Long ago, when Indra oppressed by Táraka was desirous or obtaining a son from Siva to act as general of the gods, and the god of love had been consumed, [303] Gaurí by performing austerities sought and gained as a husband the three-eyed god, who was engaged in a very long and terrible course of mortification. Then she desired the obtaining of a son, and the return to life of the god of love, but she did not remember to worship Ganesa in order to gain her end. So, when his beloved asked that her desire should be granted, Siva said to her, "My dear goddess, the god of love was born long ago from the mind of Brahmá, and no sooner was he born than he said in his insolence, 'Whom shall I make mad? (kan darpayámi).' So Brahmá called him Kandarpa, and said to him, 'Since thou art very confident, my son, avoid attacking Siva only, lest thou receive death from him.' Though the Creator gave him this warning, the ill-disposed god came to trouble my austerities, therefore he was burnt up by me, and he cannot be created again with his body. [304] But I will create by my power a son from you, for I do not require the might of love in order to have offspring as mortals do." While the god, whose ensign is a bull, [305] was saying this to Párvatí, Brahmá accompanied by Indra appeared before him; and when he had been praised by them, and entreated to bring about the destruction of the Asura Táraka, Siva consented to beget on the goddess a son of his body. And, at their entreaty, he consented that the god of love should be born without body in the minds of animate creatures, to prevent the destruction of created beings. And he gave permission to love to influence his own mind; pleased with that, the Creator went away and Párvatí was delighted. But when, after the lapse of hundreds of years, there appeared no hope of Párvatí having any offspring, the god by the order of Brahmá called to mind Agni; Agni for his part, the moment they called him to mind, thinking that the foe of the god of love was irresistible, and afraid to interfere, fled from the gods and entered the water; but the frogs being burned by his heat told the gods, who were searching for him, that he was in the water; then Agni by his curse immediately made the speech of the frogs thenceforth inarticulate, and again disappearing fled to a place of refuge. There the gods found him, concealed in the trunk of a tree, in the form of a snail, for he was betrayed by the elephants and parrots, and he appeared to them. And after making by a curse the tongues of the parrots and the elephants incapable of clear utterance, he promised to do what the gods requested, having been praised by them. So he went to Siva, and after inclining humbly before him, through fear of being cursed, he informed him of the commission the gods had given him. Siva thereupon deposited the embryo in the fire. Then the goddess distracted with anger and grief, said, "I have not obtained a son from you after all," and Siva said to her;