Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 10
गणेश-षण्मुखयोः विवाहविचारः / Deliberation on the Marriages of Gaṇeśa and Ṣaṇmukha
षण्मुखश्च प्रियतमो गणेशश्च तथैव च । इति चिंतासमुद्विग्नौ लीलानन्दौ बभूवतुः
ṣaṇmukhaśca priyatamo gaṇeśaśca tathaiva ca | iti ciṃtāsamudvignau līlānandau babhūvatuḥ
“Ṣaṇmukha 最为挚爱，Gaṇeśa 亦复如是。”如是思惟，二者因忧虑而心生不安；然而就在这忧虑之中，他们仍安住于神圣戏游（līlā）的喜乐。
Suta Goswami (narrating to the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Shakti Form: Pārvatī
Role: nurturing
FAQs
It shows that even when divine beings display concern, it is not worldly bondage but līlā—an outward play that remains grounded in inner ānanda, teaching devotees to hold devotion with steady trust in Śiva’s gracious order.
By portraying Gaṇeśa and Ṣaṇmukha as equally beloved, the verse supports Saguna-Śiva bhakti: devotees approach the one Lord through His gracious family-manifestations, while the Liṅga remains the transcendent sign of the same Śiva beyond all forms.
A practical takeaway is to steady the mind in anxious moments by japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—remembering that Śiva’s līlā ultimately leads the devotee toward auspiciousness and clarity.