In plain words
Īśvara agreed and entered his belly. There in Kailāsa, Pārvatī searched everywhere for Īśvara. But Īśvara was nowhere to be seen. At once She went to Viṣṇu and grieved: “Who knows where your brother-in-law is? I cannot find Him.” Viṣṇu, “Pārvatī! Your husband is Bhoḷā Śaṅkara, easily won by His devotees; He grants boons to whoever asks, never saying no; He does not think of before and after. In this way He must have given a boon to someone and got caught somewhere. Do not grieve at all. I shall go and bring Him back,” He said.
Well then, Viṣṇu, who directs the whole drama of the world, began a little drama here. He decked Nandi out like a festival bull and took him to Gajāsura, playing drums and cymbals as they went. In front of him Nandi danced beyond all description. Gajāsura was delighted: “Sir, keeper of the festival bull! Ask for whatever you want,” he said. “Can you give Me what I ask?” asked Viṣṇu, who was there in the guise of the keeper of the bull. Gajāsura said he would give whatever he asked. “Then give Me Īśvara, who is in your belly,” said Viṣṇu. Then Gajāsura recognised that this was Viṣṇu Himself, come in disguise. Viṣṇu means the One who pervades everywhere. So no one but He could know this secret. At once Gajāsura fell full length before Viṣṇu and handed Īśvara over to Him. But before that, he asked for a boon: that even after his death everyone should worship his head. That is why Īśvara set that Gajāsura's head on His son Gaṇapati.
Anywhere in Bhārata, whenever even a small auspicious rite takes place, the worship of Vighneśvara comes first of all. What is the inner meaning of this? The elephant is the biggest of all beasts. In a place with no path even to walk on, let an elephant walk through just once and a path is made there. That is why the elephant shows the way to everyone. The elephant's intelligence is very great. Another special thing is that it is a creature full of gratitude. In no circumstance does it forget its master. Even at the moment of death, if it hears its master's voice, it opens its eyes and looks. That is, the elephant is a creature full of faithfulness. This is the chief quality that should be in man.
The naivedya that brings the wealth of health
Today the people of Bhārata offer Vināyaka kuḍumulu and uṇḍrāḷḷu as naivedya. These are cooked in steam, with no oil. They mix jaggery and sesame seeds into rice flour and cook it in steam to make the kuḍumulu. This is most important in Āyurveda. Through kuḍumulu cooked in steam many diseases are cured. Jaggery puts right the disorders of vāta and pitta; sesame seeds purify the blood. Not only that, they improve the eyesight. Food cooked in steam is easily digested by anyone at all. Even in hospital, a patient who has had a heart operation is given iḍlīs on the second day itself; they do not give upmā, boṇḍā or pakoḍās. That is, the naivedya offered to Vināyaka brings man the wealth of health. The principle that brings health, Ānanda, Śānti, Jñāna and the like is the Vināyaka principle. No one understands this fully. People bring a little clay, make an image of Vināyaka, put useless flowers on it, dip it and float it, and are satisfied that they have done a very grand pūjā.