicians then began to play.
Thus ends the two hundred and twenty-sixth chapter, fight between Skanda and Shakra, in the Markandeya Samasya of the Vana Parva.