Ashta Vinayaka
Every question on the site tagged Ashta Vinayaka, each answered from a timestamped source rather than a summary written from memory.
Notes from our sources
What are the Ashta Vinayakas, and how many Vinayaka forms exist?
The Ashta Vinayakas consecrated in the Karveer (Maharashtra) region are specific manifestations of the primordial Maha Ganapati that appeared across different eras for the protection of devotees; just as Bhairavas and Yoginis are infinite across Shakti lineages, Vinayaka forms are innumerable.
May women perform tarpan?
If it is to be said rightly, he answers, then it is most excellent that tarpan be done by men. In special circumstances women have the right to do it, but then the whole niyam applies — in which state, and when, it is to be done. Second, as to the tarpan of Ganapati ji: you may do the tarpan of the twelve swaroops of Bhagwan Ganapati, the Vinayakas; for the special tantrokta tarpan in which mantras have been employed, guru diksha is compulsory.
What is the Ashtavinayak sadhana for?
The speaker says the sadhana of the ashta-vinayaka is capable of removing every kind of kasht and every kind of dukh from life. Its specific indication, he says, is when crises of any kind keep coming again and again: in that situation a person should take up the Ashtavinayak sadhana in their life.
Altar arrangement for the Ashtavinayak pujan
The speaker shows the arrangement for the Ashtavinayak sadhana: eight Paan leaves laid out in the form of an ashtadal kamal, with lamps set on them and every lamp turned toward the Ganpati swaroop. A photograph of the ashta-vinayaka is kept there too. Over yellow Akshat, a Supari wound with Kalava is installed as the swaroop of Ganpati.
Which of the eight Ganpatis stands in which direction?
The speaker places the eight Ganpatis in eight directions: Mayuresh Ganpati in the east; Chintamani Ganpati in the agni kona; Maha Ganapati in the south; Siddhi Vinayak in the Nairitya kona; Vighneshwar in the west; Girija Atmaj in the Vayavya kona; Ballaleshwar in the north; and Varad Vinayak in the Ishan kona. This, he says, is how their sthapana is to be done.
Pujan sequence for each of the eight Vinayaks
The speaker says the pujan of all eight Ganpatis is identical and begins with Mayuresh in the east. For each: Avahan with a flower; water three times while reciting the mantra (for washing the hands, for achaman, for snan); Durva Grass; Bilva patra and flower; then Naivedya of one Laddu with one clove and one cardamom placed on it; then water three times again. Eight Ganpatis get eight separate laddus, each with its clove and cardamom, and he says the order of bilva, flower and durva may be switched without any problem. He kept the sequence the same and completely simple so that anyone can do it, and says that after two or three chaturthi pujans it is all by heart.
Name mantras of the eight Vinayaks in the pujan
The speaker worships each Ganpati by prefixing every offering with that Ganpati's name in the form "श्री … गणपते नमः", then the offering line, and closes each with "श्री … गणपते प्रसन्न भवतु". The name forms he uses are Mayureshaya (with Gauri Sutaya), Chintamani Ganapate, Mahaganapate, Siddhi Vinayak Ganapate, Vighneshwaraya, Girija Atmajaya, Ballaleshwaraya and Varad Vinayakaya. He says these mantras are all written on screen for the viewer.
Janeu in the Ashtavinayak pujan
The speaker says he has not offered a janeu to any of the Ashtavinayak in this video, because he does not know whether the viewer has the Adhikara to offer a janeu. His rule: if you wear the Yajnopavita, certainly offer a janeu to all eight Vinayaks; if you do not wear it, do not. Later, just before the havan, he adds that one janeu should be offered for Ganpati ji, and that even someone who does not wear one should dedicate just a single janeu.
How is Agni invoked in the havan kund?
The speaker demonstrates: first a piece of cow-dung Upla is placed in the Havan kund with a simple Rangoli drawn. A lamp is lit in the agni kona; from it Agni Deva is first kindled to the south, taken into the kund, and invoked again in the south. Then a fresh wick is lit from that flame, circled three times over the havan kund, and Agni Deva is invoked at the exact centre of the kund. He calls this a brief, simple and correct method, says it works even without any mantra, and says Agni is never invoked after the wood has first been arranged in the kund.
Ahuti sequence of the Ashtavinayak havan
The speaker opens the Havan with the shloka "ओम श्री गजाननं भूतगणादिसेवितं कपित्थजम्बूफलचारुभक्षणं उमासुतं शोकविनाशकारकं नमामि विघ्नेश्वरपादपंकजम्" followed by "श्री अष्टविनायक नमो नमः". He then gives Ahuti with "श्री … गणपतये स्वाहा" for each Ganpati in the same order as the pujan — Mayureshwar, Chintamani, Mahaganapati, Siddhivinayak, Vighneshwar, Girijatmaj, Ballaleshwar, Varadvinayak — five oblations to each, and closes with a single "श्री अष्टविनायक गणपतये स्वाहा" to all eight together.
Tarpan and marjan after the Ashtavinayak havan
After the ahutis the speaker performs Tarpana and Marjana for each of the eight Ganpatis in turn, using the pattern "श्री … गणपतये तर्पयामि नमः" followed by "श्री … गणपतये मार्जयामि नमः" — for Mayureshwar, Chintamani, Mahaganapati, Siddhivinayak, Vighneshwar, Girijatmaj, Ballaleshwar and Varadvinayak. This is how the vidhan closes.
