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Now all turned to a Pandit who was going to tell about Mangal and his light. That Pandit's eyes were red and he looked very courageous. He started speaking - "O King, Mangal is exceedingly cruel, as sharp as a a blade and becomes so furious with anyone who worships him arrogantly, that he destroys his whole family and his prosperity. On the contrary, who worships him regularly with humility, he blesses him with wealth and cures his diseases. His vow relieves all difficulties, especially those of illness, debt and enemies. When you observe his vow, wear red clothes, offer red flowers and eat only once on that day. The food should be red in color - like wheat.

He is as bright as a blazing fire, energetic and lustful, adventurous and wrathful. He is an accomplished speaker, Kshatriya by caste, a warrior, and causes injury. He likes red color. He rules muscles and bone marrow in the body, the southern direction, Tuesday, and the constellations Mesh (Aries) and Vrishchik (Scorpio). His metal is copper and his gem is red coral. He is called disease-eater and wound-causer; and since he looks red in color, he is known as Angaarak also. There is Mangal Dev temple in our city and it is said that he was born here in Ujjayinee on the banks of Kshipraa River."

Destruction of Daksh's Yagya and Birth of Mars

Vikram asked with curiosity - "Tell me the story of birth of Mars, I am curious to know." The Pandit said - "You have heard the story of Daksh's curse to his son-in-law Lord Moon. [read "Why Chandramaa Wanes and Waxes? "] His this evil act came to fruition when he insulted his another son-in-law, Lord Shiv - Mar's father.

Daksh Jee had married his one daughter Satee to Shiv Jee. Once Brahmaa Jee organized a great Yagya in which he invited all the celestials so all celestials came there to participate in it. Vishnu and Shiv Jee had already arrived there. Daksh Jee came there later. When Daksh Jee entered the Yagya Shaalaa everybody rose from his seat to honor him and greeted him respectfully. But Shiv Jee neither rose from his seat nor he greeted his father-in-law. At this Daksh Jee got very angry. He scolded and insulted him for not greeting him then and there only, but Shiv Jee said - "We both are the same, then who should greet whom?" This incident made Shiv Jee Daksh's enemy.

Later Daksh became Prajaapati so he organized a great sacrifice. He also invited all celestials and his relatives, but as he was angry with Shiv, he invited neither Satee nor Shiv Jee in that Yagya. Satee saw many Vimaan flying in the sky going somewhere. She inquired about them as where were they going to and came to know that her father  had been appointed as Prajaapati so hewas doing a great Yagya. He had invited everybody except her husband and her. She got very happy to hear about her father so she wanted to go to his house. Shiv Jee explained her a lot that it was not appropriate to go there without invitation even it was her father's house, but Satee did not agree with him, and got ready to go there. Then Shiv Jee sent her with some of his Gans.

When she reached there she was not welcomed there, only her mother spoke with her affectionately. She did not see Shiv's share also in the Yagya Shaalaa. Seeing this her anger crossed the limit, she said - "In whichever place my husband is not respected, I also have no right to stay there." And she immolated herself with the Yagya sacred Fire. Seeing this Shiv's Gan ran away to inform this to Shiv Jee. He also got very angry at this and a drop of sweat of rage fell down from his forehead where Chandramaa sits. It was the curse of Daksh Jee which landed him in such hot water.

As the drop fell on the Earth, it became a fiery being of unlimited energy who, after blazing his way through the Earth and through all the Paataal (underworlds) burnt the seven seas. His name was Veerbhadra. He had many heads, many eyes and tens of thousands of arms and legs. He asked his father and said - "Command me, what should I do for you?" Shiv ordered him to kill Daksh and destroy his Yagya. Veerbhadra immediately went there, destroyed Daksh's Yagya and killed him.

When Veerbhadra had finished his assignment he came back to Shiv, he said to him - "You have already done lots of harm to the universe, pacify the cosmos again and live in Heavens. There you will become foremost of planets, O Son of Earth, and your name will be Angaarak." Thus he was transformed into a planet, the equal of the great Kaartikeya. However Lord Shiv permitted Daksh's Yagya and peace returned to the universe. Because of this destruction many diseases cropped up in the world. Veerbhadra himself became the fever in the world. A total of eight diseases appeared in the world - Gulma (abdominal swelling), leprosy and diabetes, insanity, epilepsy, and Rakt Pitta (hemothermia). The eighth one was consumption which appeared due to Daksh's curse to Chandramaa."

Who is Kaartikeya?

The King said - "It is interesting, then what is the relationship between Mangal and Kaartikeya?" The Pandit said - "Some say that Mangal is Kaartikeya, while others maintain, that Mangal is a planet and Kaartikeya is a star. People say this also that who are afflicted by Mangal, should worship Kaartikeya. I tell you a story about this.

Some say that Kaartikeya was born directly from Shiv's semen. When Shiv and Paarvatee were enjoying their honeymoon, they entered into sexual relationship which lasted uninterrupted for 100 million years. This ended only because of the interruption by Agni Dev, as a consequence Shiv lost his control, ejaculated his semen and Kaartikeya was born. While others say that Kaartikeya was the son of Agni Dev because of his passion for Krittikaas (the stars who form the Pleiades), because Kaartikeya means the son of Krittikaas. Originally the Pleiades were the wives of the Great Bears (Sapt Rishi) - the seven stars of the Big Dipper.

Agni Dev, after serving a long sacrifice conducted by these seven Rishi, was overwhelmed by their wives, so he entered their household fires to touch them, but they refused to be tempted. This action of those wives increased his desire more, so he went to forest either to cool his desire or to fulfill his desire. As he was in the forest, he was spotted by Swaahaa - another daughter of Daksh. She expressed her love to him, but he did not accept her, so she assumed one of those seven Rishi's wives and made love to him. Agni Dev could not recognize her and was overjoyed at this meting. Swaahaa, one after the other, assumed all Rishis' wives' form and made love to him, and Agni Dev enjoyed with her each time. But she found difficult this when she tried to assume the form of Arundhatee (Vashishth's wife). She was so devoted to her husband that Swaahaa could not assume her form.

So six times she mated with Agni Dev and after that six times she became the bird and flew to the peak of a high white mountain where she kept Agni Dev's semen at a safe place so that Sapt Rishis' wives could not be accused for adultery with Agni Dev. From that semen was born a boy of immense potent named Skand.

Now the news spread around that the six wives six Rishis were his mothers. Rishis, outraged with this news abandoned their wives. Although Vishwaamitra knew this because he had seen everything told them that their wives were chaste; he knew this because he had initiate Skand and performed all his Sanskaars, but the Rishi did not listen to him and those six wives went to Skand and told him that their husbands had abandoned them, and begged him to elevate them to Heaven. According to their wish he elevated them there where they started living on the ecliptic and became the six Pleiades and were cherished as Kaartikey's mothers. Arundhatee remained with her husband as the star Alcor. After this Swaahaa got married Agni.

Now Indra feared with Kaartikeya's powers, so he asked these six women to kill him, but they were so overcome with the love towards this child that milk started oozing from their breasts - this created the Milky Way. Kaartikeya drank that milk and the Goddess Kaalee (the Drinker of Blood) took him as her own son.

Indra again tried to kill him but he defeated all Devtaa easily. So Indra pierced his side with his Vajra (thunderbolt), there came out another boy with a club in his hand who was called Vishaakh. Finally Indra accepted him as one of the celestials and appointed him as the army chief of Devtaa's army. So such is Kaartikeya and such is the planet Mangal. I bow low to this eternally young Mangal.