Mudgalapurana 5.26: śamīmandārasparśamahimāvarṇanaṃ nāma ṣaḍviṃśatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

Salutations to the venerable Gaṇeśa.

Mudgala said:
Then, having approached Dhaumya, Śaunaka, filled with joy,
related the account, and he too became exceedingly delighted:

"Blessed is my son who has become a tree, granter of all perfections,
verily having the form of Gaṇeśa, worthy of worship by all with reverence."

Then the son of Ūrva, having approached the Śamī tree, filled with joy,
performed fierce austerity because of his union with the Śamī.

At the time of death he indeed came to dwell within the womb of the Śamī tree—
the famous fire named Aurva, a Gāṇapatya of great renown.

At the end of the kalpa, endowed with yoga, he went to the Lord of the Gaṇas,
and likewise Śaunaka, filled with affection, worshiped Ḍhuṇḍhi.

Having fashioned an image from the root of the Mandāra tree, intent on worship,
he pleased the Lord of Obstacles with Śamī, Mandāra, and Dūrvā grass.

Adorned with garlands of Śamī and Mandāra, the best of brahmins shone forth;
and in that manner, Dhaumya also assumed the true nature of a Gāṇapatya.

Having heard that event that had transpired, Bhṛśuṇḍī, filled with joy,
came and bowed to the two best of trees situated in his hermitage.

Daily, endowed with devotion, he worshiped the Śamī and the Mandāra;
with Śamī, Mandāra, and Dūrvā grass he worshiped the Lord of Obstacles.

Adorned with garlands of Śamī and Mandāra, the best of sages
shone forth among the Gāṇapatyas like a second Gaṇarāja.

Thus, O Dakṣa, whichever Gāṇapatyas were particularly established [there],
all of them shone, engaged in the worship of Śamī and Mandāra.

All this concerning the origin of the Śamī and Mandāra has been told to you.
Now listen further to another supreme greatness that removes sins.

In the Drāviḍa country there was an evildoer born into the womb of a Śūdra;
wicked-minded and greedy for wealth, he went into the forest and killed people.

Once, while in the middle of the forest, he was attacked by a tiger;
terrified by fear, he fell, and was immediately devoured by it.

There, solely by the force of the wind, a Śamī leaf drifted over;

By the working of destiny, O Lord of Creatures, its contact occurred with him.

Very powerful messengers of Yama arrived to carry him away;
and at the same time, the attendants of Gaṇeśa arrived there for that lowest of men.

Having rebuffed the messengers of Yama, the attendants of Gaṇeśa took him,
and as they were about to depart, the former rushed against them.

Struck by clubs, the messengers of Yama fell to the surface of the earth;
and taking him along, the attendants of Gaṇeśa transformed him into Brahman.

Filled with grief and sorrow, and overwhelmed with rage,
the messengers of Yama went to Yama and reported the incident.

The messengers of Yama said:
"O Lord, there were once certain authors of treatises on the earth;
everything is subject to your command—where has that gone now?

You are Dharmarāja himself, the lord possessing knowledge of the meaning of the Vedas;
therefore everything is indeed considered subject to your command.

The gods headed by Śambhu and Viṣṇu are truly the foundations of dharma;
they would certainly act according to a nature joined with dharma, without a doubt.

A great sinner, a Śūdra named Viśālākṣa, died;
carrying nooses, O Lord, we went there to seize him.

Suddenly, most wondrous persons arrived there,
all carrying trunk-like rods and adorned with four arms.

Rebuffing us, O son of Sūrya, and seizing that Śūdra,
as they were about to depart, we stood ready to fight.

Those beings of great valor struck us down with clubs, seized him,
and where they have gone we do not know now, O highly intelligent one!

Therefore, exerting yourself, destroy their pride!"
Having spoken thus and bowed to him, they stood with folded hands.

Mudgala said:
Having heard their words, the highly intelligent one entered into meditation;
and having understood everything, the very renowned Yama became filled with fear.

Having meditated upon the divine Gajānana, his hair bristling with delight and his eyes filled with tears,
bowing in his heart to Vighneśa, he spoke, filled with awe and apprehension:

"A great offense has been committed by my servants, O Lord;
forgive them, O ocean of compassion, O Lord, for they were filled with ignorance.

A dispute with the most blessed Gāṇapatyas is not proper at all;
and that has been incurred by me through the force of misfortune!"

