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Re: Trip to India

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Mani Varadarajan • December 22, 1998 


Sri Srinivasan of Colorado wrote:
> If I am not mistaken, Vinayakar (Ganesha) did not perform prapatti
> and hence is not a nityasuri. However, there is a relatively big
> icon engraved on the outer wall of the sactum sanctorum. (Is this
> purely to attract the non-srivaishanavas, or is their a reason for
> this as evidenced by the sthalapuranam ?).

Dear Srinivasan,

In all probability, this is not an image of Vinayakar, but
of a renowned elephant-faced nitya-sUri, a resident of
Sri Vaikuntha loka.  In the Pancaratra tradition, he is one 
of the primary servants (vishnu-gaNas) of Sriman Narayana.

In the preface to Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam, we 
recite the sloka

	yasya dvirada-vaktrAdyAH pAriSadyAH paraS Satam
	vighnam nighnanti satatam viSvaksenam tam ASraye

in honor of Vishvaksena, to ward off all obstacles in 
the path of bhagavat-kainkaryam.

The first line says we take refuge "in Vishvaksena,
who has in his assembly ... the elephant-faced one
and others ...". So this gaja-vaktra is a nitya-sUri
and not Vinayakar.

tirukkacci nambi daasan 
(Mani)