V] VINAYAKA , ANOTHER NAME OF LORD GANESHA ,

A GREAT TEACHER.

Lord Ganesha is considered as the Supreme Being and in no way inferior to the Vedic Gods like Indra,Varun,Prajapati,Agni,Surya or the Pauranic Gods...Shiva,Vishnu,Brahma or Shakti.He incarnated for the destruction of "daityas" and for rendering help to "devas" and "brahmanas"...'tavavataro daityanam vinsaya devanamaupakarartham dvijanam' and for the success of men and women ...'narinam naranam karma siddhaye'.

The earliest vahana of Ganesha is the lion.By the 10th century AD the rat became the vahana of Ganesha. It is believed that there was a fight between Ganapati and Gajasura. Ganapati pulled out his tusk,transfixed the asura and turned him into a rat,his mount or vahana.

The earliest text in which Lord Ganesha is referred to as Vinayaka is found in the "Manavgrhyasutra" (7th-5th century B.C.).This text names four Vinayakas.They are Salakatankata,Kusumandarajaputra,Usmita and Devayajana. In the "Yajnavalkayasmrti" the four Vinayakas are reduced to one Vinayaka."Balabharata" records that Vinayaka was appointed as the lekhaka(scribe) for the "Bharata Samhita"(Mahabharata).

Ganesha's different names: Ganapati,Gananatha, Ganadhipa and Gananam Adhipati(leader of the Ganas),Gajanana,Gajavaktram and Gajamukha(elephant-faced),Gajatunda(possessing the trunk of an elephant)Lambodara(pot-bellied),Ekadanta(one-tusked),Vakratunda(having a twisted trunk),Vighnesvara,Vighnaraja and Vighnaharta(remover of obstacles).




4.VIRA GANAPATI : Vira Ganapati is the valiant warrior.

5.SAKTI GANAPATI : Sakti Ganapati guards the householder.

6.DVIJA GANAPATI :Dvija Ganapati is the colour of the moon...he represents the disciplined life.

7.SIDDHI GANAPATI :Siddhi Ganapati represents achievement and self-mastery.

8.UCCHISHTA GANAPATI :Ucchista Ganapati is the guardian of culture and considered "Lord of blessed offerings".

9.VIGHNA GANAPATI :Vighna Ganapati is the Lord of the obstacles and is bedecked with jewels.

10.KSHIPRA GANAPATI :Kshipra Ganapati is the bestower of books.

11. HERAMBA GANAPATI :Heramba Ganapati is the five-faced,"protector of the weak".

12. LAKSHMI GANAPATI :Lakshmi Ganapati is considered the giver of success.

13. MAHA GANAPATI :Maha Ganapati blesses devotees with prosperity.

14. VIJAYA GANAPATI :Vijaya Ganapati is cosidered the bestower of success.

15. NRITYA GANAPATI :Nritya Ganapati is portrayed in a dancing pose under the kalpavriksha tree.

16. URDHVA GANAPATI : Urdhva Ganapati is gold complexioned and blesses devotees with intelligence.

17. EKAKSHARA GANAPATI :Ekakshara Ganapati is seated on his mushika in the lotus position.

18.VARADA GANAPATI :Varada Ganapati,the boon giver,has the third eye of wisdom.

19.TRYAKSHARA GANAPATI :Tryakakshara Ganapati is the Lord of three letters- (A-U-M).

20. KSHIPRA PRASADA GANAPATI :Kshipra Prasada sits on a kusha grass throne.His belly signifies the manifest universe.

21.HARIDRA GANAPATI

22.EKADANTA GANAPATI

23. SRISHTI GANAPATI

24. UDDANDA GANAPATI : Uddanda Ganapati is the bold enforcer of Dharma.

25. RINAMOCHANA GANAPATI :Rinamochana Ganapati is the remover of humanity's bondage.

26. DHUNDI GANAPATI : Dhundi Ganapati symbolises perfection and has a pot of precious gems in his hands.

27. DVIMUKHA GANAPATI

28. TRIMUKHA GANAPATI

29. DURGA GANAPATI

30. SANKATHARA GANAPATI

31. SINHA GANAPATI

32. YOGA GANAPATI