O Devi, let me recount to you the wondrous power that destroys all sin—a power and a god who bestows heaven itself and frees even the greatest sinners. In the distant past, during the Vaivasvata Manvantara, in the epoch known as Vārāha, a marvelous event unfolded. At that time, O Pārvatī, as I wandered joyfully through the splendid Kāla forest, I heard a sound so overwhelming and strange that it could not be ignored. You questioned me about this remarkable noise, and I revealed its source: the Gaṇeśas were at play, and among them was a Gaṇa named Vīraka. Vīraka was the center of their sport, struck with flowers and worshipped with heaps of blossoms. He was adorned with many wondrous qualities and honored by hundreds of Gaṇeśvaras. The radiant, lotus-like face of your son, O Devi, can only be seen by those of great merit. You wondered, “When shall I behold such a son, a true giver of joy?” It was declared then: “O Pārvatī, this son, Vīraka, is now given to you. He is the delight of the eyes.” Upon hearing my words, you dispatched Vijayā to approach Vīraka. She came to the Gaṇa, who was lost in the delight of dance and music, and asked, “Why are you, as if enchanted, so deeply absorbed in play?” Startled and fearful, yet adorned with garlands of flowers, Vīraka trembled before her. Seeing him thus, you called to him, “Come, come! From this moment, you are my son, a gift from the god himself. You are now Vīraka.” With motherly affection, you inhaled the fragrance of his head, gently smoothed his limbs, and adorned him with your own divine ornaments. You decorated him with beautiful, pure leaves, shining and variegated, born of mantras, and placed a garland upon his head, marking him with bright gorocana and leaf fragments. Amidst the Siddhas on the Gaṇḍa mountain, surrounded by nets of gems and thick clusters of great vines, Vīraka and his companions played—sometimes in shallow mud, sometimes in water tangled with lotuses, sometimes atop flawless, auspicious wood. This heroic child and his troop reveled in their games. Moved by love, you prayed, “Let sovereignty be granted to this son of mine, O Śaṃkara. May he possess the state of the liṅga, imperishability, and a divine, most rare station—even among Brahmā, Indra, Varuṇa, Āditya, the guardians of the worlds, and the lords of lords. Let him be praised alongside these gaṇas by all the great-souled ones. Let him be known as Kusumeśvara.” You blessed him further: “Let him possess a divine power equal to mine, always served by the gaṇas.” The charming sight of Kinnara women singing filled the air as Kusumeśa, surrounded by Vidyādharas, was led to his exalted state as Kusumeśvara, adorned with flowers. A special place was established for the Śivaliṅga in the north, and you declared: “Whoever beholds you, O Gaṇapa, known as Kusumeśvara, and whoever worships you with flowers—even if only for a single day with focused mind—will be blessed. Anyone who worships Kusumeśvara with devotion and flowers attains great merit.” Thus, by your boons, Kusumeśvara was empowered, and his greatness established. The glory of the god Kusumeśvara has thus been described. Simply by seeing him, people gain clarity and wisdom. Long ago, at the dawn of the kalpa, you alone, in the form of supreme power, were praised by the gods, along with kinnaras, humans, and mighty serpents. Thus concludes the sacred account of the glory of Kusumeśvara, as told in the Skanda Mahāpurāṇa.