Son of Parvati according to the Ganesa-purana

The Gaṇeśa-purāṇa is an upa-purāṇa or a minor Purāṇa, that forms a section of the Garuḍa-purāṇa, and is dedicated to the extolling of lord Gaṇeśa. According to this Purāṇa, Gaṇeśa is the embodied representation of the Supreme, known in the Gāṇāpatya faith as Guṇeśa. He is described as reclining in an ocean of sugarcane juice. In contrast to popular understanding of lord Gaṇeśa, this Purāṇa does not always describe him as the lord with an elephant-head. He sports a starkly different avatāra every epoch, with each avatāra boasting of its own vehicle and specialized weapons. गजवदनमचिन्त्यं तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रं त्रिनेत्रं बृहदुदरमशेषं भूतिराजं पुराणम्॥ अमरवरसुपूज्यं रक्तवर्णं सुरेशं पशुपतिसुतमीशं विघ्नराजं नमामि॥ gajavadanamacintyaṁ tīkṣṇadaṁṣṭraṁ trinetraṁ bṛhadudaramaśeṣaṁ bhūtirājaṁ purāṇam|| amaravarasupūjyaṁ raktavarṇaṁ sureśaṁ paśupatisutamīśaṁ vighnarājaṁ namāmi|| I bow to the ancient, inconceivable Lord of creation who is red of hue, is elephant-faced, sports three eyes, has a sharp tusk and a huge belly, who is adored by Indra and the celestials, who is the adored son of Paśupati (Lord Śiva) and is the remover of all obstacles. - Gaṇeśa-sahasranāma In explaining the origin of the Purāṇa, the Gaṇeśa-purāṇa states that the treatise was first revealed to Sage Vyāsa by Lord Brahma himself. Vyāsa is then said to have passed on the knowledge to sage Bhṛgu, who in turn is said to have initiated the king of Devanagara, Somakānta, in the text. The Purāṇa is thus also known by the name Bhārgava-purāṇa. The Gaṇeśa-purāṇa is divided into two sections, namely the Upāsanākhaṇḍa and the Krīḍākhaṇḍa. The Upāsanākhaṇḍa as the name suggests, elaborates the ceremonial worship of Gaṇeśa. The Gaṇeśa-sahasranāma or the thousand names of Gaṇeśa, finds mention in this section of the work along with details of vrata (ceremonial observances) and mantras (incantations). The Krīḍākhaṇḍa is the section of the work that elaborates the exploits of the Lord, and evinces one curious phenomenon. The līlās described in this section bear a close resemblance to the līlās of lord Kṛṣṇa as described in works such as the Śrīmadbhāgavata and the Viṣṇu-purāṇa. Fascinating indeed is the section of the Purāṇa that contains the Gaṇeśa-gītā, a didactic admonishment akin to the Bhagavadgītā. One of the avataras described in the Purāṇa is that of the descent of the lord as the son of Pārvatī. However, the distinction from the popular understanding of Gaṇeśa as the son of Pārvatī lies in the flavor this text imparts. The son of Pārvatī is not dealt with here as the son of the Goddess Pārvatī or as that of Lord Śiva, where the divine parents are extolled as Supreme. Rather, the son is extolled as the Supreme being, and the parents are described as the blessed celestial-couple in whose household the Supreme chose to descend. Here is an account of the avatāra as described in the Gaṇeśa-purāṇa - There was once an asura by name Durāsada who engaged in mind-boggling penance. Compelled by the stupendous mortification he subjected his body to, lord Śiva appeared before the asura and offered to grant him a boon. As the redoubtable Hiraṇyakaśipu had demanded of lord Brahmā, Durāsada who was none other than the son of Bhasmāsura, demanded that he not be killed by any created being. He also demanded that the devas tremble with terror at his very sight, and that the kingdom of the celestials be bestowed upon him. He prayed however, that he be blessed with unwavering devotion unto the lotus feet of lord Śiva. The Lord blessed him as desired and said to him, “you shall be unconquerable to all celestials except one source of immense power. That Supreme Power will subjugate you.” Blessed thus by the lord, Durāsada became drunk with power. He immediately conquered earth and Indraloka, and consequently, the celestials were driven out of Indraloka. Lord Śiva relinquished Kailāsa for Kāśī and lord Viṣṇu relinquished Viṣṇuloka for the ocean of milk. With all the worlds in disarray, the alarmed celestials resorted to lord Brahmā who too was in Kāśī and pleaded with him for succor. Hearing the piteous pleas of the celestials, lord Brahmā responded, “O’ devas, there is but one way to be rid of the awe-inspiring Durāsada. If that Supreme Being Guṇeśa reclines in the womb of Pārvatī, then will your troubles cease.” Informed thus by lord Brahmā, the celestials were overjoyed that there indeed was a way to rid themselves of suffering. They began propitiating Pārvatī right away. Pleased with their adulations, Pārvatī appeared before them and advised them to worship Guṇeśa, the Supreme Being. The celestials accepted the instructions gratefully and began worshipping Guṇeśa. नताः स्मो विघ्नकर्तारं दयालुं सर्वपालकम्। सर्वस्य जगतो हेतुं सर्वव्यापिनमीश्वरम्॥ natāḥ smo vighnakartāraṃ dayāluṃ sarvapālakam| sarvasya jagato hetuṃ sarvavyāpinamīśvaram|| We bow in reverence to the creator of impediments1, the supremely compassionate one, the absolute protector, the fountainhead of creation, the Almighty who pervades all life forms. - Gaṇeśa-purāṇa 1 Vināyaka is celebrated both as vighnakartā, the creator of obstacles, as well as vighnahartā, the allayer of obstacles. It is believed that he creates impediments when a course chosen by us is inimical in the larger scheme of affairs. As they prayed fervently thus, a divine voice was heard in the sky that rang, “may your hearts not be seized with fear. I shall indeed slay the formidable Durāsada.” Delighted to hear these words, the celestials rushed back to the presence of lord Śiva but found him engrossed in meditation. Turning to Pārvatī they informed her of the assurance of the divine voice and said to her that they had arrived here to seek lord Śiva’s guidance. They added that they did not know how to proceed further, especially given that lord Śiva was lost in meditation. Pārvatī reassured the celestials, “have no fear, O’ celestials. Know that the daitya shall indeed be vanquished.” As she spoke thus, her beautiful countenance became overshadowed with wrath. From the orifices of her eyes, nose and ears arose an effulgence that was blinding. The splendor was far beyond what the celestials could bear. Their eyes sealed shut instinctively but by the grace of the Supreme Being, they perceived with the eyes of the mind, the form the effulgence assumed. Effulgent as a thousand suns, he bore the face of an elephant, a pearly-white tusk, ten-arms replete with brilliant weapons, a crown beset with precious stones, dazzling earrings, a serpent for a ceremonial thread, and elegant raiment of silk. The celestials opened their eyes to behold the glorious form of the lord and danced for joy. Jubilant beyond measure, Pārvatī cried, निर्गुणं यन्निराकारमव्यक्तं सर्वगं परम्। ध्यानगम्यं चिदाभासं सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहम्॥ अवतीर्णं मम गृहे हन्तुं दैत्याननेकशः। जगतामुपकाराय पातुं विश्वं चराचरम्॥ nirguṇaṃ yannirākāramavyaktaṃ sarvagaṃ param| dhyānagamyaṃ cidābhāsaṃ saccidānandavigraham|| avatīrṇaṃ mama gṛhe hantuṃ daityānanekaśaḥ| jagatāmupakārāya pātuṃ viśvaṃ carācaram|| The Supreme being who is beyond attribute and form, (who) is attained through painstaking meditation, (who) is the splendorous personification of truth and consciousness assumes form and descends in my household in order to vanquish countless daityas. He descends for the welfare of all creation, protecting all that exists (by his benevolence). - Gaṇeśa-purāṇa Pārvatī then worshipped the lad with devotion and offered him the lion that served her as a vehicle. She bestowed the name ‘Vakratuṇḍa’ upon him and pleaded with him to slay the vile Durāsada. Said the charming lad in response, “mother, I have descended in order to protect the noble, to slay the vile daitya, thereby ease the burden of the earth, and to serve you.” With this reassurance, Vakratuṇḍa proceeded forth from the holy city of Kāśī amount the lion, with lord Śiva, Pārvatī and the celestials in tow. The lord battled the vile Durāsada and vanquished him as promised. The Gaṇeśa-purāṇa elaborates further how Vakratuṇḍa then resorted to mount Kailāsa along with his blessed parents and indulged in many a līlā, delighting the world with them. The Purāṇa is indeed a delectable collection of līlās that deserves a more central position in our conscious psyche.

Son of Parvati according to the Ganesa-purana

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