Listen now to this sacred tale, as it unfolds from the ancient Purāṇa. It is said that any woman who is unfortunate, or any man exceedingly so, upon hearing these teachings, should abstain from salt on the third lunar day. By this observance, all desires are fulfilled: good fortune, abundant wealth, lasting health, beauty, and nourishment come to one in this very world. Once, the protector of all creatures approached a noble sage with a heartfelt question. “O great one,” he asked, “how did Ganesha, the Lord of the hosts, come to be born with a form? This doubt troubles my heart—please dispel it.” The venerable ascetic replied: “In times long past, all the hosts of gods and sages, steadfast in their austerities, undertook many endeavors. Their righteous actions always succeeded, without fail. Indeed, actions performed along the path of righteousness are met with no obstacles, while unrighteous deeds inevitably encounter hindrances. Recognizing this, the gods, together with the ancestors, deeply contemplated how to create obstacles for all acts that stray from righteousness. United in purpose, they invoked this intention. During their sacred rite, a thought arose among them: to approach Rudra, the great-minded lord dwelling upon Mount Kailāsa. With humility and reverence, the gods journeyed to Rudra, the preceptor, and offered their salutations. They addressed him, saying: ‘O God of gods, great lord, trident-wielder, three-eyed one, we beseech you—create obstacles for those who do not walk the path of virtue.’ Hearing their plea, Bhava—Rudra himself—was filled with supreme joy. He gazed intently at Umā, his consort, without blinking. In the presence of the gods, as he fixed his gaze upon Umā, a profound thought stirred within him: ‘Why are forms perceived in space? On earth, in water, in fire, and in wind, forms are seen—yet space is said to have none. Why is this so?’ Pondering thus, the god smiled. He beheld Umā, the very embodiment of knowledge and power, and reflected on what was seen in space by Śambhu, and what Brahmā had previously declared: that the body belongs to embodied beings. The laughter of the supreme lord, his prior words, and these reflections—all pertained to the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. From the laughter of the supreme lord, a radiant, exceedingly brilliant boy was born, his face blazing with light, illuminating all directions. He was endowed with the very qualities of the supreme lord, appearing as another Rudra himself. As soon as he was born, his splendor, brilliance, form, and beauty bewildered the minds of the goddesses, for he was possessed of a great soul. Umā, radiant and resplendent, gazed upon the supreme form of this great-souled boy with unblinking eyes. Seeing this, the god became angry, recalling the fickle nature attributed to women and perceiving the boy’s enchanting form. In his anger, the supreme lord cursed the boy with suspicion of femininity, declaring: ‘O boy, you shall have an elephant’s face and a large belly. Serpents shall be your sacred thread and belt.’ Thus, filled with intense wrath, he pronounced the curse. With half a crore of hairs on his body, the three-eyed, trident-bearing lord, his pores filled with sweat, shook his body in anger. As he did so, the hairs fell to the earth like water, and other things descended as well. From these, many Vinayakas of various forms arose—each with an elephant face, their complexion like dark clouds or collyrium, wielding diverse weapons. The gods became disturbed in mind at this sight. They wondered, ‘What is this? This one, performing a marvelous deed, accomplishes something immense and unparalleled alone. Is this the fulfillment of our desire? Or has something else arisen—what is its source?’ As the gods pondered, the earth was shaken by the Vinayakas. Then Brahmā, the four-faced creator, ascended his celestial chariot and addressed the assembly from the sky: ‘Blessed are you, O gods! You have been favored by the lord of gods, the wondrous three-eyed one, and graced by the supreme lord, who has subdued the creators of obstacles, the enemies of the gods.’ Having spoken thus, the grandsire addressed Rudra, the trident-holder: ‘O lord, the being who has arisen from your face shall be the chief of the Vinayakas, and these others shall be his followers. By your own boon, you shall move among the gods in the sky in four forms. This expanse of space has been established in many ways by you, and none is as worthy as you. Become the lord, trident-bearer, and grant these weapons and boons.’ When the grandsire had departed, the three-eyed one addressed his son: ‘You are Vinayaka, remover of obstacles, elephant-faced, called Ganesha, son of Bhava. All these fierce, sharp-eyed Vinayakas shall be your attendants. Their bodies, grown by consuming dry offerings, will bestow success in undertakings. Among the gods, in sacrifices and other great deeds, you shall be worshipped first because of your greatness; otherwise, you will destroy the success of the work.’ Thus addressed by the supreme lord, and together with the gods, Ganesha was anointed with water from golden vessels. He shone forth as the foremost among the Vinayakas. Seeing him thus honored, all the purified gods praised him in the presence of the trident-wielder, saying: ‘Salutations to you, elephant-faced one! Salutations to you, leader of the hosts! O Vinayaka, salutations to you, fierce in valor! Salutations to you, remover of obstacles! Salutations to you, who wears a serpent as a belt! Salutations to you, who arose from Rudra’s face, with a prominent belly! By the worship of all the gods, may you always remove obstacles!’ Thus praised by the gods, the great-souled leader of the hosts, anointed, became known as the son of Rudra and Soma. This wondrous event, O king, took place on the fourth lunar day, the day of the chief of the hosts. Therefore, this is the most excellent and auspicious of all lunar days. Whoever, with devotion, eats sesame seeds and worships Ganapati on this day, the Lord is quickly pleased—of this, there is no doubt. Whoever recites or listens to this hymn, for them obstacles do not arise, nor does sin, in any way. At this point, the Earth herself asked: ‘O Lord of the gods, how is it that, by contact with your body, the mighty serpents became embodied? What is the reason for this, O Upholder of the Earth?’ Śrī Varāha replied: Hearing of the birth of the lord of hosts, the protector of creatures spoke with gentle words to that sage of firm vows. Thus is the sacred story of the birth of Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, and the establishment of his worship among gods and mortals alike.