After Vishnu had brought the revered Brahmanas and honored them with generous gifts, he arranged for the sacred fire to be circumambulated three times, marking the solemnity of the occasion. At that moment, as the joined hands were released, all the gods, along with the celestial and human beings assembled, felt a deep inner joy. Then, the venerable Brahma, with great reverence, bowed to Śambhu—the god of gods and consort of Umā. He offered water for washing Śiva’s feet and for sipping, as is customary, and presented the madhuparka and a cow. After bowing again to Śiva, Brahma stood alongside the gods, Indra at their head, in respectful attendance. The sages, beginning with Bhṛgu, along with the Sun and other celestial beings, worshipped the Bull-bannered One, offering unbroken rice, sesame, and parched grain, and sang his praises. Śiva, having completed the rites as prescribed by the gods, placed the sacred fire within himself. Then, for the welfare of all worlds, he was united with Rudra—the goddess. It is said that whoever recites or listens to the account of Bhava’s marriage, or has it recited to pure twice-borns learned in the Veda and its branches, with a pure smile, attains the favor of Gaṇeśa and rejoices with Bhava himself. Wherever this sacred story is proclaimed by the learned, Bhava himself abides there. Therefore, O twice-borns, one should worship properly and recite this account at the weddings of the best of Brahmanas and Kshatriyas, for it is not to be recited otherwise. This entire, unsurpassed account of Bhava’s marriage should be proclaimed, for it tells how the Bull-bannered One was wedded to the goddess, the daughter of Himavat. After the marriage, surrounded by his attendants, with Nandin and the hosts of gods, the greatly radiant Śiva journeyed to the divine city of Vārāṇasī. Bhavānī, her face radiant with joy, bowed to Śiva, who was happily seated in Avimukta, and asked him about the greatness of that sacred field. The moon-crested Śiva then spoke to her of the supreme greatness of Avimukta, saying, “The greatness of Avimukta cannot be described in detail. O queen of the gods, honored by hosts of sages, how can I describe Avimukta, the source of the fruits of liberation? There, even the sinful attain liberation at death in a single birth; elsewhere, sin committed is destroyed only in Vārāṇasī. Sin committed in Vārāṇasī leads to the hells of Piśācas and Narakas; but for men, even after committing thousands of sins, becoming a piśāca is preferable. Not even the status of a thousand Indras in heaven is equal to 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 Avimukta, Śiva showed Bhavānī the garden. Then, leaving the lords of the gaṇas, the Lord was born there as Vināyaka, the elephant-faced one. This was done for the purpose of being an obstacle to the demons and a remover of obstacles for the gods. All this, the supreme essence of the story, has been told. All that has been heard was revealed by gracious favor and is most splendid. At this point, a question arises: How did Vināyaka, the lord of the hosts, come to be born with the face of an elephant? How did his radiance arise thus? Suta is asked to explain this. Meanwhile, the gods, together with Indra and Upendra, gathered to create obstacles for the unrighteous deeds of the demons. The asuras, yātudhānas, and rākṣasas of cruel deeds, those of tamas and others of rajas, likewise existed on earth. They had worshipped Maheshvara, Brahma, and Hari with uninterrupted offerings of sacrifice and charity, and thus obtained their desired boons. Therefore, the gods' perpetual victory was assured, but to create obstacles for the demons and ensure uninterrupted success for the dwellers of heaven, the gods resolved: for the sake of sons for women, and for the accomplishment of deeds for men, they ought to create and praise Vighnesha Śankara, the lord of the hosts. Having spoken thus to one another, the gods praised Śiva, the Lord, with heartfelt salutations: “Salutations to you, the soul of all, the all-knowing, the 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. Salutations to you, whose form is Rudra, the fire of time; to you, the eightfold path beginning with dharma; to you, whose body is purified like Kali; to you, the cause of Kali. Salutations to you, Kālakaṇṭha, the foremost, the vehicle, the excellent one; to you, the lord of Ambika; to you, the lord of gold. Salutations to you, whose seed is gold; to you, Sharva, the wielder of the trident; to you, who bear the skull, staff, noose, sword, hide, and goad. Salutations to you, the lord of Hemavati; to you, golden-white; to you, yellow-white, for the protection of the gods; to you, whose path is dark. Salutations to you, the fifth, the bestower of fruits to those who perform the five great sacrifices; to you, with five faces and serpent garlands; to you, composed of five syllables. Salutations to you, whose form is worshipped by the fivefold, five-liberated gods; to you, whose vision is of the five syllables; to you, who are beyond the highest. Salutations to you, whose face and limbs are like sixteen thunderbolts, whose form is imperishable; to you, whose hands hold the fivefold beginning with ‘ka’; to you, whose hands are the beginning. Salutations to you, Rudra, whose feet begin with ‘ṭa’; to you, whose feet begin with ‘ta’; to you, whose feet are the base; to you, who bear the seven elements of the body. Salutations to you, whose nature is tranquil, who are directly the destroyer of anger and desire, to you who are the sound ‘la’, the letter ‘ra’, and the consonant ‘pha’, and who are without limbs—salutations to you. To the one who causes the inner sound in the hearts of all beings, who is always seen by the wise at the end of the brows as the supreme radiance.” Thus, with reverence and devotion, the gods praised Śiva, seeking his favor and the birth of Vināyaka, the remover of obstacles, for the welfare of all.