“Ganga said, ’The foetus is endued with the complexion of gold.  In energy it is even like thee, O sinless one!  Of an excellent complexion, perfectly stainless, and blazing with splendour, it has illuminated the entire mountain.  O foremost of all persons endued with penances, the fragrance emitted by it resembles the cool perfume that its scattered by lakes adorned with lotuses and Nyphoea stellata, mixed with that of the Nauclea Cadamba.  With the splendour of that foetus everything around it seemed to be transformed into gold even as all things on mountain and low land seem to be transformed into gold by the rays of the Sun.  Indeed, the splendour of that foetus, spreading far, falls upon mountains and rivers and springs.  Indeed, it seems that the three worlds, with all their mobile and immobile creatures, are being illuminated by it.  Even of this kind is thy child, O illustrious bearer of sacrificial libations.  Like unto Surya or thy blazing self, in beauty it is even like a second Soma.’  Having said these words, the goddess disappeared there and then.  Pavaka also, of great energy, having accomplished the business of the deities proceeded to the place he liked, O delighter of the Bhrigus.  It was in consequence of the result of this act that the Rishis and the deities bestowed the name of Hiranyaretas upon the deity of fire.[386] And because the Earth held that seed (after the goddess Ganga had cast it upon her), she also came to be called by the name of Vasumati.  Meanwhile; that foetus, which had sprung from Pavaka and been held for a time by Ganga,[387] having fallen on a forest of reeds, began to grow and at last assumed a wonderful form.  The presiding goddess of the constellation Krittika beheld that form resembling the rising sun.  She thenceforth began to rear that child as her son with the sustenance of her breast.  For this reason, that child of pre-eminent splendour came to be called Kartikeya after her name.  And because he grew from seed that fell out of Rudra’s body, he came to be called Skanda.  The incident also of his birth having taken place in the solitude of a forest of reeds, concealed from everybody’s view, led to his being called by the name of Guha.  It was in this way that gold came into existence as the offspring of the deity of blazing flames.[388] Hence it is that gold came to be looked upon as the foremost of all things and the ornament of the very gods.  It was from this circumstance that gold came to be called by the name of Jatarupam.[389] It is the foremost of all costly things, and among ornaments also it is the foremost.  The cleanser among all cleansing things, it is the most auspicious of all auspicious objects.  Gold is truly the illustrious Agni. the Lord of all things, and the foremost of all Prajapatis.  The most sacred of all sacred things is gold, O foremost of re-generate ones.  Verily, gold is said to have for its essence Agni and Soma.’