Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature

by Anindita Adhikari | 2019 | 56,368 words

This page relates ‘Chronological Development (2): Aranyaka or Vana Parva’ of the study on Lord Hayagriva as found in Sanskrit Literature such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Puranas and Tantras. Hayagriva as an incarnation of Vishnu is worshipped as the supreme Lord of knowledge and wisdom but also symbolizes power and intelligence. His name means “the horse-headed one”.

Chronological Development (2): Āraṇyaka or Vana Parva

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Viṣṇu incarnated as Aśvaśiraḥ to destroy the demons, is mentioned in the āranyak or vana parva of the Mahābhārata.

Here Hayaśiras or Aśvaśiras signifies Viṣṇu as a horse-headed god —

“Viṣṇunāśvaśiraḥ prāpya tathādityāṃ nivatsyatā/
Garbhe vadhārthaṃ daityānāmajñātenoṣitaṃ ciram//”^[1]

In the critical edition of Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Aśvaśiraḥ is meant to be Viṣṇu himself and the god is called the son of Aditi. Aditi is often regarded as the mother earth as mentioned in the Ṛgveda^[2] , Atharvaveda^[3] and especially in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa^[4] . Motherhood is her main characteristics and this side of her nature is a younger development as suggested by Keith, Pischel and Hardy. Aditi is stated to be the earth and Viṣṇu as the sacrifice. A passage of TS^[5] discussed that the sacrifice in the form of Viṣṇu is related to have entered the earth. Jan Gonda thinks that this relation may point to the chthonian character often inherent in the Horse and this fact also shows the wide range of ideas and conceptions during the epic period that represent Viṣṇu.^[6]

But the commentary Bhāratakaumudī explained the word Aśvaśiraḥ—‘Aśvaśiraḥ tadākhyaṉ sthānaṃ’ meant to be a sacred place instead of Viṣṇu. However, in the eighteeth chapter of Droṇa parva, it is considered as a sacred place, where Arjuna dreams to meet Śiva along with Kṛṣṇa.