यच्छ्रु तं धर्मवक्त्रेण तदुक्तं च यथागमम् । सुदुर्लभमुपाख्यानं किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि
You have heard that rare narrative, spoken by the expounder of dharma and recounted according to tradition; what more do you wish to hear?
इति श्रीब्रह्मo महाo श्रीकृष्णजन्मखo उत्तo नारदानाo स्यमन्तकमणिः हरणं नाम द्वाविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः
Thus, in the great Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, in the section on the birth of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, this is the one hundred and twenty-second chapter, entitled 'The Theft of the Syamantaka Jewel by Nārada.'
अथ त्रयोविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः नारद उवाच गणेशपूजनाख्यानं पुराणेषु च दुर्लभम् । श्रुतं तद्ब्रह्मणो वक्त्रात्सामान्यं च समासतः
Now, the one hundred and twenty-third chapter. Nārada said: The account of the worship of Gaṇeśa, which is rare even in the Purāṇas, has been heard from the mouth of Brahmā, summarized in general.
महिमानं गणपतेः सर्वबूज्येश्वरस्य च । व्यासेन श्रोतुमिच्छामि योगीन्द्राणां गुरोर्गुरोः
I wish to hear in detail the greatness of Gaṇapati, the Lord of all beings, from Vyāsa, the guru of the lords of yogis.
सिद्धाश्रमे महापूज त्रैलोक्यस्थैः कृता पुरा । राधामाधवयोस्तत्र पुनः संमीलरं पुरा
In the hermitage of the perfected ones, a great worship was formerly performed by those who dwell in the three worlds; there, in ancient times, was also the reunion of Rādhā and Mādhava.
अतीते वर्षशतके श्रीदाम्नः शापमोक्षणे । आदौ चकार पूजां च सा च राधा कथं मुने
A hundred years ago, at the release of Śrīdāma's curse, Rādhā first performed worship there—how did she do so, O sage?
स्थितेषु च सुरेन्द्रेषु ब्रह्मविष्णुशिवादिषु । नागेन्द्रे च स्थिते शेषे नागेषु च महत्सु च
When the lords of the gods, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and others were present, and the lord of serpents, Śeṣa, along with the great serpents, was also there,
राजेन्द्रेषु च भूमौ च बलिष्ठेष्वसुरेषु च । गन्धर्वेषु च रक्षःसु चान्येषु बलवत्सु च
When the lords of kings on earth, the mighty asuras, the gandharvas, the rākṣasas, and other powerful beings were present,
विस्तरेण महाभाग तन्मे व्याख्यातुमर्हसि
O greatly fortunate one, you ought to explain this to me in detail.
नारायण उवाच त्रेलोक्ये पृथिवी धन्या मान्या पुण्यवती सती । तत्र भारतवर्षं च कर्मणां फलदं शुभम्
Nārāyaṇa said: Among the three worlds, the earth is blessed, honored, virtuous, and chaste; there, Bhāratavarṣa is the auspicious land where actions bear fruit.
धन्यं यशस्यं पूज्यं च पुण्यक्षेत्रे च भारते । सिद्धाश्रमं महापुण्यक्षेत्रं मोक्षप्रदं शुभम्
Blessed, renowned, and worthy of worship is Bhārata, the sacred field of merit; there is Siddhāśrama, the great holy place, auspicious and granting liberation.
सनत्कुमारो भगवांस्तत्र सिद्धो बभूव ह । स्वयं विधाता तत्रैव तप्त्वा सिद्धो बभूव ह
There, the venerable Sanatkumāra became perfected; there, the Creator himself, having performed austerities, attained perfection.
योगीन्द्राश्च मुनीन्द्राश्च सिद्धेन्द्राः कपिलादयः । शतक्रन्तून्महेन्द्रश्च तत्र कृत्वा बभूव ह
There, the lords of yogis, the foremost sages, the perfected ones like Kapila, and Indra of a hundred sacrifices, all became perfected after performing austerities.
तेन सिद्धाश्रमं नाम सर्वेषामपि दुर्लभम् । अधिष्ठानं गणेशस्य तत्रेव सततं मुने
Therefore, Siddhāśrama is the name of that place, rare for all; it is the constant abode of Gaṇeśa, O sage.
अमूल्यरत्ननिर्माणगणेशप्रतिमां शुभाम् । वैशाख्यां पूर्णिमायां च पूजां कुर्वन्ति देवताः
On the full moon of Vaiśākha, the gods perform worship of the auspicious image of Gaṇeśa, fashioned from priceless jewels.
