[Advaita-l] 'Ganapathi', the favorite deity of Advaita Acharyas

[V Subrahmanian]

'Ganapathi', the favorite deity of Advaita Acharyas
A lovely verse on Ganapati by Shankaracharya
In the work सर्ववेदान्तसिद्धान्तसारसंग्रहः Shankara invokes the
blessings of Lord Ganesha thus:

http://sanskritdocuments.org/all_sa/ved_sa.html

यदालम्बो दरं हन्ति सतां प्रत्यूहसंभवम् ।

तदालम्बे दयालम्बं लम्बोदरपदाम्बुजम् ॥  The word दयालम्बं has a variant
निरालम्बं

I take refuge in the abode of compassion [he who needs no support],
Lambodara's (Ganesha's) lotus feet, by resorting to which fear born of
obstacles to noble souls is destroyed.


9 CE ADVAITIN HOLDS GANESHA AS WORLD-CREATOR
Sarvajñātman, the author of the ‘Samkṣepa śārīraka’ holds Ganapathi as the
world-creator. See the full article here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6owbQlODVSLaHVrYk9mVXhsclE/view?usp=sharing


Shankarananda, 13 CE, the Guru of Vidyaranya, in his Bh.Gita vivarana,
invokes Lord Ganesha thus:

अधस्तान्मानवं दिव्यमुपरिष्टाद्गजाकृति |

परस्तात्तमसस्तेजः पुरस्तादस्तु नः सदा ||

[The lower half of the form is divine human and the upper half is of
elephant. That  effulgence is beyond the darkness of ignorance (the idea is
that of आदित्यवर्णं तमसः परस्तात् of the Purusha sukta). Let that form (of
Ganapathi) be ever before our eyes.]

This is only a sample. Many Advaita Acharyas of the ancient and the recent
period have composed fine verses on Ganapati. Amalananda in the Kalpataru,
within the body of the text, has composed a verse on Ganapati.

Om Tat Sat