Vighna Vinayaka or Vinashaka???

Languages used in Carnatic Music & Literature
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pradina
Posts: 21
Joined: 18 Jun 2008, 01:11

Post by pradina »

Hi,

I often hear "vighna vinayaka" being used. I'm inclined to believe that it should be "vighna vinashaka."

If not a distortion of "vighna vinashaka", what does "vighna vinayaka" mean? Please clarify?

Thank you!

srkris
Site Admin
Posts: 3497
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 03:34

Post by srkris »

A guess - vinAyaka might be a prakritized (or dravidianized) form of vinAzaka

Here the sibilant za becomes the semivowel ya.

Another example where a similar change is attested:

AkAza (sky) becomes AkAya in tamil.

As an aside, the word vinAzaka ("destroyer") does not convey much meaning standing alone. It would make sense only to use it with vighna (as vighna vinAzaka)

murthyhmg
Posts: 268
Joined: 11 Feb 2006, 09:48

Post by murthyhmg »

Meaning is complete only when all the three words 'vinAyaka vighna vinAshaka' are used.
= O vinAyaka, the destroyer of all obstacles. The term vighna vinAyaka is not used.

keerthi
Posts: 1309
Joined: 12 Oct 2008, 14:10

Post by keerthi »

murthyhmg wrote:Meaning is complete only when all the three words 'vinAyaka vighna vinAshaka' are used.
= O vinAyaka, the destroyer of all obstacles. The term vighna vinAyaka is not used.

Not so true - Vinayaka was originally a Malignant deity, a leader of the Hobgoblins and gnomes, who was also the king of the obstacle-spirits (vighna-s). hence the names Vighnesha, Vighneshwara or Vighna (vi)nAyaka.

eventually, he was propitiated/ Satvicised into a benign remover of obstacles.

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