12 -The severing of the head of Ganesha and its replacement by Vishnu 

Narayana said - On hearing the words of Saturn, she recited the name of the lord and said to him, "The entire universe moves according to the wishes of the lord more than the move of destiny."

Parvati playfully said to Saturn, you look at me and my child. Who can prevent the festivities of the birth. 

On hearing the words of Parvati, Saturn thought in his mind, he was in a fix whether to look at the son of Parvati or not because he thought in case he looked at the child there would be an obstruction and if he did not do, how could he protect himself? 

Thus thinking Saturn decided to look at the child and not his mother. His mind was disturbed in the first instance and his throat, lips and palate got dried up. Therefore, with the corner of the right eye he glanced at the child’s face. 

О sage, at the gaze of Saturn, the head of the child was cut-off and Saturn closed his eyes at once, looking downwards and stood there. 

The head of the child who was lying in the lap of Parvati was severed and his body was soaked in blood. The severed head of the child went to Goloka and entered into the body of lord Krishna. Parvati started lamenting and carrying the child in her lap she fainted and fell down on earth like dead. All the gods were surprised and were flabbergasted. They stood there like puppets. All the gods, the goddesses, the mountains, Gandharvas and all the dwellers of Kailasa behaved similarly. Thereafter, finding all the people fainted Vishnu mounted on Garuda, went to the northern direction and reached the bank of Puspabhadra river. 

Reaching the bank of Puspabhadra river, he found an elephant enjoying the company of cow elephants. He was resting after enjoying the company of the cow elephants, placing his head toward the north. The elephant-calves surrounded him. Lord Vishnu delightfully cut-off his head by using Sudarsana-chakra which was soaked in blood and kept it over Garuda and was quite pleasant to look at. 

With the severing of the head of the elephant, the cow elephants were awakened and getting panicky made the young elephants to wake up. Thereafter the cow elephants with their progeny offered prayer to lord Vishnu, the husband of Kamala, who was peaceful, wearing a smile on his face holding shamkha, chakra, gada and padma in his four hands, clad in yellow garments, mounted on Garuda, who was the lord of the entire universe and was wielding the Sudarsana chakra. 

She said, "You are competent to shatter the birth, the creator of the birth, glorious, bestower of pleasure, emanating from the birth and the one who relieves the people from the worldly pleasures, being the soul cause of the same." 

О Brahmana, lord Vishnu got pleased with the prayer and getting satisfied granted a boon. He lifted the head of the elephant from the trunk. With the application of the divine knowledge, he brought back to the dead elephant life. The lord who is all knowledgeable, touched the body of the elephant with his lotus-like feet and said, "O elephant, you will remain alive with your family for a kalpa." Thus speaking lord Vishnu reached the peak of the mount Kailasa. 

He took out the trunk of the child from the hand of Parvati, kept him in his lap and joined the elephant head with the trunk of the child. 

The lord who has been the form of Brahman applying the divine knowledge uttered humkara and brought the child back to life. Thereafter Krishna after consoling Parvati variously placed the child in her lap and also imparted the divine knowledge to her. 

Vishnu said - All the creatures from Brahma to the small insect have to face the result of their deeds and you happen to be the form of wisdom. Therefore, О Parvati, are you not aware of the fact that all the people have to face the result of their deeds for the crores of kalpas and because of the good and bad deeds, one has to take to various births always? 

Indra because of his deeds is also born as an insect and an insect also because of his good deeds could reach the position of an Indra. 

Even the lion is unable to kill a fly because of his deeds and a mosquito because of the result of his deed can even kill the elephant. 

Therefore, the pleasure, pain, fear, grief and joy are the result of one’s own deeds. The good deeds result in pleasure and one has to suffer pain because of evil deeds. 

Because of the good or bad deeds, one has to face pleasure and pain in this world and also in the world beyond. Bharata happens to be the sacred place for performing deeds.

Therefore, the pleasure, pain, fear, grief and joy are the result of one’s own deeds. The good deeds result in pleasure and one has to suffer pain because of evil deeds. 

Because of the good or bad deeds, one has to face pleasure and pain in this world and also in the world beyond. Bharata happens to be the sacred place for performing deeds. 

The one who bestows the reward happens to be superior to Brahma, death for the death and death for the time, origin for the origin or the originator, killer of the killer and protector of the protector, is lord Krishna himself who is complete in himself, is lord of Goloka and also beyond that. 

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva beside myself are all his rays. Mahavirat is a part of him. The globes are enshrined in his hair-pits. 

О goddess Durga, some people happen to be the rays of the same while others are parts of those rays. Thus this stable and unstable universe besides Vinayaka, is enshrined in him. On hearing the words of lord Krishna, Parvati felt delighted. She then bowed in reverence before the lord and started suckling the child. 

With the inspiration of lord Shiva, Parvati delightfully folded her hands with devotion and started offering prayer to lord Krishna which pleased lord Vishnu who blessed the child with his mother and adorned the neck of the child with kaustubha gem. 

Similarly Brahma offered his crown to him, Dharma offered gem-studded ornaments and the goddesses gave the child appropriate gems. 

Thereafter lord Shiva feeling delighted eulogised the lord. Similarly the gods, the sages, mountains, Gandharvas and all the ladies offered prayers to him. 

On Narada finding the child of Shiva and Parvati alike, the Brahmanas distributed crores of gems in charity. 

On regaining life by the child, the bards were given away a thousand horses and a hundred elephants in charity. 

Himalaya getting pleased and satisfied beside the gods and their wives gave away many things in charity to the bards. 

Vishnu the lord of Yama finding the child regaining life fed the Brahmana and arranged for the recitation of the Vedas as well as the Puraqas. Saturn was filled with shame and stood there motionless. At the sight of Saturn, Parvati was enraged and she pronounced a curse on him saying, "You become deformed." 

Finding Saturn so cursed by Parvati, Surya, Kashyapa and Yama felt annoyed and they resolved to leave the abode of Shiva at once. 

Their eyes and faces became red in anger and the lips started fluttering. They intended to pronounce a curse on Parvati and Vishnu, reciting Dharma as witness. 

Thereafter Brahma at the instance of Vishnu and other gods tried to convince Surya and other gods, whose faces had turned red and their lips were fluttering. 

All of them then spoke appropriate words to Brahma that all the gods, the sages and the mountains are timid. 

Kashyapa said - This Saturn has already achieved evil vision because of the curse from his wife but he cast a glance on the child at the instance of his mother.

Surya said - He looked at the child making Dharma as witness and with the permission of his mother. 

But still they have cursed my son inspite of his being innocent; therefore, their son also will be deprived of a limb. There is no doubt about it. 

Yama said - When she herself permitted Saturn to look at the child then why did she pronounce a curse? In such a situation if he also pronounced a curse then what would be wrong in it? Because there is nothing wrong in killing the killer. 

Brahma said - Parvati pronounced a curse getting irritated because of the female nature but the noble people are always merciful. Therefore, all of you should forgive because of the insistence of all. 

Brahma spoke to Durga, "O Durga, you had asked Saturn to have a look at the child then why are you pronouncing a curse on an innocent invitee?" 

Parvati said - О Saturn, with my blessing you will function as the lord of planets, beloved of the lord, have a long life and become Indra among the yogis. The devotees of the lord Hari do not have to face any miseries from today onwards from you. You will have uninterrupted and deep devotion in the lord, my curse cannot be infructuous and therefore you will remain lame throughout your life. 

Parvati feeling pleased, uttered these words and blessings to Saturn took the child in her lap and was seated among the ladies. 

O Brahman, Saturn also felt delighted and bowed before Parvati in reverence with devotion and went to the gods.