Mudgalapurana 2.4: madhukaiṭabhavadho nāma caturtho'dhyāyaḥ

Salutations to the glorious Gaṇeśa!

Mudgala said: / "Then Brahmā himself created the brāhmaṇas from his mouth, / all the kṣatriyas from his arms, and likewise the vaiśyas from his thighs.

The great god, impelled by the guṇas, created the śūdras from his feet. / Likewise, [he created] renunciation from his head, the forest-dwelling stage of life from his heart,

celibacy from his navel, and the householder state from his shanks. / Seeing the classes and stages of life, the Grandfather rejoiced.

Then Brahmā himself created dharma from the region of his chest, / and from his back the form of adharma—the two impellers of gods and Daityas.

Then from his own body he created the gods, the gandharvas, apsarases, yakṣas, and others, / as well as the asuras and yātudhānas.

He created snakes, flocks of birds, beasts, humans, and others, / endowed with actions; then he cast off that body.

All of them arose from Brahmā's body, endowed with great power / and possessing worldly activity, O Dakṣa; nevertheless, they did not multiply.

Hear, O Lord of Creatures, the foremost measure of heaven among them; / I shall declare in brief the supreme primary creation.

The first creation of Brahmā is said to be that of the intellect (mahat); / the second creation is proclaimed to be that of the subtle elements (tanmātras), the elemental creation;

Both joining their hands in reverence spoke these words to Brahmā: / 'Give an order, O fortunate one! What should the two of us do, O Lord of Creatures?'

The fourth creation is the primary one (mukhya), and the immovables are indeed considered primary; / the one called the oblique-flowing (tiryaksrotas), of animal wombs, is the fifth;

and the sixth is that of the upward-flowing (ūrdhvasrotas), considered the divine creation; / then the creation of the downward-flowing (arvāksrotas), the seventh, is the human creation;

the eighth is proclaimed as the material creation, consisting of ghosts and spirits; / and the ninth is to be known by the wise as the creation of the Kumāras.

Six are explained as secondary creations, and three are regarded as primary. / (

khaṇḍa 2, adhyāya 4, page 9) Nine creations are to be understood: these primary and secondary ones.

Those three creations that are primary are proclaimed as preceded by intellect; / preceded by intellect, all living creatures proceed through principles and the rest.

Having thus himself created manifold offspring, O lord, / his offspring did not multiply; because of that, he became very sorrowful.

Then from his body issued forth a supreme couple: / from his left side, of charming form, arose she who is remembered as Śatarūpā;

from his right side arose the man remembered as Manu, / Svāyambhuva, the fortunate one, the first knower of the duty of kṣatriyas.

And both, with folded hands, addressed a speech to Brahmā:
"Give [us] your command, O fortunate one, what should the two of us do, O Prajāpati?"

Then Brahmā himself, highly delighted, spoke to the two who were born: / 'Through the power of ascetic practice, create an unequalled creation born of copulation.'

Then, having first bowed to him, they went to an excellent forest / and performed severe ascetic practice, meditating on the Lord of Gaṇas in their hearts.

Then from the shadow of the Creator arose Kardama, best of sages; / seeing him born, Brahmā said: 'Create offspring!'

That sage went to the forest and performed supreme ascetic practice, / meditating according to rule upon Viṣṇu of white form, desiring offspring.

In the meantime, born from the ear-wax of Viṣṇu, / there arose two exceedingly terrible Daityas named Madhu and Kaiṭabha.

By the strength of their own arms, the three worlds were conquered by them at that time; / all the gods, agitated with fear, fled in all directions.

They went to devour Brahmā; by him the sleep [of Viṣṇu] was praised then. / Released by sleep, the unmanifest Viṣṇu arose and shone forth.

A most dreadful, terrifying battle was fought by him with them; / Janārdana was unable to conquer the two in hand-to-hand combat.

For five thousand years, the imperishable Hari fought; / then the two great, mighty Daityas overpowered Hari.

Then Viṣṇu, making himself invisible, fled / and went for refuge to Śaṅkara, filled with devotion.

Bowing low to the Great Lord, overwhelmed with fear, he spoke: / 'Hear the account of what arose in battle, and tell me the means to victory!'

By him it was said to him: “You have forgotten Gaṇeśa. / Worship him with effort; from that you will attain perfection.”

Śiva gave the six-syllabled great mantra of Gaṇeśa. / He went to perform ascetic penance in the region known as the Daṇḍaka forest.

Having assumed the lotus posture there and meditating on the god Gajānana, / in accordance with the rule of the six-syllabled [mantra], he performed supreme ascetic penance.

