Sankashti Chaturthi Mandal
Painting: Folio from the Sritattvanidhi manuscript, Mysore, 19th century / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Vighna Ganapati, golden-hued and eight-armed, is the form of Shree Ganesh most directly tied to his most famous title: the clearer of obstacles.
Appearance
Among his eight hands, Vighna Ganapati holds a tusk, a discus, an arrow shaped like a flower, a hatchet, a conch shell, a stalk of sugarcane, a noose, and a goad — notably including the conch and discus, attributes more commonly associated with Lord Vishnu, lending this form an especially commanding presence.
What the Form Represents
By carrying implements associated with other great deities alongside his own, Vighna Ganapati is shown as possessing the full range of divine power needed to remove any obstacle, however great, that stands between a devotee and their righteous goal.
What Devotees Seek
This form is invoked at the outset of any significant undertaking, when devotees seek assurance that whatever obstacles may arise, Shree Ganesh's power is sufficient to clear the way forward.