Mars - A view from the Puranas

 
                         Mars -A view from the Puranas

    On July 4 , 1997 , the Independence day of the USA, a spacecraft , Mars the pathfinder landed on nearing the planet, Mars. " Sci-fic became Sci-fact", said a scientist with NASA, in USA.
Throughout man's history no planet has inspired more awe than the Mars and the baleful glare of the Red planet in the night sky has both fascinated and frightened the man. To the ancient civilizations, it was the God of war in Greece, Rome and India. The fascination for Mars is seen in various science fictions, radio plays and movies - all involving encounters with the Red planet's denizens of various sizes, shapes and consistencies. The English novelist H . G . Well's book ' The War of the Worlds' , a dramatic account of an invasion of the earth by octopus like Martians, epitomises the mystic spell of Mars over the human beings.
Recent scientific investigations point out great similarities between the earth and Mars so much so that the scientists believe that originally Mars should have been with earth, later on it must have got separated from the earth.
hindu astrology declares Mars as Bhauma or Bhumiputra, the son of the earth.
Nomenclature - Mars is known by various names. Angaraka ( born from the limb of Shiva or born from Fire ), Bhauma ( son of the earth ), Kuja ( Ku- earth ja -born  , born from the earth ) and also Mangala ( beneficial ), Lohita ( red ).
Nature - He is fiery. According to Naradiya purana , Mars is of cruel look, young, bilious , and fickle.
Form- Garuda Purana describes that the huge chariot of Mars is of the color of molten gold and is drawn by eight horses, of the  filaments of a lotus and is born of fire.
World - The world of Mars is called lohita ( red). It is nine rayed and full of water.
Birth -  According to Matsya Purana, all planets have originated from the rays of the Sun. Mars is the product of the Sun's ray called Samvardhana.
From the perspiration of Lord Shiva-
Puranas like Skanda, Shiva state that when Sati ( Shiva' wife ) sacrificed herself at the sacrifice of Daksha. Shiva, greatly grief stricken at the loss of his wife, started doing penance at the Kailasa mountain. Due to excess of heat produced in the body, a drop of perspiration fell down on the earth from the fore-head of Shiva. From it rose up a child, red in body, with four arms, emitting an extraordinary splendour and started weeping. The earth took the child in her lap and gave him milk and fondled him.
Lord Shiva conferred a boon on the earth that the child would be known after her name. The child would be bestower of land. Since the child was nourished by the earth, he is called Bhauma, Bhumiputra and Kuja. He worshipped Lord Shiva at Kashi and attained the status of a planet by the grace of Shiva.
The birth of Angaraka from the perspiration of Shiva is said to have taken place near Avanti ( Ujjain ), on the banks of the Shipra river. He is called Mangalanatha.
Devi Bhagavata mentions Mangala as the son of Bhumi devi ( earth ) who is the wife of Mahavishnu in his incarnation as Varaha ( Boar ).
Mars is generally identified with Kartikeya. Actually Mars was born for the benefit of the world to destroy the demon Taraka.
There is still another account of the origin of Skanda. Shiva emitted sparks of fire from his eyes, which being thrown into the lake Sharavana, became six infants, who were nursed by the wives of the sages, who are seen in the sky as the Pleiades ( Krittikas). When Parvati saw these babies, she was transported with joy and embraced all of them together so forcibly that their six bodies became one, while their six heads and twelve arms remained.
In yet another legend, Parvati gave into Agni' s keeping the foetus of her unborn son Kartikeya. While it was being carried by Agni, it fell into the Ganges. Hence Kumara is sometimes referred to as the son of Agni and Ganga. The infant was brought up by six Krittikas, hence the name Kartikeya
Kumara is known by various names such as Bhauma, Guha ( the mysterious ), Mahasena ( the great
general ), Shaktidhara (spear holder ), Sharabhu ( Thicket born ),Senapati ( commander - in - chief ).
Worship - Tuesday is sacred for Mars. When the bright fourth tithi ( chaturthi ) falls on a Tuesday, that day is very auspicious for the worship of Mars. It is called Angaraka chaturthi.
Shashti tithi ( sixth tithi )
Since Skanda was anointed as commander - in -chief on a Shashti tithi, it is a day sacred for the worship of Mars. It is said that worshipping Mars on that day, one can get wealth and son.
According to Shiva Purana, if a person worships Skanda and offers lamp etc. as gifts on Tuedays with Krttika star,he will become a clairvoyant whose utterances will always turn out to be true.
Angaraka chaturdashi - if there is fourteenth tithi on a Tuesday, worship of Mars yields more results than a hundred solar eclipses.