नागाश्च मानवाश्चैव दैत्या गन्धर्वराक्षसाः । सिद्धेन्द्राश्च मुनीन्द्राश्च योगीन्द्राः सनकादयाः
There, serpents, humans, daityas, gandharvas, rākṣasas, the lords of the perfected, the foremost sages, and yogis such as Sanaka worship.
तत्राऽऽजगाम शंभुश्च पार्वत्वा सह शंकरः । सगणः कार्तिकेयश्च स्वयं ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः
There, Śaṃbhu arrived with Pārvatī, Śaṅkara with his retinue, Kārtikeya, and Brahmā the progenitor himself.
तत्राऽऽजगाम शेषश्च नागेन्द्रैः सह सत्वरम् । तज्ञाऽऽजग्मुः सुराः सर्वे मनवो मृनयस्तथा
There, Śeṣa arrived swiftly with the lords of serpents; all the gods, Manus, and the departed ancestors also came there.
आजग्मुस्ते नृपाः सर्वे पूजार्थं हृष्टमानसाः । आययौ भगवान्कृष्णो द्वारकावासिभिः सह
All the kings came, their hearts rejoicing, for the sake of worship; Bhagavan Krishna arrived as well, together with the residents of Dvaraka.
आजगाम तथा नन्दः सार्धं गोकुलवासिभिः । गोपीत्रिशतकोटीभिर्गोलोकवासिभिः सह
Likewise, Nanda came along with the inhabitants of Gokula, and with him came thirty crore gopis and the dwellers of Goloka.
गचेन्द्रकोटितुल्याभिर्बलिष्ठाभिः सहाऽऽलिभिः । आययौ सुन्दरी राधा कृष्णप्राणाधिदेवता
Radiant as countless Indras, accompanied by powerful companions, the beautiful Radha arrived, the supreme goddess of Krishna’s very life.
रासेश्वरी सुरसिका शतवर्षे गते सति । सुस्नाता मुदती शुद्धा धृत्वा धौते च वाससी
The mistress of the rasa, delight of the gods, after a hundred years had passed, bathed well, was joyful and pure, and put on freshly washed garments.
संयता सा निराहारा गत्वा च मणिमण्डपम् । सुप्रक्षालितपादाब्जा कान्ता भुवनपावनी
Self-restrained and fasting, she went to the jeweled pavilion; her lotus feet thoroughly cleansed, she shone, the beloved who purifies the worlds.
श्रीकृष्णप्रीतिकामाऽथ सुसंकल्पं विधाय च । गङ्गोदकेन हेरम्बं स्नापयामास भक्तितः
Desiring the pleasure of Sri Krishna, she made a firm resolve and, with devotion, bathed Heramba (Ganesha) with water from the Ganga.
ध्यार्न च सामवेदोक्तं चकार शुक्लपुष्पतः । माता चतुर्णां वेदानां वसोश्च जगतामपि
She performed meditation as taught in the Sama Veda, using white flowers; the mother of the four Vedas, of Vasu, and of all the worlds.
बुद्धिरूपा भगवती ज्ञानिनां जननी परा । ध्यानात्मकं स्वपुस्रं तं परं ध्यानं चकार सा
The blessed goddess, embodiment of wisdom, supreme mother of the wise, performed supreme meditation on her own son, who is of the nature of meditation.
शर्वं लम्बोदरं स्थूलं ज्वलन्तं ब्रह्मतेजसा । गजवक्त्रं वह्निवर्णमेकदन्तमनन्तकम्
She meditated on Sharva, Lambodara, vast and shining with the radiance of Brahman, elephant-faced, fire-colored, single-tusked, and endless.
सिद्धानां योगिनामेव ज्ञानिनां च गुरोर्गुरुम् । ध्यातं मुनीन्द्रैर्देवेन्द्रैर्ब्रह्मेशशेषसंज्ञकैः
He is the guru of the siddhas, yogis, and the wise—the guru of gurus; meditated upon by the chief sages, the lord of gods, and those known as Brahma, Ishvara, and Shesha.
सिद्धेन्द्रैर्मुनिभिः सद्भिर्भगवन्तं सनातनम् । ब्रह्मस्वरूपं परमं मङ्गलं मङ्गलालयम्
By the best of siddhas and sages, by the virtuous, the eternal Lord is meditated upon, the supreme form of Brahman, the highest auspiciousness, the abode of all good.
सर्वविघ्नहरं शान्तं दातारं सर्वसंपदाम् । भवाब्धिमायापोतेन कर्णधारं च कर्मिणाम्
He removes all obstacles, is peaceful, the giver of all prosperity, and the helmsman who ferries the doers of action across the ocean of worldly existence by the boat of maya.