Why is Ganesha called the remover of obstacles (Vighneshwara)?
Ganesha is known as Vigneshwara because his devotees believes Ganesha roots out obstacles and difficulties from their lives and ensure success.
"Eshwara'" is the embodiment of all riches – physical beauty and strength, knowledge, wisdom, material wealth, spiritual enlightenment. "Vighna" translates as an unforeseen obstacle or impediment.
Abhinandan, king started a Yagya in order to fulfill his goal of becoming the Indra ( or King of Heaven). When the news of the yagya spread, Lord Brahma tried to block King Abhinandan's overweening ambition of ruling the heavens and decided to create obstacles in the his path. He summoned Kalapurush and asked him to destroy the Yagya. After killing Abhinandan and destroying the yagya Kalapurush acquired the name Vighnasura, the creator of obstacles. But Vighnasura, ran amok himself and and destroyed all Vedic practices on earth. He could be thwarted by none, except Ganesha who in those days was at the ashram of Sage Parashar.
Gajanan took birth as Parshwaputra and Deepvatsala son and fought valiantly with Vighnasura, who had to except defeat. He abdicated himself to the Lord and asked to be blessed. Ganesha spared Vighnasura's life, on the condition that the demon would not appear in any place where Ganesha was worshipped. Before disappearing, the demon extracted a promise from Ganesha, that he incorporates his name with that of the Lord. Thus, Ganesha acquired the name Vighneswara or "Destroyer of Obstacles". Legend also has it that the very same Devtas installed an image of Vigneshwara at Ozar on Ganesh Chaturti and offered worship.
Sri Mahaganapati Sahasranama is revealed by Lord Ganesha himself in Ganesha Purana. The Sahasranama deals with secrets of Srividya and Ganeshopasana. Sri Bhaskararaya has written a concise commentary on this Sahasranama called Khadyota. Here is a exposition of a few names from the divine Sahasranama of Ganesha, the consort of Sri Siddha Lakshmi.
1. Ekaramadhyapithasthah
The letter `E' (the eleventh swara) is called Bhaga and represents a triangle. As Mahagapati is the anavacchinna Brahman represented by the Mahabindu within the triangle, he is referred to as being seated within the `E'kAra pItha. Also, this name describes Mahaganapati as worshiped in the TrisrotaH Peetha, one of the 50 Shakti Peethas. Esoterically, this refers to the three branches of Ganga – Alakananda, Mandakini and Bhogavati – representing Ida, Sushumna and Pingala – meeting at Ajna Chakra, where Sri Mahaganapathi is perceived as effulgent light of red and yellow colors, signifying the Lord with Sri Siddhalakshmi. One can refer to Tantras like pIThAmnAya nirNaya etc to understand the inner significance of Shakti Peethas.
2. jihvAsimhAsanaprabhuH
kIrtyamAnaM yasya nAma jihvAsiMhAsanasthitam |dadAti puruShArthAn sa jihvAsimhAsanaprabhuH ||
The tongue of a Sadhaka is like a throne on which one should seat the King – which is any of the divine names of Mahaganapati listed in the Sahasranama (or the entire Sahasranama which is a mAlA mantra). Note that there is abheda between the mantra and upAsya devatA and hence between the Sahasranama mAla and Mahaganapati himself. By doing so, the great Lord is pleased and grants purushArtha chatuShTaya (dharma, artha, kAma and moksha). Jihvasimhasini refers to Vagvadini mantra and as Mahaganapati is worshipped in a particular form which is a combination of Vagvadini and Mahaganapati Mantras, he is called so. Also, Vagvadini is one of the Anga Vidyas of Sri Ucchishta Mahaganapati.
3. ThadwayIpallavAntaHsthasarvamantraikasiddhidaH
This means – `It is Mahaganapati who grants Siddhi to all those Upasakas who worship Mantras that end with swAhA'. ThadwayI refers to swAhA. Also, oblations are offered to devatas in fire using the mantra swAhA. This name indicates that it is Sri Mahaganapati, who accepts the ahutis offered to all deities and grants the fruits through the worshipped deity.
