Namaste

Advaita is a philosophy and religion based on the Vedas that teaches among other things the non-duality of the individual soul and God. Shankaracharya is an exponent of this.

In this spirit, Sankara wrote eulogies of praise to a number of the well known and cherished Hindu Devatas as a path to such unity including Ganesha as exampled in the Ganesha Pancharatnam. I already asked why a single quote, a single verse, of Sankara which in my opinion is being misrepresented is being used as the sole arbitrator for an agenda to belittle Ganesha who is beloved by millions of Advaitans, ignoring the Ganesha Pancharatnam where Sankara gives praise to Ganesha and Vinayaka and whether some claim this work Ganesha Pancharatnam by Sankara is a forgery of another author. There was no response.

I believe this thread is authored by those who do not ascribe to Advaita philosophy, It is simply an attempt by a few Vaishnavas (not all Vaishnava responders) to continue harping on belittling Lord Ganesha, couched under the agenda of a single, misrepresented, verse of Adi Sankara and actually has nothing to do with Advaita which I believe the OP does not adhere to in the first place. Therefore I request this thread be moved out of the Advaita forum and into the Vaishnava forum where it belongs.

In the Deodar Forest Darukavana, some sages had performed black magic to invoke an elephant-demon called Gajasura who was a vinayaka. Vinayakas are a type of demon, as documented in the Manava Grhyasutras.
Shiva slayed this demon and became known as Gajasurasamhara the slayer of the elephant-one sura. Some Saivas traditions hold that the head of an elephant, or even this very demon, was placed on the Son of Shiva and Ganesha became the Commander of Shiva's Ganas. There are also vinayakis or female forms on lists of matrikas. Ganesha is not a demon, He wears the head of an elephant. He is certainly a destroyer of such demons or can even change their hearts and enlist them as a Gana, and He removes their obstacles . Such elephant demons are commonly known and found in ancient sculptures (I read a very interesting archeological analysis which included discussion of vinayakas).

According to the advice of monks of an ancient Sampradaya, they recommended to me "not to associate" (including on the internet) with those who make a habit to belittle Lord Ganesha and wasting their life in such matters instead of glorifying the Name of their own Lord. I would pass on this advice to other Saivas.

I would again like to request this thread to be moved to the Vaishnava forum where it belongs.

Om Namah Sivaya