Does the dhyana shloka śuklāṃbaradharaṃ viṣṇum refers to Vishnu or Ganapati?

 

As per prevalent tradition, many Hindus, except perhaps Shri Vaishnavas, pray to Shri Ganapati (also known as Vighneswaram,or the Lord of obstacles) before starting any ritual, with the following shloka.

शुक्लाम्बरधरम् विष्णुम् शशि वर्णम् चतुर्भुजम् |

प्रसन्नवदनम् ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये ||

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Shri Vaishnavas pray to Vishvaksena, one of the main attendants of Vishnu and remover of obstacles, before starting any ritual. Shri Vaishnavas attribute the above shloka शुक्लाम्बरधरम् विष्णुम् to Vishvaksena.

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Interestingly in Skanda Purana (Chapter 63 - The Greatness of Tīrthas in Section 1 - Avantīkṣetra-māhātmya), Brahma eulogises Vishnu, as the remover of obstacles.

brahmovāca |

śrūyatāṃ bhoḥ suraśreṣṭhā viṣṇubhaktimanuttamām |

śuklāṃbaradharaṃ devaṃ śaśivarṇaṃ caturbhujam || 62 ||

prasannavadanaṃ dhyāyetsarvavighnopaśāṃtaye |

lābhasteṣāṃ jayasteṣāṃ kutasteṣāṃ parājayaḥ || 63 ||

yeṣāmiṃdīvaraśyāmo hṛdayastho janārdanaḥ |

abhīpsitārthasiddhyarthaṃ pūjyate yaḥ surairapi || 64 ||

Meaning:

Brahmā said

O excellent Suras, may this excellent procedure of worship to Viṣṇu be heard:

For the sake of the suppression of all obstacles, one should meditate upon the Four-armed Divinity, who is clad in white garments, whose complexion is on a par with the moon and whose countenance beams with pleasure.

If Janārdana of complexion dark like a blue lotus is stationed in the heart of people, all acquisitions are theirs, all victory is theirs. Whence can there be defeat unto them?

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a) If one observes keenly, one can find that the shloka in Skanda purana states śuklāṃbaradharaṃ devaṃ, but not śuklāmbaradharam viṣṇum.

The word devaṃ might have been replaced by viṣṇum in the shloka at a later date, while popularising it as a dhyana shloka.

b) Surprisingly, the complexion of viṣṇu was mentioned as śaśivarṇaṃ - whose complexion is on a par with the moon in the 62nd shloka, while in 64th Shloka it was mentioned as of iṃdīvaraśyāma - of complexion dark like a blue lotus.

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Interestingly, eulogising viṣṇu as the remover of obstacles is a Rig Vedic concept.

In Rig Veda, Indra/AGNI/VISHNU, SARASWATI, etc , were as epithets to indicate the same formless ENERGY or BRAHMAN.

Removal obstacles does not indicate physical obstacles, but obstacles or our own weaknesses that hinder our spiritual progress.

Rig Veda 6.20.2 says that Indra removes obstacles, assisted by Vishnu.

दिवो न तुभ्यमन्विन्द्र सत्रासुर्यं देवेभिर्धायि विश्वम् । अहिं यद्वृत्रमपो वव्रिवांसं हन्नृजीषिन्विष्णुना सचानः ॥
divo na tubhyam anv indra satrāsuryaṃ devebhir dhāyi viśvam | ahiṃ yad vṛtram apo vavrivāṃsaṃ hann ṛjīṣin viṣṇunā sacānaḥ ||

All lordly power, like (that) of heaven, was entirely ceded to you by the gods, o Indra, when you, accompanied by Viṣṇu, smashed the serpent Vr̥tra, who had obstructed the waters, you possessor of the silvery drink.