Gaṇeśa’s Birth in the Kaumārika Khaṇḍa

The Kaumārika Khaṇḍa tells that Gaṇeśa was born from the dirt that came off Pārvatī’s body when she cleaned herself. Bhagavān Śiva named this elephant-faced child Vighnarāja (king of obstacles). His work is to take away obstacles for those who follow dharma, and to set obstacles in the way of those who give it up. The chapter also tells why Pārvatī grew angry with Bhagavān Śiva and left for tapas (austerity), taking her elephant-faced son with her.

The birth of Gaṇeśa

After the divine marriage, Parameśvara and Pārvatī played happily on the Mandara mountain. Meanwhile the devas, who were troubled by Tāraka, came to Bhagavān Śiva with hymns and asked for relief.

While they were praising him, Pārvatī was cleaning her body with perfumed ointments. From the dirt of that cleaning she made a human body with the face of an elephant. He was born of her own substance, in an act of sudden creation. She was moved by pity for the devas, and she spoke to the new being with love: “O son with a glad mind.”

Bhagavān Śiva then came and told what this child would be and do:

“By his deeds, his strength and his kindness he will be equal to me. Those of evil conduct, full of pāpa (sin), who hate the Vedas and Dharma, will be troubled by him with obstacles all their lives. Those who do not honour me, or Bhagavān Vishṇu, the teacher of the universe, will be held back by Vighnarāja. Without his worship, all good deeds and holy rites will be held back and blocked. He will take away obstacles for those who follow the dharma of the Śrutis, who keep the customs of their kin, who are merciful and free from anger.”

Pārvatī said: “Let it be so.” The child’s body grew and lit up all the directions. Parameśvara gave him to the devas, together with the gaṇas, and said: “This is your lord until the coming of the slayer of Tāraka.”

From that time the devas praised Vighnapati. He made their works free of obstacles, and he put obstacles in the works of the daityas.

The Āśoka sapling and the teaching about a tree

After this, Pārvatī took an Āśoka sapling as her own son. She fed it with water that she brought herself. The Seven Ṛshis performed the rites of consecration for the tree. They asked whether it was proper to take a tree as a son. Then Pārvatī, the devī, declared:

“If a learned man digs a well in a village without water, he is happy in svarga (heaven) as long as there is water in that well. A tank is equal to ten wells. A lake is equal to ten tanks. A daughter is equal to ten lakes. A yajña (fire ritual) is equal to ten daughters. A son is equal to ten yajñas. And a tree is equal to ten sons.”

Pārvatī said that this teaching is a rule that never fails and that makes all the worlds holy: planting and guarding a tree earns puṇya (merit) equal to that of ten sons.

Pārvatī’s anger and her departure for tapas

Bhagavān Śiva and Pārvatī were playing in the silver mansion on Mandara. Bhagavān Śiva made a joking remark. He compared Pārvatī’s dark colour to a black serpent on a white sandalwood tree, and to the dark night mixing with moonlight.

Pārvatī was deeply hurt. She freed herself from his arms and said:

“O wearer of the crescent moon, I won you with hard tapas. At every step that tapas of mine is being insulted. You are called Mahākāla. You are the greatest darkness. I am going to the mountain to do tapas. I have no wish to keep on living, insulted by a rogue.”

Bhagavān Śiva tried to calm her with many gentle words. He admitted his mistake and said that he had meant it only as a joke. But she had been wounded in a tender place and did not give way. Viraka took hold of her feet and wept.

The elephant-faced son, Gaṇeśa, also begged to go with her. He said: “A son will always suffer from his father’s harshness if he has no mother.” Pārvatī embraced him and took him along. She said that his elephant face too might bring mockery.

She told Viraka to stay and guard the entrance, so that no other woman would come near Bhagavān Śiva. She also asked Kusumamodinī, who dwells on the mountain, to watch and to report if any such thing happened.

At Himādri, Pārvatī gave up her ornaments and wore garments of bark. She did the hardest tapas. In summer she sat in the middle of five fires. In the rainy season she stayed in water. In winter she slept on the bare ground without food.

Gaṇeśa at Kumāreśa

Later in the account, Skanda installed the Kumāreśa Liṅga at the Mahīsāgara Saṅgama. Pārvatī promised to stay there as the giver of varas (boons) to women. Skanda then set up the elephant-faced Gaṇeśa near Kumāreśa and received his promise: “There will never be obstacles in the works of those who are devotees of this Liṅga set up by you.”

For this reason Gaṇeśa is to be worshipped on the Chaturdaśī tithi (lunar day), before Kumāreśvara is worshipped.

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Māheśvara Khaṇḍa, Kaumārika Khaṇḍa, Chapter 27 (the birth of Gaṇeśa, the Āśoka sapling, and the anger of Pārvatī)
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Māheśvara Khaṇḍa, Kaumārika Khaṇḍa, Chapters 27 and 28 (the departure of Pārvatī for tapas)
• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Māheśvara Khaṇḍa, Kaumārika Khaṇḍa, Chapter 34 (Gaṇeśa at Kumāreśa)