Shri Ganesha Showing His Cosmic Form to King Varenya
1. King Varenya said - O Lord! From Narada's mouth, I have
heard of your many manifestations; he told me that he knows some of them, but
only you know all of them in truth.
2. O Elephant-Faced One! You alone truly know all those.
Now, show me your captivating and expansive form.
3. Shri Ganesha spoke - In me alone, see this entire animate
and inanimate world and see many kinds of divine wonders which no one has seen
before.
4. By my power, I grant you the eyes of wisdom; for the
all-pervasive, unborn, and imperishable me cannot be seen with physical eyes.
5. Vyasji said - Then King Varenya, having acquired divine
vision, became capable of seeing the great, astonishing, supreme form of Lord
Ganesha.
6-7. With countless radiant faces, trunks, and arms,
anointed with fragrances, adorned with divine ornaments, garments, and
garlands, with countless eyes, holding weapons as bright as tens of millions of
suns, in the body of that Elephant-Faced God, the king saw the three worlds
distinctly.
8-9. After seeing this supreme form of the Lord, bowing in
reverence, the king (Varenya) said - O Lord! In your body, I see gods, sages,
ancestors. O Lord! I see seven netherworlds, seven seas, seven islands, seven
mountains, seven great sages, and many groups of things.
10. I see the earth, the sky, heaven, humans, serpents,
demons, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesha, Indra, deities, and many kinds of creatures.
11. I am seeing you, who are without beginning or end, the
origin of the worlds, with endless arms and heads, glowing like blazing fire,
ancient and immeasurable.
12-13. I see you, the Lord, wearing crowns and earrings,
difficult to behold, joy-giving, and with a vast chest. Your form is served by
deities, Vidyadharas, Yakshas, Kinnaras, sages, humans, dancing Apsaras, and
singing Gandharvas.
14. The eight Vasus, the group of twelve Adityas, Siddhas,
Sadhyas - they all serve you with great devotion and joy, and they are looking
at you in astonishment.
15-16. They know you as the knower, the imperishable,
knowledgeable in Vedas, the protector of righteousness, pervasive in the
netherworlds, directions, heavens, and earth, and as the Lord. Seeing your
form, the whole world and I are terrified; your mouth is frightening with many
sharp teeth, and you are the master of various sciences.
17. Your mouth is as radiant as the fire of destruction,
your form is intricate and touches the sky. O Ganesha! Seeing this form of
yours, I am bewildered.
18. Deities, humans, serpents, and birds rest in your belly;
they experience various births and in the end enter into you just as water
droplets from clouds born of the sea merge back into it.
19-20. Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera,
Ishana, Soma, Surya, and the whole world - all these are you alone, O Master! I
bow to you, please now show me your kindness.
21-22. Please show me your gentle form that I have seen
before, O Great Being. Who can fathom your play which you perform according to
your will? By your grace, I have seen this magnificent form; because you,
becoming pleased, granted me the eyes of wisdom.
23-24. Shri Ganesha spoke - O Mighty-Armed One! Those who do
not practice yoga never get to see this form of mine; only the likes of Sanaka
and others, and Narada, by my grace, witness this form. Even those who
understand the essence of the four Vedas, are skilled in all scriptures,
perform sacrifices, give in charity, and practice penance, they do not truly
know my form.
25. I am to be known, seen, and attained through devotion;
now cast away fear and confusion and behold my gentle form.
26. O King! Those devotees who are solely dedicated to me,
renouncing all attachments, offering all their actions to me, and who see all
beings with an equal eye, abandoning anger, they attain me.