Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature
by Anindita Adhikari | 2019 | 56,368 words
This page relates ‘Some other References of Hayagriva’ 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”.
Some other References of Hayagrīva
In some passages of Mahābhārata, Hayagrīva is depicted as a king[1] where he is referred as a noble king performing many sacrifices and fighting losing battles heroically. In contradiction other passages portray Hayagrīva as an evil king of Videha,[2] finally killed by his subjects[3] . These accounts of Hayagrīva as a king reflect distinction between good and evil as do the supreme god and the demons.
Some references mention Hayaśiras as a demon with others Ayośiras and Ayośaṅku.[4] According to Mahābhārata a horse headed demon was born to the sage Kaśyapa and Danu,[5] the daughter of Dakṣa. During the epic period, one comes across obvious contradiction between the good devas and evil dānavas. Both gods and demons were gratified in the in the Ṛgveda. Devas were the sons of Kaśyapa’s wife Aditi, from where they got the name Āditya. The asuras were born to Danu and Diti, two other wives of Kaśyapa. Danu’s children became dānavas and Diti’s children became daityas. Both the dānavas and daityas had demonic nature. The term daitya and dānava are matronyms having been derived from the mother Diti and Danu.
Finally in the śānti parva of the Mahābhārata, we find the first myth of Lord Viṣṇu who is identified with Nārāyaṇa[6] having the form of Hayaśīra, the horse-headed one. It is he who recovered the stolen Vedas and killed the demons Madhu and Kaiṭabha.
For understanding mythological perspective of Hayaśira Viṣṇu a detailed discussion about myth is made here.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
“Atra te rājaśārdula vartayiṣve kathāmimāṃ/
Yadvṛttaṃ pūrvarājarperhayagrīvasya pārthiva//
Śatrunhatvā hatasyājau śūrasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ/
Asahāyasya dhīrasya nirhitasya yudhiṣṭhira//
Yatkarma vai nigrahe śātravāṇāṃ/
Yogaścāgryaḥ pālane mānavānāṃ//
Kṛtvā karma prāpya kīrti sujuddhe/
Vājīgrīo modate devaloke//
Saṅtyakātmā samareṣvātatāyī/
Śastraiśchinno dasyubhirardyamānaḥ//
Aśvagrīvaḥ karmaśīlo mahātmā/
Saṅsiddhātmā modate devaloke//
Dhanuryūpo raśanājyā śaraḥ stru-/
ksruvaḥ khaṅgo rudhiraṃ yatra cājyaṃ//
Ratho vedī kāmago yuddhamagni/
Ścāturhotraṃ caturo vājimukhyāḥ//
Hutvā tasmin yajñavahnāvathārīn/
Pāpānmukto rājasiṃhastaravī//
Prāṇān hutvā cāvabhṛte raṇe sa/
Vājīgrīvo modate devaloke//
Rāṣṭraṃ rakṣan buddhipūrvaṃ navena/
Saṅtyakātmā yajñaśīlo mahātmā//
Sarvāllokānvyāpya kīrtyā manasvī/
Vājīgrīvo modate devaloke//
Daivīṃ siddhi mānuṣīṃ daṇḍanīti/
Yoganyāyaiḥ pālayitvā mahīṃ ca//
Tasmāt rājā dharmaśīlo mahātmā/
Hayagrīvo modate devaloke//
Vidvāṅstyāgī śraddhadhānaḥ kṛtajña/
Styaktvā lokaṃ māuṣaṃ karmakṛtvā//
Medhāvināṃ viduṣāṃ saṃmatānāṃ/
Tanutyajāṃ lokamākramya rājā//
Samyak vedānprāpya śāstrāpyadhītya
Samyak rāṣṭraṃ pālayitvā mahātmā/
Cāturvarṇyaṃ sthāpayitvā svadharme
Vājīgrīvo modate devaloke//” Mahābhārata, 12.25.22-31
[2]:
[3]:
“Hayagrīva videhānāṃ varapraśca mahaujasāṃ/
Vāhuḥ sundaravegānāṃ dīptākṣāṇāṃ pururavāḥ//” Mahābhārata, 5.72.15
[4]:
“Ayaḥśirā aśvaśirā ayaḥśaṅkuśca vīryavān/
Tathā gaganamūrdhā ca vegavānketumāṃśca yaḥ//
Svarbhānuraśvo’śvapatirvṛṣaparvājakastathā/
Aśvagrīvāśca sūkṣmaśca tuhuṇḍaśca mahāsuraḥ//” Mahābhārata, 1.59.23-24
“Ayaḥśirā aśvaśirā ayaḥśaṅkuśca vīryavān/
Tathā gaganamūrdhā ca vegavāṃścātra pañcamaḥ//
Pañcaite jajñire rājan! Vīryavanto mahāurāḥ/
Kekayeṣu mahātmānaḥ pārthivarṣabhattamāḥ//” Mahābhārata, 1.61.10-11
[5]:
Mahābhārata, 1.65.24