Answer:
Story:
A rakshasa called Tarakasura had become a curse to the world. He had performed tapas in the Pariyata Mountain regions and had secured from Lord Brahma a boon that no god who had been born by then would be able to kill him. He had a clever boon that he could be defeated only by the son of seven days of age to be born of Shiva.
(Taraka knew the Sati episode and thought that Shiva will not remarry).
Intoxicated by the boon, Tarakasura repeatedly defeated the gods until heaven was on the verge of collapse. Unable to suffer his harassment the gods approached Lord Brahma. Brahma told them, None of the gods of the present can kill Tarakasura. A new god has to be born. Brahma asked the gods to ensure that Parvati (daughter of Himawantha- king of mountains and manorama) who is Sati reincarnate was meditating for Shiva in the
Himalayas, should marry Shiva as only a son of Shiva could kill Tarakasura.
The gods said to themselves, How can we awaken Lord Shiva who is absorbed in
meditation? Who can persuade him to marry Parvathi? Then, Manmatha, the God of Love, offered to help them. He had a bow and arrows made of flowers. His arrow would awaken love in any one whom it hit. He said to the gods, Go to the Himalayas and talk to Parvathi.Persuade her to hover near Shiva. I shall then shoot my floral arrow, and make him fall in love with her. The gods liked the plan. But they were also worried, thinking What if Shiva is angry with Manmatha?But Manmatha said, 'It does not matter even if Shiva is displeased and destroys me. The gods should be free from the threat of Tarakasura.
The gods met Parvathi and explained their plan. They sought her co-operation. She was yearning to marry Shiva and gladly consented. They all came to the region where Shiva had forgotten himself in spiritual pursuit. There was Shiva on a rock, lost in meditation. He looked so grand that none of the gods dared to stand before him. They all hid themselves behind trees. Parvathi stood before him and began to worship him.
Manmatha waited for the right moment and then fixed his arrows of flowers and shot them. The arrows struck Shiva. He became a veritable live volcano in his fury, for his meditation had been disturbed. Manmatha arrows had disturbed Shiva tapas and he opened the eye in his forehead. The gods who were watching from behind trees were terrified. At once they cried out in one voice,Lord, withhold your wrath. Save Manmatha. But already it was too late. Lightning darted from Shiva eye and, as the gods watched aghast, Manmatha was just a heap of ashes. Shiva resumed his tapas.
He did not even throw a glance at Parvathi. The gods were deeply disappointed and in dismay. Parvathi realized that she could win over a god only through sacrifice and tapas.I shall win over Shiva by my devotion, she decided; and she began a most rigorous tapas. Finally Shiva appears before her please with her tapas. The wedding of Shiva and Parvathi was celebrated with great grandeur.
Later a son was born to Shiva and Parvathi. He was given the name Subramanya. The goddesses Krithikadevis were appointed to tend kumaraswamy. So Kuamara is also known as Karthikeya. He encounters Tarakasura in a blood-chilling duel and kill him and establish peace in heaven.
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