Varaha Purana

सर्वकामानवाप्नोति सौभाग्यं द्रव्यसम्पदम् । आरोग्यं च सदा लोके कान्तिं पुष्टिं च विन्दति ।। २२.

One thereby attains all desires, good fortune, abundance of wealth, constant health in this world, beauty, and nourishment.

प्रजापाल उवाच । कथं गणपतेर्जन्म मूर्तिमन्तं च सत्तम । एतन्मे संशयं छिन्धि धृतिकष्टं व्यवस्थितम् ।। २३.

The protector of creatures said: O noble one, how was Ganesha, the Lord of the hosts, born with a form? Please dispel this doubt of mine, which has firmly taken hold and troubles my resolve.

महातपा उवाच । पूर्वं देवगणाः सर्वे ऋषयश्च तपोधनाः । कार्यारम्भं तथा चक्रुः सिध्यन्ते च न संशयः ।। २३.

The great ascetic said: Formerly, all the hosts of gods and the sages rich in austerity undertook various endeavors; their actions succeeded, there is no doubt.

सन्मार्गवर्तिषु यथा सिद्ध्यन्ते विघ्नतः क्रियाः । असत्कारिषु सर्वेषु तद्वदेवमविघ्नतः ।। २३.

Just as actions performed by those who follow the righteous path succeed without obstacles, so too, in the case of unrighteous actions, all are inevitably met with hindrances.

ततो देवाः सपितरश्चिन्तयामासुरोजसा । असत्कार्येषु विघ्नार्थं सर्व एवाभ्यमन्त्रयन् ।। २३.

Then the gods, along with the ancestors, powerfully contemplated how to create obstacles for all unrighteous acts, and they all invoked this intention together.

ततस्तेषां तदा मन्त्रं कुर्वतस्त्रिदिवौकसाम् । बभूव बुद्धिर्गमने रुद्रं प्रति महामतिम् ।। २३.

At that time, as those denizens of heaven were performing their rite, the thought arose among them to approach Rudra, the great-minded one.

ते तत्र रुद्रमागम्य कैलासनिलयं गुरुम् । ऊचुः सविनयं सर्वे प्रणिपातपुरःसरम् ।। २३.

Thereupon, they went to Rudra, the preceptor dwelling on Mount Kailāsa, and all of them, with humility and preceded by respectful salutations, spoke to him.

देवा ऊचुः । देवदेव महादेव शूलपाणे त्रिलोचन । विघ्नार्थमविशिष्टानामुत्पादयितुमर्हसि ।। २३.

The gods said: O God of gods, great god, wielder of the trident, three-eyed one, you should create obstacles for those who are not distinguished by virtue.

एवमुक्तरस्तदा देवैर्भवः परमया मुदा । उमां निरीक्षयामास चक्षुषाऽनिमिषेण ह ।। २३.

Thus addressed by the gods, Bhava, filled with supreme joy, gazed intently at Umā with unblinking eyes.

देवानां सन्निधौ तस्य पश्यतोमां महात्मनः । चिन्ताऽभूद् व्योम्नि मूर्तिभ्यो दृश्यते केन हेतुना ।। २३.

In the presence of the gods, as that great soul gazed upon Umā, a thought arose: By what reason are forms seen in space?

पृथिव्या विद्यते मूर्त्तिरपां मूर्त्तिस्तथैव च । तेजसः श्वसनस्यापि मूर्त्तिरेषा तु दृश्यते । आकाशं च कथं नेति मत्वा देवो जहास च ।। २३.

On earth, there is form; in water, likewise, there is form; in fire and in wind, this form is seen. But how is it that space is said to have none? Thus pondering, the god smiled.

ज्ञानशक्तिमुमां दृष्ट्वा यद् दृष्टं व्योम्नि शंभुना । यच्चोक्तं ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं शरीरं तु शरीरिणाम् ।। २३.

Seeing Umā, the embodiment of knowledge and power, and what was seen in space by Śambhu, and what was previously declared by Brahmā—that the body belongs to embodied beings—

यच्चापि हसितं तेन देवेन परमेष्ठिना । एतत्कार्यचतुष्केण पृथिव्यादिचतुर्ष्वपि ।। २३.

And that laughter of the supreme lord, and what was spoken by him before—all these four causes pertain to the four elements, earth and the rest.

मूर्त्तिमानतितेजस्वी हसतः परमेष्ठिनः । प्रदीप्तास्यो महादीप्तः कुमारो भासयन् दिशः । परमेष्ठिगुणैर्युक्तः साक्षाद् रुद्र इवापरः ।। २३.

From the supreme lord’s laughter, a radiant, exceedingly brilliant boy with a blazing face was born, illuminating the directions, endowed with the qualities of the supreme lord, appearing as another Rudra himself.

उत्पन्नमात्रो देवानां योषितः सप्रमोहयन् । कान्त्या दीप्त्या तथा मूर्त्या रूपेण च महात्मवान् ।। २३.

As soon as he was born, he bewildered the minds of the goddesses by his splendor, brilliance, form, and beauty, being possessed of great soul.

तं दृष्ट्वा परमं रूपं कुमारस्य महात्मनः । उमाऽनिमेषनेत्राभ्यां तमपश्यत भामिनी ।। २३.

Seeing that supreme form of the great-souled boy, Umā, the radiant one, beheld him with her unblinking eyes.