What is the ordinary Ganpati sadhana he prescribes?
Either do the sadhana of the Ashtavinayak, which has been given on the channel; or if you cannot do that, then continue the sadhana of the Sankat Nashan Ganesh Stotram for six months. Do not do it for two or four days. In six months, whatever your material desires are, the buddhi and the thoughts that should arise within you for them, and the behaviour that should be in your speech and conduct — all that practicality begins to arise within you.
The many forms of Ganpati: 56 Vinayaks, sixteen Vinayaks and lineage Ganapatis
The speaker says Ganesha has many forms: 56 Vinayaks are recognised, sixteen Vinayaks are recognised, and within Kula Parampara every parampara, every vidya, every Mahavidyas and upa-mahavidya has its own separate Ganapati. Each of these, he says, has a whole independent tantra and a full independent Mandala sadhana, with worship of its upa-mahavidyas, its shaktis and its anga-vidyas.
Which Ganapati is invoked before beginning the katha?
Shri Mahaganapati, who has ten arms and is the adhipati of the Ekadash Rudra Vinayaka and the fifty-six Vinayakas. Every avatar and every swaroop has its own separate tantric vigraha of Ganapati, and Mahaganapati is the king of them all; by his remembrance alone every Vinayaka becomes pleased and every inauspicious act turns auspicious.
Which form of Ganpati suits a householder?
Any form of the Ashta Vinayak may be worshipped, and Maha Ganapati too. By the speaker's reckoning, every householder should particularly perform the service and worship of the Siddhi Vinayak form — one of the Ashta Vinayak, in which Riddhi and Siddhi stand on either side.
What does the Mahabhairav mantra cover?
The speaker says the Mahabhairav mantra that has been put on the channel exists for exactly this purpose: by the Mahabhairav mantra the pujan of kul Bhairav, Batuk Bhairav, Kaal Bhairav and Kapal is all accomplished, and you may worship any Bhairav at all, any swarup of Bhairav ji, with it.
Ganpati sadhana as the precondition for success in any anushthan
The speaker says that without the sadhana of Bhagwan Ganesha no one can obtain complete success in any special Anushthana or in any field of life, so Ganpati sadhana is extremely necessary. In tantra, he says, it has various stages: a very step-by-step vidhan through beej mantras is given for the ashta-vinayaka and Maha Ganapati swarups. The sadhana he presents here is instead for an ordinary sadhak or ordinary householder, to cross every difficulty that comes in life.
Does the vahan change when Ganesh ji's forms change?
Asked whether the vahan changes when the forms of Ganesh ji change, he answers: yes, absolutely.
Is a jodaa baati used in the Ashtavinayak sadhana?
The Ashtavinayak sadhana has been completed and shown, made as simple as it could be. One question in it was that he had not used a jodaa baati but a single wick. He answers that it is a jodaa baati — the cotton has been kneaded in such a way that it will look single to you, it is twisted so finely. How would it look double? Only if we kept the wick that thick. He had to recite for a long time, so he kept a very thin wick. The eight lamps of the eight Vinayaks are always to be kept with jodaa baati, and done exactly as told there.
Can the Ashtavinayak sadhana be done for more than one day?
On any day, if you suppose you wish to do it for more than one day — although it is a one-day sadhana — if you wish to do more days and you have the time, if you wish to do all ten days, that is most excellent. Do that pujan for ten days, and along with it complete the anushthan of the Sankatnashan as well; it will be most excellent.
Can the eight supari be immersed at the end?
The eight supari that have been kept in the form of the eight Vinayaks — you can do their visarjan, there is no difficulty in the visarjan of those eight supari. But the principal Shri vigraha that will remain, or the photo that you will keep, do not remove them.
Can both the Ganpati sadhanas be done together?
Absolutely they can be done, he says — he is even saying so: if you have to do a ten-day sadhana then you will do the Ashtavinayak sadhana comfortably in the morning, since that is a small sadhana. Only on the first day will it take you a little time in the arranging; from the next day it will be done comfortably. In the remaining time do the sadhana of the Sankatnashan.
Is there a tantrokta Ganesh sadhana a householder sadhak can do lifelong?
Asked to provide in future some tantrokta sadhana of Shri Ganesh that a sadhak could do lifelong, he answers that with the Sankatnashan Ganesh Stotra and the Ashtavinayak sadhanas he has given, there is no tantra sadhana greater than these for ordinary householders. Do these two. What is written in the phalashruti — that whatever is wanted will be obtained — that is all we have to do with. He asks whether it is necessary that there be some particular prayoga of Haridra Ganpati in it, some dangerous mantra of Uchchhishta Ganpati, some beej of that kind, before it will be reckoned a tantrokta sadhana. Much can be obtained from a simple sadhana too.
Why were the other Chaturthis never celebrated?
And there are the Ashtavinayak; and again these twelve forms; and these twenty-four Ganpatis, whose whole pujan is in different months according to different pakshas. About them, he says, it was never celebrated. About them nothing is known, people say. Some cause arose such that it came into currency.
Are the eight paan leaves and supari to be immersed?
Asked whether the eight paan leaves and supari are to be immersed in the Ashtavinayak puja, he answers yes — on the last day, when the purnahuti and so on is done, you can do the visarjan after that.
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