Mudgalapurana 3.26: rāmacandracaritaṃ nāma ṣaḍviṃśatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

Homage to the holy Gaṇeśa.

Nara and Nārāyaṇa said: / Śruta's son was named Nābha; from him was born Sindhudvīpa, a wise son of great renown.

Ayutāyus was his son; from him came Ṛtuparṇa, who was a friend of Nala and devoted to the science of horses.

From him Sarvakāma was born, and from him Sudāsaka was born. / His son was Saudāsa, renowned as Kalmāṣapādaka.

In the field of Kalmāṣapāda, Vasiṣṭha, the best of sages, / begot Aśmaka, who increased the lineage of Ikṣvāku.

And Aśmaka had a son, a king named Mūlaka. / Indeed, out of fear of Rāma, that king went to the forest, deeply sorrowful.

There, assuming the form of a woman, protected by women, / he became known by the name Nārīkavaca because of that deed, O sage!

From him was born Śataratha, and Ilavila was his son; / from him came Viśvasaha, and from him Khaṭvāṅga attained Ḍhuṇḍhi.

From him came Dīrghabāhu; from him Raghu; from him Aja was born; / his son was Daśaratha, who is remembered as a portion of Kaśyapa.

And he had three wives of peerless beauty, O sage: / Kausalyā, Kaikeyī, and Sumitrā, who was endowed with dharma.

When his youth had passed, the king did not obtain an excellent son. / He made various efforts, O sage, such as vows and pilgrimages.

Then, having entrusted the kingdom—freed of all thorns—to his ministers, / he went with his wife to seek refuge with Vasiṣṭha, the lord of brahmins.

A ten-syllabled mantra of Gaṇeśa was given by Vasiṣṭha / to that king, and he also spoke to him along with his wife:

"That Gajānana became the family deity of the Sun. / You were born in his lineage; why then have you forgotten him?

Merely by forgetting him, a man cannot attain perfection; / both in the next world and in this one, he is afflicted by obstacles in an exceedingly strange way.

Therefore, you too, O foremost of kings, worship Gaṇapa with devotion. / This king of mantras must not be abandoned; abandonment will bring ruin."

Saying "So be it" to Vasiṣṭha, he bowed and went to the forest. / The highly renowned Daśaratha performed fierce austerities.

Consuming only wind, he worshipped the Lord of Gaṇas; / humble in mind, he chanted that excellent mantra together with his wife.

Then, when a hundred years had passed, Gajānana was pleased. / Mounted upon a mouse, he came to grant him boons.

Seeing him, the king rose with his wife and swiftly bowed to the Lord. / He worshipped that god, praised him with hymns of praise, and bowed.

Then the King of Gaṇas spoke to that best of kings: / "Choose a boon, O mighty-armed one; I shall grant what your heart desires."

Then, having heard that speech, Daśaratha, with a contented heart / and filled with humility, spoke to Gaṇeśa, the giver of all perfections:

Daśaratha said: / "If you are pleased, O Lord of gods, then grant, O Gajānana, / devotion to your feet, O Lord, through which ignorance does not exist.

Grant another boon, O Gaṇādhīśa: a son who brings immense fame, / peerless in strength, and devoted to your worship.

Where I have performed austerities, remain firmly established there, / fulfilling the heartfelt desire of the people through the power of devotion."

"So be it," the Lord of Gaṇas said to Daśaratha; / concealing himself, he departed respectfully to Svānanda.

Then, an image was respectfully installed by the hand of Vasiṣṭha, / (

Section 3, Chapter 26, Page 53) and there came to be a sacred place of Gaṇeśa that grants all perfections.

Having worshipped him along with his wife, Daśaratha, O brahmin, / returned to the city of Ayodhyā, bringing great joy to everyone.

Then, for the destruction of Rāvaṇa, the Lord Gaṇeśa / commanded Viṣṇu, and he became the son of Daśaratha, O sage!