Having thus begged forgiveness from Vighneśa present in his mind,
the son of the Sun summoned all his servants and spoke wholesome words.

Yama said:
"On whose body there is found even the measure of a garland of Mandāra or of Śamī wood,
or a flower accompanied by leaves of the two, O valiant ones, leave them far behind and depart, terrified!

If someone, though joined with sin, sings the song of the Remover of Obstacles with Dūrvā grass,
or performs worship and the like of the Leader of the Gaṇas, leave them far behind and depart, terrified!

Saying: 'O Gaṇeśa, Heramba, Gajānana, Mahodara, Illuminator of one's own experience,
O most excellent one, lover of Siddhi, Lord of Buddhi!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'O Ender of manifold obstacles, Vakratuṇḍa, dweller in one's own consciousness, four-armed one,
Lord of sages, destroyer of Devāntaka!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'O son of Maheśa, enemy of the elephant-Daitya, son of Vareṇya, Vikaṭa, three-eyed one,
Supreme Lord, bearer of the earth, Ekadanta!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'O Pramoda, Moda, enemy of Narāntaka, slayer of the six waves, elephant-eared one, Ḍhuṇḍhi,
causer of steadfast state in the ocean of hostile dualities!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'O Vināyaka, enemy of obstacles to knowledge, son of Parāśara, son of Viṣṇu,
beginningless object of worship, rider of the mouse, worshiped by all!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'O son of Brahmā, Lambodara, Dhūmravarṇa, protector of the peacock, rider of the peacock,
whose lotus feet are served by gods and Asuras!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'O most excellent one, mouse-bannered, winnow-eared, born of Śivā, seated upon a lion, bearer of the infinite,
strength of Diti, Lord of Obstacles, whose navel is Śeṣa!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'Subtler than the subtle, greater than the great, son of Ravi, Lord of Yoga, supreme King,
Lord of treasures, Lord of mantras, and son of Śeṣa!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!

Saying: 'Bestower of boons, son of Aditi, giver of knowledge to Parāśara, Tāravaktra,
elder brother of Guha, protector of Brahman, son of Pārśvā!'—leave far behind anyone who speaks thus, terrified!"

"Enemy of Sindhu, axe in hand, lord of the śamī, lover of flowers, dispeller of obstacles,
worshipped with heaps of dūrvā grass, God of gods!" Leaving him who speaks thus, depart in terror!

"Bestower of intellect, lover of śamī, giver of great perfection, giver of great peace,
[possessor of] unmeasured māyā and unmeasured valour!" Leaving him who speaks thus, depart in terror!

"Lover of the twofold caturthī, born of Kaśyapa, giver of wealth, radiant bestowal of knowledge,
wish-fulfilling jewel, sporting in the heart!" Leaving him who speaks thus, depart in terror!

"Enemy of Yama, enemy of pride, slayer of the offspring of Brahmā, son of Kapila,
bodiless, self-bliss, yoga beyond yoga!" Leaving him who speaks thus, depart in terror!

"Enemy of the Gaṇa, enemy of the lotus, remaining equal, knower of emotions, Bhālacandra,
moving through what consists of beginning, middle, and end!" Leaving him who speaks thus, depart in terror!

"All-pervading lord, having the world as form, lord of qualities, infinite one, husband of Puṣṭi, mounted on a mouse, consciousness,
creator, protector, and destroyer!" Leaving him who speaks thus, depart in terror!

Those who recite these one hundred and eight names,
and those who hear them—afraid, do not ever enter among them!

Granting enjoyment and liberation, of Ḍhuṇḍhi, increasing wealth and grain,
[this is] a hymn of praise bringing state of Brahman to him who recites it daily with reverence.

Wherever there are dwellings marked with the emblems of Gaṇeśa, O soldiers,
terribly frightened, do not enter there!

By him all servants were established in their respective duties:
Śeṣa and the rest—who are you there, [and] who are we? Worship him always!"

Having spoken thus to all the servants, Yama maintained silence.
All the agents of Yama, filled with feeling, worship Gaṇeśa.

If anyone hears this sacred majesty arising from the śamī,
[or] recites it, to him it will become perfection-granting, [as that] of the mandāra.

Om tat sat. Thus ends the twenty-sixth chapter, named "Description of the Greatness of Touching the Śamī and Mandāra," in the story of Lambodara, in the fifth section of the glorious Maudgala Mahāpurāṇa, an Upaniṣad of the Purāṇas.

Section 5, Chapter 27, Page 59