Varaha Purana

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.

इत्येवमुक्त्वा परमेश्वरेण सुरैः समं काञ्चनकुम्भसंस्थैः । जलैस्तथासावभिषिक्तगात्रो रराज राजेन्द्र विनायकानाम् ।। २३.

Having thus been addressed by the supreme lord, and together with the gods, his body was anointed with water from golden vessels; then, O king, he shone as the foremost among the Vinayakas.

दृष्टवाऽभिषिच्यमानं तु देवास्तं गणनायकम् । तुष्टुवुः प्रयताः सर्वे त्रिशूलास्त्रस्य सन्निधौ ।। २३.

Seeing him being anointed as the leader of the hosts, all the gods, purified, praised him in the presence of the wielder of the trident-weapon.

देवा ऊचुः । नमस्ते गजवक्त्राय नमस्ते गणनायक । विनायक नमस्तेऽस्तु नमस्ते चण्डविक्रम ।। २३.

The gods said: 'Salutations to you, elephant-faced one! Salutations to you, leader of the hosts! O Vinayaka, salutations to you! Salutations to you, fierce in valor!'

नमोऽस्तु ते विघ्नकर्त्रे नमस्ते सर्पमेखल । नमस्ते रुद्रवक्त्रोत्थ प्रलम्बजठराश्रित ।। २३.

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!

सर्वदेवनमस्कारादविघ्नं कुरु सर्वदा । एवं स्तुतस्तदा देवैर्महात्मा गणनायकः । अभिषिक्तश्च रुद्रस्य सोमस्यापत्यतां गतः ।। २३.

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 the son of Rudra and Soma.

एतच्चतुर्थ्यां संपन्नं गणाध्यक्षस्य पार्थिव । यतस्ततोऽयं महती तिथीनां परमा तिथिः ।। २३.

This event, O king, occurred on the fourth lunar day, the day of the chief of the hosts; therefore, this is the greatest and most excellent of all lunar days.

एतस्यां यस्तिलान् भुक्त्वा भक्त्या गणपतिं नृप । आराधयति तस्याशु तुष्यते नात्र संशयः ।। २३.

Whoever, with devotion, eats sesame seeds and worships Ganapati on this day, to him the Lord is quickly pleased—of this there is no doubt.

यश्चैतत् पठते स्तोत्रं यश्चैतच्छृणुयात् सदा । न तस्य विघ्ना जायन्ते न पापं सर्वथा नृप ।। २३.

Whoever recites or always listens to this hymn, for him obstacles do not arise, nor does sin, in any way, O king.

धरण्युवाच । कथं ते गात्रसंस्पर्शान्मूर्त्तिमन्तो महाबलाः । नागा बभूवुर्देवेश कारणं ते महीधर ।। २४.

The Earth said: 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?

श्रीवराह उवाच । श्रुत्वा गणपतेर्जन्म प्रजापालो नराधिपः । उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा तं मुनिं संशितव्रतम् ।। २४.

Śrī Varāha said: Hearing of the birth of the lord of hosts, the protector of creatures, O king, spoke with gentle words to that sage of firm vows.