Vigneshwara – Lord of obstacles

Bharath, our sacred land, our cultural identity, is replete with fascinating tales of
Divinity, Dharma, and knowledge, the list is endless. Whatever knowledge exists,
it exists in the Shrutis and Smritis. The awakening we see in the present times, be
it due to a search for our roots, a quest for understanding the origin of our
existence, the rise of the ancients in various places where archaeologists are
discovering many icons indicating the advanced civilization we were, inspires our
pursuits to become a seeker. Our ithihasas and Puranas are a major source of
knowledge for the present times for people who want quick-fix solutions. To gain
a deeper understanding, the paths are many and one can choose any path to
reach the Ultimate. Sanatana Dharma is flexible and even a journey undertaken to
sacred places will eventually lead to a journey within. On one such yatra in the
temple town of Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, I came across Muktheeswar temple at
Thilatarapanapuri where one of a kind Naramukha Vinayagar, Lord Ganesh in
human form, stands resplendent with a Nagabharanam around his waist. A
Naganandhi faces the deity made of granite and it is believed that Sage Agasthya
used to perform puja here. Another interesting sthalapurna about Lord Rama’s
pindadaan being finally accepted here is associated with this place. There is a
functioning vedpathshala too and the recital of the Vedas fill the air with
spirituality. This unique temple inspired and guided me to seek the various facets
of Ganapathi. So, I embarked on an exploration, made easy by the technology,
with a prayer to the Vignaharta.
"Vakratunda Mahakaaya, Suryakoti Samaprabha
(वक्रतुण्ड महाकाय सूर्यकोटि समप्रभ)
Nirvighnam Kuru Mey Deva, Sarva Kaaryeshu Sarvada"
(निर्विघ्नं कुरु मे दे व सर्वकार्येषु सर्वदा ॥)
Ganapati or Ganesh, as He is popularly known, is an embodiment of wisdom,
spirituality, and prosperity. We pray to him to remove all obstacles in our lives, in
our daily chores, and in all our undertakings. He is the initial God we pray to
whenever we embark on a new project, when we enter a temple, or when we
start a new venture. Some Puranas state that even Brahma prayed to him before
starting the creation process, Vishnu before he vanquished the mighty Bali, Shiva
before conquering the demon Tripurantaka and Durga before she took on the
form Mahishasura Mardini. The legends are endless, and it makes one wonder
about the origins of Lord Ganesh. This led me to refer Ganesha Puran, which
enunciates the Avatar of Ganesh through the various yugas. He was Vinayaka,
with ten arms, vara daayaka, riding a lion in the Krita yuga, Mayureswara with six
arms, riding a peacock in Treta Yuga. In Dvaapar Yuga, he was born to Shiva and
Parvati, there are few legends which state he was born only to Shiva or only to
Parvati, but the Shiva Parvati legend is what is imbibed in us. His vehicle or
Vaahana is the mushaka, the mouse. And in Kali Yuga he is Dhumraketu, with two
arms, riding a horse, akin to the iconography of the Kalki avatar. Whatever the
story we tend to believe, the underlying message is the same and one needs to
understand the decipher the truth encoded within.
Even the marital status of Lord Ganesha is different in the North and the South. In
the South, he is considered a Brahmachari whereas in Maharashtra and other
places, he is married to Ridhi and Sidhi and has children named Shubh and Labh,
with a few variations. Again, one needs to look at the esoteric meaning, Lord
Ganesh represents wisdom and intellect, which is energized by intelligence and
abilities one develops, to attain prosperity and auspicious in one’s journey
through this life.
Lord Ganesh is perhaps the only God to be represented in various forms
depending on one’s creative abilities. He is the favorite of children for he loves to
eat and is not ‘body-conscious’ and for those who seek spirituality he is the
ultimate God who bestows boons. However, there are 32 forms of Ganapati
which are popular viz. Bala, Taruna, Bhakti, Veera, Shakti, Dvija, Siddhi, Uchishta,
Vighna, Kshipra, Heramba, Lakshmi, Vijaya, Nritya, Urdhva, Ekaskshara, Varada,
Tryakshara, Kshipra prasada, Haridra, Ekadanta, Srishti, Uddanta, Runamochana,
Dhundhi, Dvimukha, Trimukha, Sinha, Yoga, Durga, Sankatahara and Maha
Ganapati. The 33rd form which we can see nowadays in many houses is the
Shubha Drishti Ganapati. Mudgala Purana indicates 8 incarnations of Ganesha, to
overcome various shortcomings (represented in the form of various demons)
namely, Vakratunda to overcome envy and jealousy, Ekadanta for arrogance and
conceit, Mahodara for delusion and confusion, Gajavaktra for greed, Lambodara
for anger, Vikata for lust, Vighnaraja for possessiveness and attachment,
Dhumravarna for pride and ego. One should pray to Lord Ganesh to overcome
these demonic qualities and ultimately gain wisdom to seek the ultimate.