4. shaDgranthibhedakaH
There are six Granthis, one above and below Muladhara – Anahata and Ajna Chakras. Lord Mahaganapati, as Vahni – Surya and Soma Kundalini Shakti, pierces these knots and ascends towards Sahasrara granting freedom from the limited notion of jIvatva to the Upasaka. The name also refers to Shadakshara Vakratunda Mantra which is placed by means of Nyasa in these Granthis as a preparatory step to Srividya Mahapadavani Nyasa.
5. dashAksharamahAmantraH
The famous navAkshara mantra of Sri Ucchishta Mahaganapati, when prefixed with praNava becomes the dashAkShara mantra. Also, the Bija Ganapati Mantra in Atharvana, with Shiva and Shakti Pranavas, becomes dashAksharI ganesha mantra. Among the various ten-lettered Ganesha mantras as the first of the two mentioned here is more popular, Bhaskararaya refers only to the first one and not the second. Also, Guhya Sahasranama of Uddamreshwara Tantra refers to this mantra as Dashakshari and not to other mantras.
6. ShoDashAntapadAvAsaH
In the karNikA of Sahasradala Padma at Brahma Randhra, beyond six chakras – beyond the nine subtle cosmic dimensions (bindu, ardha Chandra etc. till unmani), Lord Mahagapati dwells as Nishkala Brahman in ShoDashAnta, the place of residence of soDashi kalA celebrated in the Sruti and where the nAda emanating from Sodashi mantra culminates into unbroken silence and unending bliss. Once Mala Traya (ANava, mAyika and kArmika) are destroyed and by means of Tatva Shodhana the process of involution is initiated, Jiva realizes Shivatva due to the unfoldment of his Chit Shakti and fully experiences sarva kartrtva, sarvajnatva, pUrNatva, nityatva and vyApakatva (due to dissolution of kalA, vidyA, rAga, kAla and niyati). The point of such an experience is described as shoDashAnta in Tantras.
7. shoDashendukalAtmakaH
Lord Mahaganapati represents the sixteen kalAs of Moon and is the sixteenth transcendental Tatva. The fifteen lunar digits signify both time and space and the sixteenth tatva called sadakhya, is beyond space and time which are limitations that appear later due to appearance of tatvas like kAla, niyati etc., is indeed Sri Mahaganapati or the transcendental Paramashiva. This name can be explained at length from Srividya perspective, soma kalas, nityA gaNana, their aspects as space, time etc. All that applies here as well.
8. kalA saptadashI
Sri Mahaganapati is of the form of the seventeenth transcendental tatva called saptadashi – beyond turIya – called TuriyAtita – worshipped by the Mahashodashi Upasakas of Sri Dakshinamurti Sampradaya in Bindu Chakra with Mahasamashti Mantra and Sripurti Vidya. The mantra of Saptadashi kalA is called turyavidyA of thirteen letters taught by Bhagavati Lopamudra and revealed in shastras like the Kalpasutra.
9. chatuHShaShThimahAsiddhayoginIvrndavanditaH
Lord Mahaganapati is worshipped by the sixty-four Siddha-Yoginis (sixty-four crore as each of these are attended by a crore of upa-yoginis). These Yoginis are the same discussed in the context of aShTAShTaka – mithunas starting from akShobhyA etc.
10. chaturnavatimantrAtmA
The Lord is of the form of 94 mantras (38 kalA mantras – 50 Matrika Kalas – haMshaH shuchishad – pratadviShnuH – viShnuryoniH – tryambakam – tadviShNoH – mulavidyA] used for Dravya Shuddhi as described by Parashurama in Kalpasutra. The same is described in Rudrayamala – chaturnavati sanmantrAN spR^iShTvA tat prajapAmyaham. These mantras represent all categories of Tatvas upto Shiva and Mahagapati is of the form of supreme kAmakalA who pervades all these Tatvas (or extends from Bindu outwards as the various AvaraNas till bhupura). Alternately, this means that Sri Mahaganapati is of the form of Srividya Maha Maha Paduka mantra, described as the crown of the entire Mantra Shastra, which constitutes of 47 (47X2=94 considering shiva+shakti aspects) mantras.
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