Having spoken thus, the assembled beings—gods, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas—bowed deeply before the Lord, their bodies thrilled with joy. From the heavens, a gentle shower of flowers rained down, blessing the moment. The celestial drums resounded in the skies, and the Apsarases danced with delight. Even the embodied Vedas themselves bowed low before the great Lord, honoring his presence. There, together with Brahmā and the noble sages, stood the Lord of gods, Śiva, the beloved consort of Umā. His gaze fell upon Pārvatī, the daughter of the snowy mountain, who stood bashfully before him. Śiva’s heart was insatiable in beholding her flawless form, and Pārvatī, too, gazed upon the bull-bannered god with deep affection. Turning to Hari, she said, “I grant you a boon.” In response, Hari addressed Śaṅkara, saying, “May devotion to you flourish.” In that moment, Śiva bestowed upon him the name Brahmā. Then Brahmā, with humility, spoke again to the Lord: “I offer oblations into the fire, established as the preceptor. If you permit, let the unperformed rite now be completed.” Śaṅkara, Lord of gods and the universe, replied, “O best of gods, whatever you desire, do as you wish.” Brahmā, joyful and reverent, bowed to the Lord and said, “O Lord of gods, Grandfather, I will perform all that you command.” With a heart full of happiness, Brahmā, the Grandfather of worlds, joined the hands of the goddess and the supreme Lord. At that very moment, Agni, the fire god, appeared, his hands joined in reverence. With the Vedic mantras present and embodied, Brahmā performed the prescribed rites, offering parched grains into the sacred fire, step by step. Viṣṇu brought the Brāhmaṇas, who were honored with various gifts, and the god Fire was circumambulated three times. When the joined hands of the divine couple were released, all the gods, celestial beings, and humans rejoiced inwardly, their hearts filled with bliss. Then, venerable Brahmā bowed to Śiva, the god of gods and consort of Umā, offering water for washing the feet and for sipping. He presented the madhuparka and a cow, and, bowing once more to Śiva, stood aside with the gods, Indra at their head. The sages, beginning with Bhṛgu, along with the Sun and others, worshipped the Bull-bannered One with offerings of unbroken rice, sesame, and parched grain, and praised him with devotion. Having completed the rites as spoken by the gods and having placed the fire within himself, Śiva was united with Pārvatī, for the welfare of all the worlds. Whoever recites or hears the story of Bhava’s marriage, or has it recited to pure, twice-born ones learned in the Veda, with a pure heart and a smile, attains the favor of Gaṇeśa and rejoices with Bhava himself. Wherever this story is proclaimed by the learned, there Bhava himself abides. Therefore, O twice-born, one should worship properly and recite this account at the weddings of the best Brāhmaṇas and Kṣatriyas. This entire, unsurpassed account of Bhava’s marriage should be proclaimed. Thus, the Bull-bannered One was wedded to the goddess, the daughter of Himavat. Surrounded by his attendants, with Nandin and all the hosts of gods, the radiant Lord journeyed to the divine city of Vārāṇasī. Bhavānī, her face shining with joy, bowed before Śiva, who sat happily in Avimukta, and asked him about the greatness of that sacred field. The moon-crested Lord spoke of Avimukta’s supreme greatness, saying, “O queen of the gods, honored by hosts of sages, how can I possibly describe Avimukta, the source of liberation’s fruits? In this place, even the sinful attain liberation at death in a single birth; elsewhere, sins are destroyed only here, in Vārāṇasī.” He continued, “Sin committed in Vārāṇasī leads to the hells of Piśācas and Narakas, but even after committing thousands of sins, to become a piśāca is preferable to missing out on Kāśī. Not even attaining the status of a thousand Indras in heaven equals the city of Kāśī, where the god of the three worlds and the all-pervading Lord reside. Where Oṃkāreśa, the wearer of hides, abides, there is no rebirth for the dead.” Having thus briefly spoken of the greatness of the field, the moon-crested Lord showed Pārvatī the garden. There, leaving the lords of the gaṇas behind, the Lord was born as Vināyaka, the elephant-faced one. This occurred for the purpose of creating obstacles for the demons and removing obstacles for the gods. All this is the supreme essence of the story that has been told to you. All that I have heard has been revealed by your gracious favor, and it is most splendid. At this, the sages asked Sūta, “How did Vināyaka, the lord of the hosts, come to be born with the face of an elephant? How did his radiance arise thus? Please tell us this story.” Meanwhile, the gods, together with Indra and Upendra, gathered, seeking to create obstacles for the unrighteous deeds of the demons. On earth, the asuras, yātudhānas, and rākṣasas of cruel deeds, those dominated by tamas and rajas, were present. Having worshipped Maheshvara, Brahmā, and Hari with constant offerings and charity, these beings had obtained their desired boons. Therefore, O best of the gods, our perpetual victory was assured; yet it became necessary to create obstacles for the unrighteous and ensure uninterrupted success for the dwellers of heaven. For the sake of sons for women and the accomplishment of deeds for men, it was necessary to create and praise Vighnesha Śaṅkara, the lord of the hosts. Having spoken thus among themselves, the gods praised Śiva, the Lord, saying, “Salutations to you, soul of all, all-knowing, wielder of the Pinaka. Salutations to the faultless one, to Virinchi, the giver of the fruits of actions for the goddess; to the bodiless and the one with purposeful form; to the remover of Hari’s form. Salutations to you, who dwell within the circle of nectar at the core of the body; to you who distinguish the divisions of creation; to you, the force of time.