It was there that the commander-in-chief of the gods named Kumara, in his younger days, disregarding the three worlds with all the inhabitants, threw down his dart, piercing the Earth therewith. Throwing down his dart, Skanda, addressing the universe, said, If there be any person who is superior to me in might, or who holds Brahmanas to be dearer, or who can equal me in devotion to the Brahmanas and the Vedas, or who is endued with energy like me, let him draw up this dart or at least shake it!-Hearing this challenge, the three worlds became stricken with anxiety, and all creatures asked one another, saying-who will raise this dart?
शक्तिय॑स्ता क्षितितले त्रैलोक्यमवमन्य वै॥ तत्रोवाच जगत् स्कन्दः क्षिपन् वाक्यमिदं तदा। योऽन्योऽस्ति मत्तोऽभ्यधिको विप्रा यस्याधिकं प्रियाः।। यो ब्रह्मण्यो द्वितीयोऽस्ति त्रिषु लोकेषु वीर्यवान्। साऽभ्युद्धरत् त्विमां शक्तिमथवा कम्पयत्विति॥ तच्छ्रुत्वा व्यथिता लोकाः क इमामुद्धरेदिति।