Lord Kartikeya

Story about Lord Kartikeya. Here in this story the person Narada is different from the Sage Narada muni.
Lord Kartikeya stopped the killing of Animals for sacrifices.
In the end it is given that, Even though the evil might be powerful, but it always is punished by God.

Once a person by name Narada came to Kartikeya and said, "0 Lord, I was performing the sacred 'Ajamedha' sacrifice. But the 'ajar' (goat) which is to be killed and offered as sacrifice has disappeared. I have searched in vain. Some angels or Rakshasas must have taken it away. The sacrificial rites have come to a halt. You are the protector of all sacrifices and the Lord of the Universe. You are the son of Shiva, the highest deity in any sacrifice. You protect those who are supplicants and fulfil the desires of all virtuous persons. Please get back for me that goat so that my ritual may be completed." Kartikeya sent Veerabahu, one of heroes, to search for Narada's goat.

There was no sign of that goat anywhere in the world. Then Veerabahu went to Vaikunta, the world of Mahavishnu, and found it there. He learnt that as ordered by Vishnu, his men had taken the goat there to protect its life. Veerabahu brought the goat to Kartikeya. But Kartikeya kept quiet, without immediately handing over the goat to Narada.

Yajna With No Killing
Thereupon Narada requested again and said, "Lord, please get me my goat. I will make a sacrificial offering of it and complete my yajna." "Look, the killing of any animal," Kartikeya told him, "is not correct, for performing any Yajna (sacrifice). The Vedas, which are our ancient religious texts, do not prescribe it. Any yajna has to beperformed in a non-violent manner. The word 'Aja', which stands for a goat, also means that which is not born, meaning rice. So 'Ajamedha' is the Yajna wherein boiled rice is offered to the fire-god, Agni. So complete your Yajna eschewing violence. Then you will get the full credit and profit from the sacrifice."

Narada accepted this learned exposition of the Yajna. He took the goat with Kartikeya's permission, but did not kill it, and brought it up. He performed his Yajna in a non-violent manner and set an ideal for the future generations.

For The Well-Being Of The World
Among the boys who displayed extra- ordinary courage and heroism for the welfare of the world, the very first one was Kartikeya. Even as a child he was an unparalleled hero. He destroyed the wicked, protected the virtuous and upheld 'Dharma' or the path of virtue. His learning was unequalled. He also brought into vogue the performance of sacrifices without the killing of animals.

The temples of the deity Subrahmanya are seen in many places in our country. "Subrahmanya Shashti", or the sixth day of a particular fortnight in the Hindu almanac, is a sacred day for Hindus. A very large number of devotees offer special worship on the "Shashti" days.The great seer Sankara- charya has composed a hymn in Sanskrit language in praise of Subrahmanya. It is called the "Subrahmanya Bhujanga Stotra". By killing the wicked Rakshasas Taraka and Shurapadma, Kartikeya demonstrated that however strong and intelligent the wicked may be, they will finally be punished and vanquished. Tarakasura was so proud thinking that he had obtained a boon from Brahma with such cleverness and there could be no death for him. Evil can prosper for sometime and seem to win. But its final defeat and destruction are inevitable. This truth has been upheld in our mythology in various ways and in the rise and fall of many personages.