The Skanda Purana
by G. V. Tagare | 1950 | 2,545,880 words
This page describes Greatness of God Vighnaraja of Ashapura which is chapter 341 of the English translation of the Skanda Purana, the largest of the eighteen Mahapuranas, preserving the ancient Indian society and Hindu traditions in an encyclopedic format, detailling on topics such as dharma (virtous lifestyle), cosmogony (creation of the universe), mythology (itihasa), genealogy (vamsha) etc. This is the three hundred forty-first chapter of the Prabhasa-kshetra-mahatmya of the Prabhasa Khanda of the Skanda Purana.
Chapter 341 - Greatness of God Vighnarāja of Āśāpūra
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Īśvara said:
1. One should then go to the blemishless (sacred) Āśāpūra (granter of desires) Gaṇeśa (Vighnarāja—the Lord, controller of obstacles), the Moon-crested Lord. He is situated on the north-west. He fulfills hopes and desires and hence is remembered as Āśāpūraka.
2. O goddess, cherished desires were obtained by Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa after propitiating the controller of obstacles (Gaṇeśa) there.
3. There, by propitiating the Lord of Gaṇas, complete healing of leprosy as desired by him, formerly, was attained by the Moon-god.
4-6. On the fourth day in the bright half of the month of Bhādrapada, one should properly worship the Lord of Devas (Gaṇeśa) and feed Brāhmaṇas with Modakas (a special sweet dish). The person obtains his cherished accomplishment.
For the protection of this Kṣetra, O great goddess, the Destroyer of Obstacles was appointed by me, for the pilgrims.