Dividing himself fourfold, the imperishable Hari shone forth. / Rāma, the best of weapon-bearers, was born of Kausalyā.

Bharata was born of Kaikeyī, and Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna / of Sumitrā, O best of brahmins; all shone like Viṣṇu.

Then King Daśaratha became devoted to sensual pleasures; / having forgotten him, he did not remember that Lord of Gaṇas.

Then the munja-girdle ceremony and other rites of Rāma were performed by him, O sage; / he was besought by Viśvāmitra for the protection of his sacrifice.

His sacrifice was protected by Rāma along with Lakṣmaṇa; / the terrible rākṣasa named Subāhuka was slain, O sage.

The great yogi, the glorious Viśvāmitra, was pleased; / he bestowed upon that Rāma the entire science of divine weapons, O sage.

Then the sage Kauśika went to Janaka's sacrifice / accompanied by Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, and was honoured by Janaka.

There the bow belonging to Maheśvara was strung by Rāma; / by a mighty pull it was broken in the middle, O great sage!

Then Sītā was given by King Janaka with affection / to the great-souled Rāma, and likewise Urmilā to Lakṣmaṇa.

Then the two daughters of his brother were given there by the king / to Bharata and Śatrughna with devotion, O honour-giver!

Then King Daśaratha was urgently petitioned by Kaikeyī / for Rāma's forest-dwelling and for the kingdom for Bharata.

By the power of the granting of the boons, he indeed consented. / Rāghava lived in the forest for fourteen years,

along with Lakṣmaṇa and his wife, out of reverence for his father. / There at Nāsika, Rāma dwelt joyfully.

There Rāvaṇa came in the guise of a guest; / seizing Sītā while she was alone, the villain went to Laṅkā.

Then Rāma along with Lakṣmaṇa did not see the daughter of Videha; / having fainted, he fell down and lamented, deeply afflicted.

Then Rāma went searching for Sītā in the forest; / there in Karṇāṭa, he saw an eminent Śaiva sacred site.

There, along with Lakṣmaṇa, that Rāma, bearing the appearance of a Śaiva, / worshipped Śambhu with great devotion for a month.

Satisfied there, Sadāśiva granted a boon to Rāma; / he gave him instruction that would lead to obtaining Sītā.

Śiva said: / "Listen, O fortunate Rāma: you are indeed eternal Viṣṇu; / by the curse of Bhṛgu you were born taking a human body.

You have undertaken forest-dwelling and the sorrow born of separation from Sītā. / Therefore, worship the King of Gaṇas, endowed with devotion.

By that, O Rāma, your ancient knowledge will arise; / the recovery of Sītā will come to pass, O mighty-armed one—of this there is no doubt."

Hearing Śiva's words, the illustrious
Rāma, deeply afflicted by grief, questioned him with humility.

rāma said:
Tell me, Śambhu, great lord, of the true nature of Gaṇeśa.
What is he like, specifically, who is proclaimed the sovereign of all?

Hearing Rāma's words, Śaṅkara indeed spoke to him,
teaching the complete yoga of Gaṇeśa, O best of sages.

Śiva said:
Listen, Rāma: I shall tell you the knowledge of Gaṇeśa,
by which you, knowing all states of being, shall attain peace, O lord.

The intellect that abides in fivefold form within the heart is indeed she, there is no doubt;
having the nature of thought, most fortunate one, she is his Prakṛti, O pervasive lord.

Māyā, creating various delusions, is seen everywhere as perfection.
All worlds indeed wander about, deluded by her for the sake of perfection.

She is declared to be his Prakṛti, residing on his left side.
On his right side arose the intellect, who is called Māyā.

The master of both is that Gaṇeśa, considered to consist of yoga and peace.
Knowing him, Rāma, we who have attained peace worship him.

What is understood through the intellect, Rāma, is just such a form of his;
and that born of perfection is not at all obtained through practices such as yoga.