The beauty of the nomenclatures in Sanskrit is incomparable, for the names are
not synonymous but they represent a unique quality, a specific manifestation for
a defined purpose. If we delve into the origin of each and every name, the pages
of this magazine will not suffice. However, he is Vigneshwara, the Vignakarta and
the Vignaharta. When we indulge in adharmic activities, he creates obstacles and
guides us to the spiritual path, however when we face obstacles in life, he helps
overcome them. He is a god of strength, wisdom, intelligence, artforms etc. And
who can forget that Ganesha was the ultimate scribe who wrote the
Mahabharata non-stop when Sage Ved Vyaasa narrated the historical epic.
The iconography of Ganesh is interesting with the head of an elephant inspiring us
to think big, large ears to listen more, a small mouth to talk less, small eyes to
focus, a trunk demonstrating one should adapt to the environment, a large belly
with the ability to digest whatever we consume, be it food or information and a
single tusk to guide us through the good and reject the bad. The items in the hand
vary depending on the manifestation, however, an axe signifying cutting off the
ties of attachment, a rope or a paash to remain steadfast in the pursuit of the
divine, modaks, laddus to remind us that Sadhana will always lead to rewards are
more commonly depicted. Most importantly, the vehicle of Lord Ganesha , the
mouse, suggests that however small one’s desires are, they should be kept under
control otherwise they will create havoc in our lives.
Even though, the devotees pray to him on every Sankata hara Chaturthi for relief
from obstacles, the most famous festival that is celebrated all over India is the
Ganesh Chaturthi which falls on the Shukla paksha Chaturthi of Bhadrapad
month. The legends associated with it are many, and rituals vary but the
underlying principle is the same. One just needs to either try and understand the
meaning of a ritual, or one needs to have faith and perform the rituals, either way
the seeker is blessed. Whenever a deity is installed in a particular place, the deity
becomes an energy center after Pranpratistha is done, that is life breath is infused
into the murti. The nirgun deity now manifests into the Sagun murti and we
worship this icon in its various manifestations by performing rituals based on
one’s tradition. One of the common pooja dravyas for Ganesh is the Durva grass.
When I was browsing the ritualistic significance of Durva, I came across this
wonderful explanation. It is said that durva is a heat emitting grass and when our
Rajo guna comes in contact with the Durva, it becomes neutralized, and we feel
more positive and de stressed. No wonder, we feel so energized after a visit to a
Ganesh pandal. The meaning behind a simple ritual of offering durva grass is so
scientific, that we realise and appreciate the wisdom of our ancient rishis who
weaved these traditions into the fabric of Bhakti
In modern times, Ganesh Chaturthi has also become a social event with Ganesh
pandals put up everywhere and people congregating and singing bhajans and
aartis with a lot of festive fervor. Even though all states celebrate Ganesh
Chaturti in their own way, Maharashtra tops the list in the grandeur of the
celebrations with each pandal competing with each other in its creativity and
artistic interpretations. In fact, this tradition was started by Lokmanya Bal
Gangadhar Tilak during the freedom struggle to unite people towards a common
cause. The ten-day festival also connects the social fabric and promotes
equanimity, facilitates the dissemination of knowledge through various events,
and showcases the art and cultural ethos of the society at large.
Now a days Sanatanis celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi all over the world with the
same fervor and veneration, however, in India, the entire ethos changes to
welcome Lord Ganesh and sing his bhajans. Ganapati Bappa in all his glory blesses
one and all from every household, from every society, and from every nook and
corner. The famous and age-old Lal Baug ka Raja, Ganesh Galli, Andheri Ganapati
and many more in Mumbai witness lakhs of devotees, and the frenzy is so
pleasantly contagious that the numbers grow each year. The drumbeats add to
the religious flavour along with the delicacies like modak, puranpoli and laddus
that tease the palate.
Change is the only constant in life. Nothing remains the same, each moment
passes by, and the present turns into the past. The Ganapati idols installed at
various places, be it at home or in public places, also do not remain there forever.
