Vināyaka Śānti
Vināyaka Śānti · vināyaka-śānti, “the rite of peace for Vināyaka”
Śala has other meanings too: see all meanings of Śala.
Vināyaka Śānti is the rite performed to make Vināyaka prasanna (gracious), so that vighnas (obstacles) are removed. The Bhavishya Purāṇa teaches it twice. In the Brahma Parva, Sumantu Muni tells Śatānīka how Brahmā, Vishṇu and the others appointed the Vināyaka created by Śiva as Gaṇanātha, and how one who has neglected Gaṇapati may be known by his dreams and failures. In the Uttara Parva, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa gives Yudhishṭhira the vidhi of this śānti, dear to Vināyaka, by which all arishṭas (ill omens) perish.
It is done on a puṇya day. The Brahma Parva names Śukla Caturthī, a Thursday, on the Pushya nakshatra. It has a bath with white mustard, the svastivācana, the abhisheka with the Pāvamānī words, mustard oil, a bali at a junction of four roads in a winnowing basket, the pūjā of Devī Pārvatī, the mother of Vināyaka, and the feeding of brāhmaṇas and the guru.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 23; Uttara Parva, Chapter 144
How Vināyaka was appointed
Śatānīka asks by whom Vināyaka was appointed leader of the pramathas, and how he became the master of the vighnas. Sumantu answers. In the very first Kṛta Yuga the prajās achieved their works without any vighna, met no hardship and were very proud. Seeing this, Brahmā, Vishṇu and the others appointed as Gaṇanātha the Vināyaka created by Śiva, for the prosperity of the hosts of prajās.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 23
The signs
Per the Brahma Parva, the man who has neglected Gaṇapati:
- in a dream sees himself plunging into abundant water;
- sees sannyāsīs in kāshāya cloth;
- rides on tigers and lions;
- stays in one place with caṇḍālas, donkeys and camels;
- walking on the road, imagines that enemies are chasing him;
- grieves without cause, as if his works were ruined;
- imagines that, mounted on an elephant, he goes into water;
- sees in dream hosts of armies surrounding him.
The dreamer who sees himself in deformed shape, adorned with a garland of ganneru flowers, will not regain the kingdom he has lost. When Vināyaka has been neglected, a kanyā does not get a husband suited to her, a pregnant woman does not get a child, a śrotriya does not attain ācāryatva, a vaiśya gets no profit in his trade, and a farmer has no success in his cultivation.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 23
Per the Uttara Parva, the signs seen in one seized by Vināyaka are plunging into water in a dream, seeing shaven heads, seeing ochre cloth, seeing a headless corpse, being sorrowful for no reason and failing in one’s work. Such a person does not gain what he seeks: a rājaputra the kingdom, a kumārī a husband, a pregnant woman a son, a śrotriya the place of ācārya; a student cannot study, a trader gains no profit, and a farmer does not succeed in farming.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 144
The vidhi per the Brahma Parva
- On a puṇya day, on Śukla Caturthī, a Thursday, on Pushya, the Vīra nakshatra, Vināyaka is bathed with a paste of white mustard flour mixed with ghee.
- He is anointed with all oshadhis and fragrant substances, also on the head, and seated on a bhadrāsana. One sits facing him and has excellent brāhmaṇas perform svastivācana.
- One offers pūjā to Śiva, Pārvatī, Vighneśvara, Kṛshṇa, the Pitṛs, Vāyu, Śakra, Bṛhaspati, Budha, Aṅgāraka, Rāhu, Ketu, Kumārasvāmi and Vishṇu.
- Into water one mixes soil from where horses stand, soil from where elephants stand, ant-hill soil, soil from a river confluence, gorocana, various fragrances and guggula.
- The water is brought in four kalaśas of one colour. A bhadrāsana is made on the hide of a red bull, Vināyaka is placed on it and given abhisheka.
- The abhisheka words are: “This water, working in a thousand ways, flowing in a hundred ways, has been purified by the ṛshis. With this water I give you abhisheka. May the Pāvamānī sūktas give you purity. May Varuṇa, Sūrya, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Vāyu and the Saptarshis give you prabhutā (mastery). From your hair, from the parting of the hair, from the top of the head, the forehead, the ears and the eyes, this water removes impurity.”
- Holding darbhas in the left hand, with a sruva of palāśa wood, one pours mustard oil on the head of the bathed Vināyaka.
- One gathers fish-bones and a pumpkin and says: “May your agnis be bright and joined with svāhākāras.”
- With the names of Vināyaka and bali mantras joined with namaskāra, spreading darbhas all around, one places the bali in a winnowing basket at a junction of four roads.
- The bali is half-prepared rice, meat, fish cooked and uncooked, a fragrant pumpkin flower, three kinds of madya (gauḍī, mādhvī and paishṭī), radish, pūrikas, bhakshyas, a garland of uṇḍrāḷḷu, curd, pāyasa, cooked rice and laḍḍuvas made with jaggery.
- One establishes Devī Pārvatī, the mother of Vināyaka, offers her three pushpāñjalis of garika flowers and mustard flowers, and prays: “O Bhagavatī! Grant me beauty of form, fame, aiśvarya, sons, wealth, all my desires, an unwavering mind, and renown on earth.”
- Then one prays to Vināyaka, who wears white cloth, white flowers and unguents.
- One feeds the brāhmaṇas and the guru and gives pairs of cloth.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 23
The vidhi per the Uttara Parva
Yudhishṭhira addresses Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa as Deveśa and asks for this śānti, by which all people are freed from calamities. Śrī Kṛshṇa answers:
- On a puṇya day one rubs the body with an ubṭan of yellow-mustard cake, ghee and fragrant kuṅkuma, bathes and becomes pure.
- One has the brāhmaṇas perform svastivācana and sets up a kalaśa in due form.
- The brāhmaṇa bathes the yajamāna with water consecrated by mantra, saying: “I bathe you; may the devatās of the Pāvamānī ṛcas purify you. May Mahārāja Varuṇa, Bhagavān Sūrya, Bṛhaspati, Indra, Vāyu and the Saptarshis each place their tejas in you. Whatever misfortune is in your hair, the parting of your hair, your head, your forehead, your ears and your eyes, may these Ap devatās destroy it.”
- Taking kuśa in the right hand, one offers homa with mustard oil, with svāhā at the end, to each of the six names: Mita, Sammita, Sāla, Kālakaṇṭaka, Kūshmāṇḍa and Rājaputra.
- At a crossroads one spreads kuśa and offers bali-naivedya for them in a winnowing tray.
- One gives arghya with open flowers and dūrvā.
- Having given arghya in the maṇḍala, one does pūjā of Devī Ambikā, the mother of Vināyaka, and prays: “Mother, grant me beauty, fame, aiśvarya, sons and wealth, and fulfil all my desires.”
- Then, wearing white cloth, a white garland and white sandal, one feeds the brāhmaṇa and gives two cloths to the guru.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 144
The phala
Whoever offers pūjā in this way, by rule, to Vighneśvara and the Navagrahas gains success in his works, wealth and the highest fruit. Offering pūjā to Āditya and wearing his tilaka, and likewise offering pūjā to Vināyaka and wearing his tilaka, gives all siddhis.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 23
By pūjā of the grahas and of Vināyaka in due form, one obtains the fruit of all one’s works, and also obtains Lakshmī. By pūjā of Bhagavān Sūrya, Kārtikeya and Mahāgaṇapati, a person gains all siddhis. Vināyaka Śānti is named in the index of the Bhavishyottara at the close of the Uttara Parva.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 144, 208
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 23; Uttara Parva, Chapters 144, 208