Abandoning both kinds of Māyā, worship the leader of the gaṇas.
Thereby you will become a knower of the path of yoga, and Gaṇeśa [himself].

He is declared in the Vedas by the Vedic teachers to be the king of obstacles.
Disregarding that Vighneśa, how could one become free from obstacles?

Everything described in the Vedas is subject to obstacles, O fortunate one;
therefore, connected with obstacle, it comes forth deficient, O lord.

Obstacles are declared to consist of reality; Gaṇeśvara is their master.
Worship him according to the injunctions; you will become free from obstacles.

Worship Heramba with deep devotion; I tell you the path of devotion.
Thereby you will attain the god Gaṇeśa, there is no doubt in this.

If a human being should be devoid of his own real being,
he is then proclaimed deficient, because of his dependent nature.

The lords, supreme lords, who are protectors of the wretched,
are proclaimed guardians of the wretched; reflect on this, O noble-minded one.

Rāma, 'he' is determined in the Vedas to express the meaning of the wretched;
'ramba' means 'protector'; through their union, he is proclaimed Heramba.

The wretched are devoid of real being, and the protectors are endowed with real being;
Heramba is their master; worship him according to the injunctions.

Abandon the twofold pride, O lord Rāghava:
that which consists in being wretched, and that noble [pride] which consists in complete protection.

Considering the universe and Brahman to be subject to him
by whom living beings were made wretched and the supreme lords protectors, go to him for refuge.

Having spoken thus to Rāghava accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa,
Mahādeva vanished, while Rāghava remained right there.

In the city of the lord of knowledge, Rāma performed supreme austerities;
with the mantra taught by Śiva, he propitiated the lord of obstacles.

Rāma and especially Lakṣmaṇa constantly worshipped that Heramba,
endowed with devotion and abstaining from food.

Through meditation on that god, in a short time the lord
Rāma, endowed with peace through practicing yoga, became [tranquil], O twice-born.

Seeing the firm resolve of Rāma, his devotee, Gaṇeśa, an ocean of compassion,
arrived after six months to grant him a boon.

The lord of obstacles awakened Rāma together with Lakṣmaṇa;
then, renouncing their meditation, the two bowed deeply to the leader of the gaṇas.

Then Rāma, the best of gods, worshipped him, O sage;
his neck bowed with devotion, he praised the Gaṇādhīśa.

[Mudgalapurāṇa 3.26 p. 55] Rāma said:
Salutations to you, Heramba, maker of the wretched, compassionate one;
salutations, salutations to you, the maker of forms of both the wretched and the masters.

Salutations to you, the non-difference between lords and the wretched;
salutations, salutations to you, Vighneśa, lord of the gaṇas.

Salutations to you who are beginningless and the original form of all;
salutations, salutations, O Lambodara, who are the support of the end and the middle.

Salutations, salutations to Cintāmaṇi, the mover of minds;
salutations to you who are devoid of difference and non-difference, having their form.

Salutations to you, the supreme self, adorable to all, adored before all,
the endless one, the supreme lord, King Ḍhuṇḍhi.

Salutations to you who are full, the master of fullness, abiding in Svānanda,
the giver of perfection and intellect, the boon of perfection and intellect.

Salutations to you who cause misery to the powerful who lack devotion,
and who bestow power upon the wretched who are endowed with devotion.

Wretchedness and capability are subject to you, there is no doubt;
therefore protect me, O lord of yoga; salutations, salutations to the lord of yoga.

How can I praise you, O Gaṇādhīśa, whose nature is peace and yoga?
The Vedas and chiefs of yogins are not capable of this; what then am I?

As that Rāma was praising thus, deeply moved by devotion,
horripilation appeared, as well as choking of the throat.

Then, seeing Rāma immersed in the rasa of devotion, Gajānana
said to him with respect: "Ask the boon desired in your mind.

This hymn of praise composed by you will increase my favor,
grant peace and yoga, and increase the marks of devotion.

