Invoking the sacred fire...

Chapter 1Maheshvara Khanda: The Birth of the War-God
The Birth of Skanda
स्कन्दजन्म
The gods, oppressed by the demon Taraka, seek a son of Shiva to lead them; the seed of Shiva is carried to the Ganga and the reeds, and the war-god Skanda is born and nursed by the six Krittikas.