Ganesha

गणेश - Part II   Known and Unknown :  தெரிந்ததும்  தெரியாததும் .

Ganesha has another famous name which is Vighneshwara.  विघ्नेश्वर  means that  He is the Lord of all obstacles.  The Lord can use his tools both ways.  To create the obstacles as well as to remove the obstacles. Our Ganesha is young and playful. He has used this playfully both ways. There are two authentic stories which go to show this in our Puranas. Normally we pray to him for removing all the obstacles to achieve what we want.  That is why it is customary for us to pray to Lord Ganesha  at the outset before commencement of  any event.   Once these rules are made then everyone has to follow without exception.  If by any chance this is not done, Ganesha playfully reminds that person that there has been a slip and immediately they realize it and try to rectify by praying to him. The playful child is pleased immediately and removes the obstacles at once.

To elaborate this point, we have to go to Tripura samharam (त्रिपुरसंहारं ) where Lord Siva starts to destroy the three cities of the demons (असुराः ) called Tripuram (त्रिपुर).  Lord Siva mounts his chariot and starts going towards the place. But immediately the axil in the  wheel of  his chariot tilts.  Arunagiri nathar has explained this beautifully in his Thiruppugazh.

அருணகிரிநாதர் - திருபபுகழ் :   பாடல் : கைத் தல நிறை  கனி

முப்புரம் எரி செய்த அச்சிவன்  உறை ரதம்

அச்சது பொடி செய்த அதி தீரா

Then Lord Siva realises that he has started without praying Ganesha!  The matter is rectified and the chariot moves on and the job finished with ease!

This episode is to elaborate that Lord Ganesha can create obstacles as well as remove them.

But there is one more instance wherein He has removed the obstacles created by someone else also successfully.  To know about this we have to go to Lalitha Sahasranamam. ललिता सहस्रनाम |

Here we have to read about Lalitha Devi going to fight Bhandasura. She destroys the army of Bhandasura through her shakthi. Then Bhandasura sends his son to fight with Devi. Devi creates a young daughter called Bala to fight and destroy Bhandaputra or Bhandasura's son. Then Bhandasura sends his brothers who were also destroyed by Devi's assistants. Then he realises that he has to prevent Devi's army to come near him and so establishes Vighna yantra  which are invisible obstacles so that the opponent's army cannot move further!

Devi realises this and she looks at the face of Sri Kameshwara  and by their sankalpa they bring Sri Ganesha to the battle field.  Ganesha now helps his mother by destroying all the invisible obstacles. Now Devi happily goes to fight the Asura and finally destroys him in the battle.  These episodes are described in Lalitha Sahasranama in the following verses:

भण्ड सैन्य वधोद्युक्त  शक्ति विक्रम हर्षिता |  नित्या पराक्रमाटोप निरीक्षण समुत्सुका ||
भण्डपुत्र  वधोद्युक्त बाला विक्रमनन्दिता |    मन्त्रिण्यंबा  विरचित  विषङ्ग वध  तोषिता ||
विशुक्र प्राण हरण वाराही वीर्य नन्दिता |     कामेश्वर मुखालोक कल्पित  श्री गणेश्वर ||

महा गणेश निर्भिन्न विघ्नयन्त्र  प्रहर्षिता ||

This line indicates that Maha Ganesha has destroyed all the vighna yantras which pleased Lalita Devi.

These are two Leelas played by Sri Ganesha with his Father and Mother!

For his father he created the obstacles first and then removed the same.

For his mother he destroyed all the obstacles created by the demon!

He has justified his title Vighneshwara thus!