Varaha Purana

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.

प्रजापाल उवाच । भगवंस्तार्क्षविषयाः कथं मूर्त्तिमुपागताः । नागा बभूवुः कुटिला एतदाख्यातुमर्हसि ।। २४.

The Protector of Creatures said: O venerable one, how did the serpents, destined for Garuḍa, come to have bodies? Why did they become crooked? You ought to tell this.

महातपा उवाच । सृजता ब्रह्मणा सृष्टिं मरीचिः सूतिकारणम् । प्रथमं मनसा ध्यातस्तस्य पुत्रस्तु कश्यपः ।। २४.

The Great Ascetic said: When Brahmā was creating the world, Marīci was the cause of procreation; first conceived in his mind, his son was Kaśyapa.

तस्य दाक्षायणी भार्या कद्रूर्नाम शुचिस्मिता । मारीचो जनयामास तस्यां पुत्रान् महाबलान् ।। २४.

His wife was Dakṣa's daughter, named Kadrū, of pure smile; Marīci begot upon her sons of great might.

अनन्तं वासुकिं चैव कम्बलं च महाबलम् । कर्कोटकं च राजेन्द्र पद्मं चान्यं सरीसृपम् ।। २४.

Ananta, Vāsuki, and also the mighty Kambala, Karkoṭaka, O king, and another serpent named Padma,

महापद्मं तथा शङ्खं कुलिकं चापराजितम् । एते कश्यपदायादाः प्रधानाः परिकीर्त्तिताः ।। २४.

Also Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, and the unconquered Kulika; these are named as the chief descendants of Kaśyapa.

एतेषां तु प्रसूत्या तु इदमापूरितं जगत् । कुटिला हीनकर्माणस्तीक्ष्णास्योत्थविषोल्बणाः । दृष्ट्वा संदश्य मनुजान् कुर्युर्भस्म क्षणाद् ध्रुवम् ।। २४.

By their birth, the world became filled with them; crooked, of evil deeds, with sharp-fanged, venomous mouths, seeing and biting humans, they would surely reduce them to ashes in a moment.

शब्दगामी यथा स्पर्शं मनुष्याणां नराधिप । अहन्यहनि जायेत क्षयः परमदारुणः ।। २४.

O king, just as sound follows touch, so among humans, day after day, there would arise a most dreadful destruction.

आत्मनस्तु क्षयं दृष्ट्वा प्रजाः सर्वाः समन्ततः । जग्मुः शरण्यं शरणं परं तु परमेश्वरम् ।। २४.

Seeing their own destruction, all the creatures everywhere sought refuge with the supreme Lord, the ultimate shelter.

इममेवार्थमुद्दिश्य प्रजाः सर्वा महीपते । ऊचुः कमलजं विष्णुं पुराणं ब्रह्मसंज्ञितम् ।। २४.

For this very reason, O king, all the creatures addressed the lotus-born Viṣṇu, the ancient one, known as Brahma.

देवा ऊचुः । देवदेवेश लोकानां प्रसूति परमेश्वर । त्राहि नस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्राणां भुजंगानां महात्मनाम् ।। २४.

The gods said: O Lord of gods, origin of the worlds, supreme Lord, save us from the great serpents with sharp fangs, O mighty one.