Having heard the glorious history of Ganga, through Visvamitra, Rama and Lakshmana wished to know as to what had taken place in her hoary past, both in heaven as well as on the earth. Purifier of the world that she was, they wondered as to what made her flow in three different ways and by what merits she came to be known as mother Ganga. "Many years ago", said Visvamitra, "the greatest of ascetics, Siva married Parvathi and they spent one hundred years blissfully reveling in each other. At the end of that period, Parvathi was yet to conceive a child.In the meanwhile Brahma and the gods were perplexed and worried as to who could bear the child born of this divine union. They then invoked lord Siva and pleaded with him to retain his energies of creation within his most magnificent self. Siva declared that he could have done so, but since the energy was already dislodged, he askedthem "who would be capable of bearing it", and the devatas said that the earth would.

Thus counseled, Siva let his energies flow to the earth, which spread over forests and mountains, making them light up brilliantly. Fearing this great brilliance, the devatas implored the lord of fire, Agni along with Vayu, god of wind to pervade into the divine energy. The two gods heeding their pleas did so, turning the divine vital energy into the Sveta mountain. On this grew a forest of white reeds, whose fiery brilliance was like that of the Sun. From this radiance was born the most glorious Karthikeya, whom the devas worshiped with great reverence, as they did also, lord Shiva and his consort Uma.

The daughter of the mountain king Uma was furious at these happenings. Eyes red with anger she cursed them all, for preventing her from begetting a son. "Just as I am deprived, may you also be unable to father children. From now on your wives shall remain childless". She thundered. Nor did she spare, the earth, which she bitterly blamed and cursed "Evil one, my anger shall defile you. May you be manifold in form and wife to many masters. May you never experience a mother's love for her son". Beholding the shamed devatas, Siva started traveling towards the Himalayas. Reaching the northern slope and reaching a peak on that slope, he entered into a great penance along with Parvathi". Visvamitra concluding his narration asked Rama and Lakshmana to now listen to the origin of Ganga.