Let me tell you the sacred tale as revealed in the scriptures. There is one who is ever to be worshipped, saluted, and remembered in all endeavors—even the greatest of gods, Īśa, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā, the lotus-born, honor him before all undertakings. He is the Lord of Obstacles, Gaṇeśa, to whom all take refuge. There is truly no god equal to him, the bestower of all that is desired. Even Śiva, the destroyer of Tripura, knowing this truth, worshipped Gaṇeśa before vanquishing the ancient enemies. May he, the beloved son of Ambikā, swiftly remove all obstacles for us in this great sacrifice. By meditating upon him, the cherished wishes of all embodied beings are fulfilled. When the goddess’s son was born, a great festival arose among all beings—even as he was conceived, the hosts of gods rejoiced, their aims fulfilled, and bowed to the newborn Lord of Obstacles. Even as a child, restrained by his mother, he climbed onto her lap and, with playful force, concealed the moon in the matted locks of his father, the Lord of Hosts. Such is the delightful nature of Gaṇeśa. He drank his mother’s milk and, though satisfied, harbored a trace of jealousy toward his brother. Thus, O pot-bellied one, you became the Lord of Obstacles, and Śambhu himself gave you the name Lambodara. Surrounded by the hosts of gods, Maheśa declared, “Let the dance begin!” Delighted by the mere sound of anklets, he anointed his own son as Lord of the Hosts. Gaṇeśa, holding the noose of obstacles in one hand and an axe on his shoulder with the other, is so powerful that, even if not worshipped, he can create obstacles for one’s own mother—who can equal the Lord of Obstacles? In all pursuits—dharma, wealth, and desire—he is to be worshipped first by gods and asuras alike, and is always to be revered. His worship never leads to loss or destruction; to that foremost one, I bow first. By his worship, all desired fruits are fulfilled according to one’s prayers, and even the pride of self-reliant power is surpassed—to that beloved brother, the mouse-rider, I offer my praise. He delighted his mother with streams of dance, song, and every entertaining art. When she was thus satisfied, to that blessed Gaṇeśa I seek refuge. He is ever prosperous through the help of the gods, in battles with asuras, through hymns, salutations, mantras, and his father’s favor—to that blessed Gaṇeśa I seek refuge. He once opposed the ancient enemies in battle and, delighted, was worshipped by his father, again bringing about freedom from obstacles. To that Gaṇeśa I bow. Thus praised by the hosts of gods, the Lord of Obstacles spoke to them once more: “From me, freedom from obstacles in this sacrifice of the foe of the asuras will arise.” When the gods’ sacrifice was complete, Gaṇeśa addressed them: “Those who, with devotion and self-restraint, praise me with this hymn—poverty and suffering shall never arise for them. Those who, with devotion and diligence, perform bathing and giving here—all their undertakings will succeed.” At that very moment, the gods replied, “So be it.” When the sacrifice had ended, the gods returned to their own abodes. From that time onward, that sacred place has been known as free from obstacles, granting all desires to people and destroying every impediment. It is called Śeṣa-tīrtha, the bestower of all desires. Now, let me describe its form as it has been revealed. Śeṣa, the great serpent and lord of Rasātala, surrounded by all the serpents, entered Rasātala. But the demons—the offspring of Daityas and Dānavas—who had entered Rasātala, expelled the lord of serpents. Distressed, Śeṣa came to me and said, “You have given Rasātala to the demons and to me as well, but they will not grant me a place; therefore, I have come to you for refuge.” I said to the serpent, “Go to the Gautamī. There, by praising Mahādeva, you will obtain your desire.” Truly, there is no one in the three worlds who grants wishes as he does. Prompted by my words, the serpent bathed in the Gaṅgā with effort, joined his palms, and praised the lord of the gods: “Salutations to the lord of the three worlds, destroyer of Dakṣa’s sacrifice, the prime creator; salutations to you, who embody the three worlds. Salutations to the thousand-headed one, to the agent of dissolution; to you whose forms are moon, sun, fire, and water, salutations. Always, salutations to you of all forms, to you who are time; protect, O Śaṅkara, lord of all, protect, O lord of Soma, all-pervading one, lord of the world, salutations to you; grant me my heart’s desire.” Pleased, Maheśvara granted the serpent the desired boons, for the destruction of the enemies of the gods—the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas. He gave Śeṣa a trident, saying, “With this, destroy the foremost of your enemies.” Then Śiva instructed Śeṣa and the serpents regarding the trident. Śeṣa returned to Rasātala and, in battle, slew his enemies—the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas—with the trident. Thereafter, the serpent god returned by the same path to the place where his lord, Hara, was. Where the god emerged from Rasātala, a cave appeared, and from the floor of that cave, the supremely holy water of the Ganges flowed forth. That water became the Ganges, and from its confluence, before the god, there was a wide pool. There, the serpent performed a sacrifice, where fire always resides; thus, the water became warm, and there was the confluence with the Ganges. Having worshipped the god of gods, the illustrious and pleased serpent obtained from Śiva the desired netherworld and went to that realm. From that time, that sacred place has been called Nāgatīrtha—the bestower of all desires, holy, and destroyer of disease and poverty. It is holy, bestowing long life and prosperity, and grants liberation through bathing and giving. Whoever listens to, recites, or even remembers this with devotion attains the same blessings. O best of sages, at that sacred place where Śeṣa is lord and Śiva grants power, there are hundreds of holy sites among the twenty-one tīrthas, all bestowers of every prosperity.