Depending on the local customs and traditions, the murti remains for a specific
number of days during which special pujas and aratis are performed, various
delicacies are distributed as prasad. At the end of the specified period, the idol is
taken out in a grand procession and then immersed in some water body. The
energy of the divine gets imbibed in each and every one of us and he continues to
bless us in his nirguna avatar, for he is omnipresent. He resides within us, and we
invoke him for granting us wisdom, and intellect, pray to him to lead us into the
path of spirituality and liberation.
Now the question arises as to whether such a venerated God existed only in the
Indian peninsula? The Aryan invasion theory has always been agenda based and
now with archeological findings from Java Sumatra, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc.,
the migration of Sanatanis outside Bharath is being established. So, it is no
wonder that Ganapati, the God of fortune and success is venerated by not only
Sanatanis but also the offshoots of Sanatan Dharma, Jainism, and Buddhism.
Research on how Lord Ganesa is celebrated in other countries led me to a
plethora of information, and what I have presented is not even a needle in the
haystack. I was awestruck by the material available online, I wish the readers also
get inspired enough to search and educate themselves more about our own rich
heritage.
One of our neighbors, Indonesia is so full of Hindu motifs that the Bali tourism
logo is inspired by Hindu mythology and the Indonesian military has Hanuman as
their mascot. Several corporates, and educational institutions have Ganesha as
their logo or mascot or in some form or the other. In fact, their currency note also
carries an inscription of Ganesha which is said to have helped them with good
luck. The iconography is similar to the Indian ones; however, Indonesia also has a
Tantrik Ganesh adorning skull ornaments not seen in India. This proves the
influence of the Sanatana Dharma in the Indonesian archipelago. Even today
many temples and museums exhibit immense and rare statues of Ganesha. The
Bara temple houses a three-meter-high Ganesha, Penataran temple has a 12th
century Ganesha, in fact every temple houses a dated Ganesh from a different
century. A Ganesha statue from the 1st century AD was found on the summit of
Mount Raksa in Panaitan Island, the Ujung Kulon National Park, West Java.
In Cambodia, though the iconography is different, there are many Ganesha
temples and Shiva temples with Ganesha all along Cambodia. He is popularly
known as Pra Kenes in Cambodia. In Borneo Ganesha is found with a slight
variation but with a large belly. In Thailand, there are 3 different temples around
Chachoengsao, the city of Ganesha: a 49 meters tall sitting Ganesha at "Phrong
Akat Temple" which is the tallest sitting Ganesha in Thailand, 39 meters high
standing Ganesha at "Khlong Khuean Ganesh International Park" which is the
tallest standing Ganesha in Thailand, and 16 meters high and 22 meters long
reclining Ganesha at "Saman Wattanaram Temple. These are the most popular
ones among the many that dot the countryside.
In Myanmar one can see him in Padmasana with carving of crocodile, tortoise and
fish and is popularly known as Maha-pienne. In China, Ganesha known as Hsiang-
shen wang, or the elephant spirit kind is depicted as a Buddhist guardian. In
Japan, he is known as Vinayaka and carries a vajra. He is also venerated as the
Deva of bliss called Kangi-Ten. (This is a secret esoteric form of the god (Ganesha)
Kangi-ten derived from the Tantric cult based on the Yoga doctrine of the union of
the Individual with the Universal spirit.) In Afghanistan, he was known as Maha
Vinayaka, then we find his images in Central Asia too. In Sri Lanka, he is a popular
deity.
In Jainism, Ganesha is akin to Kubera and is worshipped mainly by traders at the
beginning of any commercial venture. Ganesha is also popular in Buddhism as
Vinayaka and Nardana Ganapati, a dancing form which is popular in North India
too and was adopted by Nepal, Tibet, and Malaya.
The world may celebrate and revere Lord Ganesh in many forms, but it is in
Bharat that we see him in every street, every temple, on trees, in leaves, in
vegetables and fruits, and in every creative space. The temples are many and each
temple has its own interesting legend. The Ashtavinayak temples of Maharashtra,
the numerous temples of the South where he takes different forms and
manifestations are a must-visit if we wish to know the lore of the yore. As a
seeker of knowledge, I surrender to Lord Ganesh and pray that he grants me the
wisdom to sail through this journey of life and opens new vistas of knowledge and
insight. Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha.
(My gratitude to esamskriti, Opindia, Wikipedia, temple purohit, heritage India to
name a few.)

Prema Ravikumar
Seeker