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.
अहन्यहनि ये देव पश्येयुरुरगा दृशा । मनुष्यपशुरूपं वा तत्सर्वं भस्मसाद् भवेत् ।। २४.
O god, every day, whenever the serpents see with their gaze a human or animal form, all of that is reduced to ashes.
त्वया सृष्टिः कृता देव नीयते सा भुजंगामैः । एतज्ज्ञात्वा तु दुर्वृत्तं तत्कुरुष्व महामते ।। २४.
O god, you created this world, but now it is being destroyed by the serpents; knowing this evil, do what must be done, O great-minded one.
ब्रह्मोवाच । अहं रक्षां विधास्यामि भवतीनां न संशयः । व्रजध्वं स्वानि धिष्ण्यानि प्रजा माभूत् ससाध्वसा ।। २४.
Brahmā said: I will surely provide protection for you all; return to your own abodes, creatures, do not be afraid.
एवमुक्त्वा प्रजास्तेन ब्रह्मणाऽव्यक्तमूर्त्तिना । आजग्मुः परमप्रीत्या नत्वा चैव स्वयंभुवे ।। २४.
Having thus spoken, Brahmā, of unmanifest form, sent the creatures away; they departed with great joy, having bowed to the self-born one.
आगतासु प्रजास्वाद्यस्तानाहूय भुजंगमान् । शशाप परमक्रुद्धो वासुकिप्रमुखांस्तदा ।। २४.
When the creatures had gone, he summoned the serpents, and, exceedingly angry, cursed Vāsuki and the others at their head.
ब्रह्मोवाच । यतो मत्प्रभवान् नित्यं क्षयं नयत मानुषान् । भवान्तरे अथान्यस्मिन् मातुः शापात् सुदारुणात् । भविताऽतिक्षयं घोरं नूनं स्वायंभुवेऽन्तरे ।। २४.
Brahmā said: Because you, born from me, continually bring destruction to humans, in another age, due to your mother's terrible curse, there will surely be a dreadful and great destruction in the Svāyambhuva Manvantara.
एवमुक्तास्तु वेपन्तो ब्रह्माणं भुजगोत्तमाः । निपत्य पादयोस्तस्य इदमूचुर्वचस्तदा ।। २४.
Thus addressed, trembling, the foremost serpents fell at Brahmā’s feet and spoke these words:
नागा ऊचुः । भगवन् कुटिला जातिरस्माकं भवता कृता । विषोल्बणत्वं क्रूरत्वं दृक्शस्त्रत्वं च नस्त्वया । संपादितं त्वया देव इदानीं शमयाच्युत ।। २४.
The serpents said: O Lord, you have made our nature crooked; you have endowed us with intense poison, cruelty, and a fearful gaze. O God, you have done this—now, Achyuta, please restrain it.
ब्रह्मोवाच । यदि नाम मया सृष्टा भवन्तः कुटिलाशयाः । ततः किं मनुजान् नित्यं भक्षयध्वं गतव्यथाः ।। २४.
Brahmā said: If indeed I have created you with crooked intent, then why not, without fear, devour humans always?
नागा ऊचुः । मर्यादां कुरु देवेश स्थानं चैव पृथक् पृथक् । मनुष्याणां तथाऽस्माकं समयं च पृथक् पृथक् । नागानां वचनं श्रुत्वा देवो वचनमब्रवीत् ।। २४.
The serpents said: O Lord of gods, establish boundaries and separate abodes for humans and for us, and set distinct rules for each. Hearing the words of the serpents, the god spoke as follows: