By 
No time for reading the story? Give it a listen on Spotify.
Ganesha, revered for his role as the remover of obstacles, earns the title of Vighneshwara in a legendary tale of sacrifice and surrender.
Characters in the story:
Lord Ganesha: Lord Ganesha, also known as Ganapati, is a Hindu deity who is revered as the remover of obstacles and the god of new beginnings, wisdom, and intellect. He is depicted with the head of an elephant and is widely worshiped across India and beyond.
Lord Indra: Lord Indra is a prominent deity in Hinduism and is known as the king of the gods and ruler of the heavens. He is associated with thunder, lightning, and rain, and is often depicted riding a white elephant named Airavata.
Kala: Kala means ‘time’ or ‘death’. As time personified, destroying all things, Kala is a god of death, and often used as one of the epithets of Yama. In Shaivism, Kala is known as the avatar of Shiva Kala Bhairava or Kalagni Rudra; and in Vaishnavism Kala is associated with Narasimha and Pralaya.
Ganesha, known as Vighnahara and Vighneshwara, is revered for his ability to remove obstacles. According to legend, Ganesha, in his form as Sri Vigneshwara, manifested at Ojhar. One popular tale explains how he earned the title of Vighneshwara.
The story goes that Maharaja Abhinandana, the King of Hemavati, organized a grand sacrifice (yajna) with the potential to challenge even Indra, the king of the gods. Indra, worried about his position, dispatched Kala to disrupt the yajna.
Kala assumed the form of Vighnasura and successfully halted the sacrifice of the Hemavati king, subsequently causing chaos by interfering with other rituals.
The unchecked disruptions led to a rise in Adharma and various atrocities on Earth. Seeking a solution, saints and ordinary people turned to Ganapati.
To confront Vighnasura, Ganpati took birth as the son of Parsva and Dipavatsala.
Aware of Ganesh’s power, Vighnasura realized his defeat was inevitable and surrendered before Ganapati without conditions. Vighnasura requested Ganesha to adopt his name, to which Ganesha agreed. In return, Ganesha granted Kala permission to obstruct endeavors initiated without invoking his name.
Thus, Ganesha earned the titles Vighneshwara and Vighnaraja, signifying his role as the remover of obstacles.
Through his victory over Vighnasura and his compassionate granting of blessings, Ganesha solidifies his reputation as the benevolent Vighneshwara, guiding humanity through challenges with unwavering grace.
