[Advaita-l] Vinayaka(s)

[Kathirasan K]

Namaste Subramanianji,

I want to assure you that I did not present this evidence to support the
theory that only one deity has to be propitiated for moksha. I am in your
camp with regard to this matter.

But it is worth exploring the plurality of Vinayaka(s) so that we can
better appreciate Shankara's perspective of the vinayakas in Gita 9.25.

To add on to your observation, Mitakshara in his commentary names 6
vinayakas. So perhaps Shankara is referring to an earlier conception
Vinayakas quite different from the form that gave a world miracle on the
21st of Sep 1995.

*Kathirasan K*


On 7 September 2016 at 01:30, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
wrote:

>
>
> On Tue, Sep 6, 2016 at 7:01 PM, Kathirasan K via Advaita-l <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
>> Namaste Bhaskarji,
>>
>> The Manavagrhyasutra states the names of the four Vinayakas: athāto
>> vināyakānvayākhyāsyāmaḥ. śālakaṭaṅkaṭaśca kūṣmāṇḍarājaputraścosmitaśca
>> devayajanaśceti. (2.14.1-2)
>>
>> which are śālakaṭaṅkaṭa, kūṣmāṇḍarājaputra, usmita and devayajana.
>>
>> Those of you who are familiar with Sanskrit can find full text here:
>> http://gretil.sub.uni
>> goettingen.de/gretil/1_sanskr/1_veda/5_vedang/2_grhya/manavgsu.htm (look
>> at
>> 2.14 onwards for the section on Vinayakas and the effects they create)
>>
>> The Yajnavalkya Smrti states 6 Vinayakas: mita, sammita, śāla, kaṭaṅkaṭa,
>> kūśmāṇḍa and rājaputra (1.285). It also states that the Brahma and Rudra
>> appointed the Vinayaka to be the remover of obstacles (1.271). Look at the
>> effects of Vinayakas curse in verses 1.272 - 276. However, this text
>> eventually relates that Mahaganapati needs to be worshipped daily along
>> with Aditya to overcome the obstacles.
>
>
>
> In this verse:
>
> ādityasya sadā pūjāṃ tilakaṃ svāminas tathā /
> mahāgaṇapateś caiva kurvan siddhim avāpnuyāt // Yj_1.294 //
>
> the word 'siddhi' is explained by the Mitākṣara gloss as inclusive of
> Mokṣa too.  In another chapter even pitṛ propitiation is said to result in
> mokṣa.
>
> Thus, the worship of the deities mentioned above (tilakaswami is
> Subrahmanya) can result in moksha.  The scriptures do not impose that one
> deity alone like Vishnu is to be propitiated for moksha or he alone can
> 'give' moksha. Shankara in the Br.up. bhashya and elsewhere too says that
> one should never be negligent in propitiating gods, etc. who bless the
> aspirant with all that is required for self-realization.
>
> regards
> vs
>
>
>> The Yajnavalkya Smrti is available
>> here:
>> http://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil/1_sanskr/6_
>> sastra/4_dharma/smrti/yajn2_pu.htm
>>
>>
>> *Kathirasan K*
>>
>>
>>