तं दृष्ट्वा कुपितो देवः स्त्रीभावं चञ्चलं तथा । मत्वा कुमाररूपं तु शोभनं मोहनं दृशाम् । ततः शशाप तं देवः स्त्रीशङ्कां परमेश्वरः ।। २३.

Seeing him, the god became angry, considering the fickle nature of women and the boy’s beautiful, enchanting form; then the supreme lord cursed him with suspicion of femininity.

कुमार गजवक्त्रस्त्वं प्रलम्बजठरस्तथा । भविष्यसि तथा सर्पैरुपवीतगतिर्ध्रुवम् । एवं शशाप तं देवस्तीव्रकोपसमन्वितः ।। २३.

O boy, you shall have an elephant’s face and a large belly; you shall certainly wear serpents as your sacred thread and belt. Thus the god, filled with intense wrath, cursed him.

अर्द्धकोट्या च रोमाणामात्मनोऽङ्गे त्रिलोचनः । कूपकास्वेदसलिलपूर्णशूलधरस्तथा । धुन्वन् शरीरमुत्थाय ततो देवो रुषान्वितः ।। २३.

With half a crore of hairs on his own body, the three-eyed, trident-bearing lord, his pores filled with sweat, shaking his body, then rose up, filled with anger.

यथा यथाऽसौ स शरीरमाद्यं धुनोति देवस्त्रिशिखास्त्रपाणिः । तथा तथा चाङ्गरुहाश्चकासु- र्जलं क्षितौ संन्यपतंस्तथान्याः ।। २३.

As that god, holding the trident-weapon, shook his primordial body again and again, so too did the hairs of his body fall to the earth as water, and other things likewise descended.

विनायकानेकविधा गजास्या - स्तमालनीलाञ्जनसंनिकाशाः । उत्तस्थुरुच्चैर्विविधास्त्रहस्ता - स्ततस्तु देवा मनसाकुलेन ।। २३.

Many Vinayakas of various forms, with elephant faces, resembling dark clouds or collyrium, arose high, each bearing diverse weapons in their hands; then the gods became disturbed in mind.

किमेतदित्यद्भुतकर्मकारी ह्येकः करोत्यप्रतिमं महच्च । कार्यं सुराणां कृतमेतदिष्टं भवेदथैतं परितं कुतस्तत् ।। २३.

They wondered, 'What is this? This one, performing a marvelous deed, alone accomplishes something immense and unparalleled. Is this the fulfillment of the gods' desire? Or has something else surrounded him—where does this come from?'

दिवौकसां चिन्तयतां तथा तु विनायकैः क्ष्मा क्षुभिता बभूव । चतुर्मुखश्चाप्रतिमो विमान - मारुह्य खे वाक्यमिदं जगाद ।। २३.

As the gods thus pondered, the earth was shaken by the Vinayakas. Then the four-faced one, unrivaled, ascended his celestial chariot and spoke these words in the sky.

धन्याः स्थ देवाः सुरनायकेन त्रिलोचनेनाद्भुतरूपिणा च । अनुगृहीताः परमेश्वरेण सुरद्विषां विघ्नकृतां नतौ च ।। २३.

Blessed are you, O gods, for you have been favored by the lord of gods, the three-eyed one, of wondrous form, and graced by the supreme lord, who has subdued the creators of obstacles, the enemies of the gods.

इत्येवमुक्त्वा प्रपितामहस्ता - नुवाच देवस्त्रिशिखास्त्रपाणिम् । यस्ते विभो वक्त्रसमुद्भवः प्रभु- र्विनायकानां भवतु त्विमेऽनुगाः ।। २३.

Having spoken thus, the great grandsire addressed the god holding the trident-weapon: 'O lord, the one who has arisen from your face shall be the chief of the Vinayakas, and these others shall be his followers.'

भवांस्तथाऽस्यात्मवरेण चाम्बरे त्वया चतुर्ष्वस्तु शरीरचारी । आकाशमेतद् बहुधा व्यवस्थितं त्वया वरेण्यः कृत एव नान्यः ।। २३.

You too, by your own boon, 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 other is as worthy as you.

प्रभुर्भव त्वं प्रतिमास्त्रपाणिना इमानि चास्त्राणि वरांश्च देहि । इत्येवमुक्त्वाऽधिगते पितामहे त्रिलोचनश्चात्मभवं जगाद ।। २३.

Become the lord, bearing the trident-weapon, and grant these weapons and boons. Having thus spoken, when the grandsire had departed, the three-eyed one addressed his own son.

विनायको विघ्नकरो गजास्यो गणेशनामा च भवस्य पुत्रः । एते च सर्वे तव यान्तु भृत्या विनायकाः क्रूरदृशः प्रचण्डाः । उच्छुष्मदानादिविवृद्धदेहाः कार्येषु सिद्धिं प्रतिपादयन्तः ।। २३.

You are Vinayaka, remover of obstacles, elephant-faced, called Ganesha, the son of Bhava; and all these fierce, cruel-eyed Vinayakas shall be your attendants, their bodies grown by consuming dry offerings, bestowing success in undertakings.

भवांश्च देवेषु तथा मखेषु कार्येषु चान्येषु महानुभावात् । अग्रेषु पूजां लभतेऽन्यथा च विनाशयिष्यस्यथ कार्यसिद्धिम् ।। २३.

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.