When the lords of the gods had gathered and bowed deeply to the Supreme Lord, Bhava—the Lord of Ambikā, wielder of the mighty Pināka bow, and the great master of all—stood before them. At once, Bhava cast his gaze upon these foremost gods, who, filled with joy and reverence, bowed to Hara, their eyes moist with devotion. With glances as sweet as nectar and ambrosia, Bhava looked upon them and spoke, "May it be well with you, O lords of the gods." Then the Lord of Speech, seeing the Lord and bowing, addressed him without fear: "O Lord, you are sought for the sake of a boon; these gods have come seeking your grace. You are always entreated by gods and others for the removal of obstacles, for the accomplishment of all actions, especially when those who act against the gods threaten us. Therefore, be gracious, O Bhava, cause of both proper and improper actions; this is our boon—for those who act against the gods." Hearing this plea, Śiva, the Lord of gods and wielder of Pināka, assumed the form of the Lord of the Gaṇas—the divine leader of all. The leaders of the Gaṇas and the gods then praised the great Lord, the auspicious one who is the source of all worlds and the remover of worldly suffering. At this moment, Ambikā bestowed a boon upon Gajānana, the elephant-faced, who holds the trident and noose, the origin of all worlds. The Siddhas, great sages, celestial beings, and hosts of gods showered flowers, praising Ekadanta, and without fatigue, bowed to Gaṇeśa, the great Lord. Then, from Bhava and Ambikā, a most terrible and embodied being emerged, who stood and danced as a child, the abode of all auspiciousness. Adorned in wondrous garments and ornaments, Gajānana, the son of the great Lord, respectfully saluted his father and Ambikā. Seeing his newly born son, the blessed Lord Bhava himself assigned all duties to Gajānana, the Lord of all. Taking him in his gentle hands, the great god, teacher of the world, embraced and smelled the head of his son. Bhava spoke to Gajānana: "Your descent, my son, is for the destruction of demons, for the benefit of the gods, the twice-born, and those devoted to Brahman. If any sacrifice is performed on earth without the prescribed fee, standing on the path to heaven, you must create an obstacle to that rite. Whoever in this world teaches, studies, explains, or performs rites unlawfully—always take the life of such a one. For women and men who have fallen from their caste, and for those devoid of their own duty, take their lives, O Lord. But for those women and men, O Vināyaka, who always worship you, you should grant them equality with yourself." "O child Gaṇeśa, protect your devotees with all effort—those who are young, mature, or old—being worshipped here and hereafter. In all the three worlds, everywhere, you, O Lord of obstacles, must be worshipped and honored—of this there is no doubt. Even if they worship me, Nārāyaṇa, or Brahmā, O son, with sacrifices performed by the wise, you must be worshipped first. Whoever performs Vedic, Smārta, or worldly rites without first worshipping you, O auspicious one, for him, what is auspicious will turn inauspicious. By brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras, O Gajānana, you must be worshipped with pure offerings of food and drink for the attainment of all success. Without worshipping you with fragrance, flowers, incense, and the like—even by the gods and others in all three worlds—you are not to be attained anywhere. Those people and men who worship Vināyaka are themselves to be worshipped by Indra and the other gods—of this there is no doubt. If those desiring results do not worship you, you hinder even the unborn, Hari, myself, Indra, and other gods with obstacles." Then the great Lord Ganapati created the host of obstacles, and, together with his attendants, stood before his father after offering obeisance. From that time onward in this world, people worship the Lord of the Gaṇas; and Ganeshvara made obstacles to the righteousness of the Daityas. All this concerning the origin of Skanda’s elder brother has been told; whoever recites, hears, or causes it to be heard will become happy. The assembled gods then asked, "How did Shambhu’s dance begin, and for what reason? Please tell us truly, since the origin of Skanda’s elder brother has been heard." It was then revealed: Daruka, born of the Asuras, gained strength through austerity and began to slay the gods and foremost brahmins, like the fire of destruction. Struck and greatly tormented by Daruka, the gods—Brahma, Ishana, Kumara, and even Vishnu—suffered greatly. The Asura, having reached Yama and Indra, was called ‘woman-slayer’ and, taking on female form, was praised by Brahma and others who stood ready for battle. All those afflicted by him went to Brahma, O twice-born, and reported everything to him, together with the Lord of Uma. Having reached him, all led by the Grandsire offered praise; and Brahma, having approached the Lord of the gods, bowed in many ways. They said, "The fierce Daruka had previously defeated us; you ought to slay the Daitya Daruka, the woman-slayer, and protect us." Hearing Brahma’s request, the Lord, destroyer of Bhaga’s eye, spoke to the goddess Girija, the Lord of gods, as if smiling: "O auspicious one, today I request you for the welfare of the worlds, O beautiful-faced one, for the slaying of this Daruka, the woman-slayer." Hearing his words, the Lady of the gods, the refuge of the world, entered the body of the Lord, intent on birth.