Very fierce ascetic penance was performed for a thousand years. / Then Gaṇapati went to that Viṣṇu to grant a boon.

Seeing him, he then bowed down and worshipped [him] with devotion. / Mahāviṣṇu, serene in mind, bowed down to Gajānana.

Having folded his hands in supplication, he praised that lord of Gaṇas, / who is endowed with manifold states, the giver of boons, affectionate to his devotees.

Śrīmahāviṣṇu said: / “Salutations to you, O Gaṇapati! Salutations to you, O king of obstacles! / Salutations, O treasure of compassion, O Ḍhuṇḍhi, to you, the protector of devotees!

Salutations to you, O lord of Siddhi and Buddhi! Salutations to you who remove obstacles, / who ever grant obstacles to non-devotees, who have the form of Heramba!

Salutations, salutations to you who are without attributes, the driver of the qualities! / Salutations to you who have the form of the phenomenal world, who are free from the phenomenal world!

To the giver of Brahman to the knowers of Brahman, to Brahman, to him whose form is Brahman, / to you who have the form of man and elephant, who consist of manifold māyā!

Salutations, salutations to the cause of causes, O lord of gods! / To you indeed, O Jyeṣṭharāja, and who are free from causes!

To him who resides in the heart of yogins, the giver of yoga to yogins, / who indeed assumes the form of yoga, salutations, salutations to Gaṇeśa!

Salutations, salutations to the refuge of māyā, to the support of māyā! / To the wielders of māyā through māyā you are indeed the giver of delusion; salutations, salutations!

Who could be capable of praising you? You abide in the form of yoga, / where the Vedas are confounded, along with all the śāstras and auxiliary limbs.

You are devoid of mind and speech, are you not, O god, granter of grace! / You are not composed of mind and speech; how can I praise you, the lord of obstacles?

Yet you are the giver of intellect; by your grace you are praised. / Blessed am I now, O god of gods, from the sight of you!

Having seen you, Gaṇeśa, in person, by that I have become one whose nature is Brahman; / there is no doubt in this—the lord of yogins, the giver of yoga!”

Having spoken thus and bowed to him, he danced, moved by devotion, / his body covered with horripilation and bathed in tears of joy.

The Gaṇādhīśa said to him: “Choose a boon, O Janārdana! / Pleased by your ascetic penance and devotional state, I will grant what is desired.

This hymn of praise composed by you will grant all perfections / to people, O Viṣṇu, who constantly recite it or hear it.

It will accomplish dharma, wealth, pleasure, and liberation; / and by my grace, O Keśava, it will grant immediately the desired objective.”

Mudgala said: / Having heard the word of Gaṇeśa, Viṣṇu, filled with joy, / having bowed to him first, said: “I choose what is desired:”

Viṣṇu said: / “If you have become pleased, then grant devotion, very difficult to obtain, / firm and unswerving, towards your two feet.

Grant me another [thing], O Gaṇādhīśa: matchless knowledge, / grant me fame everywhere, and manifold power.

Tell now the means for the destruction of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, / and grant me power in slaying other Daityas, O lord of obstacles!”

Hearing that speech of his, Gaṇapa said: “So be it! / Go to battle, O lord of gods; you will conquer those two Daityas by force.

Their death was made exceedingly secret by Brahmā, / at the time of giving a boon, pleased by their ascetic penance.

When those two Daityas tell their death with their own mouths, / then by that means kill the two exceedingly powerful Daityas.

I, the lord, having resorted to māyā, will abide in your heart / and theirs, and will make them subject to you; there is no doubt.

When you will remember me in your mind, / then, O Viṣṇu, you will know the means of victory that destroys the Daityas.”

Having spoken thus, that Gaṇeśa, the lord of Brahman, vanished. / There Viṣṇu installed a great image by means of good twice-borns.

He worshipped that image with abundant offerings. / From that time on, it became a renowned sacred place of perfection.

When the religious observance was performed there, it brought manifold perfections, supreme; / it became a famous sacred place sacred to Gaṇeśa, resorted to by the perfected.

There Viṣṇu constantly made his abode, endowed with devotion; / with his wife and with his retinue, he worshipped [Gaṇeśa] daily with reverence.

Having bowed to that Gaṇādhīśa, he went swiftly to battle. / Meditating in his mind on Gaṇeśa, he cut down the two exceedingly powerful ones.

“Oṃ tat sat.” Thus ends the fourth chapter, named ‘The Slaying of Madhu and Kaiṭabha,’ in the deeds of Ekadanta, in the second section of the glorious Maudgala Mahāpurāṇa, an Upaniṣad of the Purāṇas.