Whatever one desires, that very thing I shall grant through the recitation of this hymn of praise
and through hearing it, there is no doubt; he will become dear to me."

Hearing Heramba's words, Janārdana Rāma,
with supreme feeling and devotion, folding his hands, said to him:

Rāma said:
If you, Gajānana, with a gracious heart, are a giver of boons,
then let there be eternal devotion to your lotus feet.

May there be the peace of yoga and perpetual remembrance, just as Śaṅkara stated;
likewise, make me worthy of worship by the lords of yogins, O lord Gaṇapa.

Sītā has been abducted by Rāvaṇa, and I have set out to slay him;
in that matter, O Heramba, grant me victory especially.

Make the majesty of my name greatly wondrous,
and make me honored everywhere and endowed with fame, O Gajānana.

Hearing his words thus, Heramba said to Rāma:
"Just as was prayed for, O Viṣṇu, so shall it be for you always.

Through remembrance of me alone, everything will become easy for you;
and by the power of your name, living beings will cross over."

Having spoken thus, the lord Gaṇeśa indeed vanished;
Rāma, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, remained right there.

Then, having fetched Agastya together with the best of eminent brahmins,
Rāma installed an image of Heramba according to the ritual rules.

From that time on, Heramba, the leader of the gaṇas, remained established
in Vidyādhīśapura, O brahmin, bestowing all perfections upon his devotees.

Having worshipped him, O sage, Rāma, freed from grief
and joined by Lakṣmaṇa, departed to slay the rākṣasa.

Having made Sugrīva an ally along with the monkeys, O sage,
and having slain Vālin, the mighty [Rāma] set out for Laṅkā,

surrounded by Hanūmat, Aṅgada, and others, by Sugrīva and others,
and by others such as Jāmbavat—monkeys who had the forms of gods.

Then that Rāma, accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, fought with the rākṣasas;
having slain hosts of rākṣasas, he also killed Kumbhakarṇa.

And Lakṣmaṇa swiftly killed the conqueror of Indra;
then, filled with immense rage, Rāvaṇa fought fiercely.

By him all the monkey chiefs were struck down and knocked unconscious;
Lakṣmaṇa fell unconscious there, and Rāma was severely distressed.

Rāma's weapons and missiles were completely blunted;
then, deeply overwhelmed, Rāma remembered the leader of the gaṇas.

Merely upon Rāma's recollection, Cintāmaṇi himself
gave inspiration in his heart; thus Rāma killed Rāvaṇa, O sage.

The Lord of Intellect himself visibly bestowed intellect for Rāma's sake;
for the entire world and Brahman, O great sage, are dependent on intellect.

Then, having slain the heroic Rāvaṇa, the descendant of the Solar dynasty,
Rāma, made Vibhīṣaṇa king in Laṅkā.

Taking Sītā, he went to his own city by aerial chariot;
knowing dharma, he ruled the kingdom fiercely and always in accordance with dharma.

With his mind attached to Sītā, he forgot the supreme knowledge
pertaining to Gaṇeśa; then his separation from Sītā came to pass.

Having performed the horse sacrifice and other rites, he remained engaged in royal duty;
then, through the yoga of Vasiṣṭha, he attained that knowledge again.

Then, endowed with peace, he constantly worshipped Gaṇeśa in his mind
with devotion, O sage, as well as the one who assumes an external form.

In the end, that Rāma, the imperishable Viṣṇu, went to Vaikuṇṭha;
there he worshipped that lord of the gaṇas with undivided mind.

Whoever hears this deed of Rāma with devotion,
or reads it, for him it will bestow worldly enjoyment and liberation.

This incarnation of Mahodara named Heramba
has thus been described to you, O great sage; from hearing it, it grants all perfections.

Oṃ tat sat. Thus, in the glorious final Upaniṣad of the Purāṇa, in the venerable Maudgala Mahāpurāṇa, in the third section, in the account of Mahodara, the twenty-sixth chapter, named 'The Life of Rāmacandra'.