As the great god, the three-eyed one who wields the trident, shook his primordial form again and again, the hairs from his divine body fell to the earth, transforming as they descended—some becoming water, others taking different forms. From these fallen hairs arose countless Vinayakas, beings of many shapes, all with elephant faces. Their complexion was dark as rain-laden clouds or the blackness of collyrium, and each brandished a variety of formidable weapons. When these mighty Vinayakas filled the heavens, the gods themselves grew deeply troubled and anxious. They wondered among themselves, “What marvel is this? Alone, this one performs a deed so vast and wondrous, unmatched by anything before. Is this the fulfillment of our prayers, or is he surrounded by something else—what is the origin of all this?” As the gods pondered these questions, the earth trembled beneath the weight and might of the Vinayakas. Then, the four-faced Brahma, supreme among beings, mounted his celestial chariot and addressed the gods from the sky. He proclaimed, “Blessed are you, O gods, for you have been favored by the Lord of Lords, the wondrous three-eyed one. By his grace, the supreme lord who subdues the creators of obstacles and the enemies of the gods has blessed you.” Turning to the god holding the trident, Brahma continued, “O lord, let the one who has arisen from your face be chief among the Vinayakas, and let these others be his attendants. By your own boon, you shall also move among the gods in the sky in four forms, for this vast expanse has been established by you in many ways, and none is more worthy than you. Become the lord bearing the trident, and grant these weapons and boons.” When Brahma had thus spoken and departed, the three-eyed one turned to his own son and addressed him lovingly: “You are Vinayaka, remover of obstacles, elephant-faced, known as Ganesha, son of Bhava. All these fierce, sharp-eyed Vinayakas shall be your companions, growing strong by consuming the dry offerings of sacrifice and bestowing success in all undertakings. Among the gods, and in every sacrifice or great work, you shall be worshipped first because of your greatness. If not, the success of those deeds will be destroyed.” With these words, the supreme lord, together with the gods, anointed the elephant-faced one with water from golden vessels. Thus consecrated, he shone forth as the foremost among the Vinayakas. Seeing him honored as leader of the hosts, all the gods, purified and filled with reverence, praised him before the trident-wielding lord. They exclaimed: “Salutations to you, elephant-faced one! Salutations to you, leader of the hosts! O Vinayaka, we bow to you! Salutations to you, fierce in valor! Salutations to you, remover of obstacles! Salutations to you, wearer of the serpent-belt! Salutations to you, who arose from Rudra’s face, with your prominent belly! By the worship of all the gods, may you ever remove obstacles.” Thus praised, the great-souled leader of the hosts, anointed and radiant, became known as the son of Rudra and Soma. This sacred event, O king, took place on the fourth lunar day, the day of the chief of hosts; thus, this day is the most excellent and auspicious of all lunar days. Whoever, with devotion, eats sesame seeds and worships Ganapati on this day will quickly win the Lord’s favor—of this, there is no doubt. Whoever recites or listens to this hymn faithfully will find obstacles and sin banished from their path. At this point, the Earth herself addressed the Lord of the gods: “O Upholder of the Earth, how is it that, by contact with your body, the mighty serpents took on form? What is the cause of this?” Śrī Varāha replied: Upon hearing of the birth of the lord of hosts, the protector of all creatures spoke gently to a sage of steadfast vows. The Protector of Creatures asked, “Venerable one, how did the serpents, destined for Garuda, come to have bodies? Why did they become crooked in form? Please tell us this.” The great ascetic answered: When Brahma began his creation, Marīci was the progenitor, and from his mind was born his son Kaśyapa. Kaśyapa’s wife was Kadrū, Dakṣa’s daughter, noble and pure-smiling. Upon her, Marīci begot sons of immense might: Ananta, Vāsuki, the powerful Kambala, Karkoṭaka, and another named Padma, as well as Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, and the unconquered Kulika—these are the chief serpents descended from Kaśyapa. With their birth, the world became filled with serpents—crooked by nature, fierce of deed, sharp-fanged, and venomous. At the mere sight or bite of a human, they could reduce a person to ashes in an instant. Just as sound follows touch, so did dreadful destruction follow among humans, day after day. Seeing their own destruction, all creatures everywhere sought refuge with the supreme Lord, the ultimate protector. They turned to the lotus-born Vishnu, known also as Brahma, and pleaded: “O Lord of gods, origin of the worlds, supreme one, save us from these great serpents with their deadly fangs. Every day, whenever the serpents see a human or animal, that being is destroyed. You created this world, but now it is being undone by the serpents. Knowing this evil, O great-minded one, please act.” Brahma replied, “I shall protect you all. Return to your abodes, O creatures, and do not be afraid.” With these words, the unmanifest Brahma sent the creatures away, and they departed joyfully, bowing to the self-born one. When the creatures had left, Brahma summoned the serpents, and, filled with anger, cursed Vāsuki and the others: “Because you, born from me, have brought destruction to humans, in another age, due to your mother’s terrible curse, there will be a dreadful destruction in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara.” Hearing this, the foremost serpents trembled and fell at Brahma’s feet, pleading: “O Lord, you have made our nature crooked; you have filled us with intense poison, cruelty, and a fearful gaze. O God, you have done this—now, Achyuta, please restrain it.” Brahma replied, “If I have created you with crooked intent, then why do you not, without fear, devour humans always?” The serpents answered, “O Lord of gods, establish boundaries and separate dwellings for humans and for us, and set clear rules for each.” Hearing the words of the serpents, the god prepared to respond.