Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature
by Anindita Adhikari | 2019 | 56,368 words
This page relates ‘Central Myth (5): Birth of Brahma’ 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”.
Central Myth (5): Birth of Brahmā
Meanwhile, at the time of great dissolution vidyāsahāyavān devo viṣvakseno hariḥ, Lord Hari thought about the creation of the universe of diversified phenomena fraught with immeasurable attributes.[1]
A primeval lotus grew up from the navel of Mahāviṣṇu and Brahmā was born out of this flower—
“Vidyāsahāyavāndevo viṣvakseno hariḥ prabhuḥ/
Apsveva śayanaṃ cakre nidrāyogamupāgataḥ//[2]
Jagataścintayan sṛṣṭiṃ citrāṃ vahuguṇodbhavāṃ//
Tasya cintayataḥ sṛṣṭiṃ mahānātmaguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ/
Ahaṅkārastato jāto brahmā sat u caturmukhaḥ/
Hiraṇyagarbho bhagavān sarvolokapitāmahaḥ//”[3]
The illustrious Brahmā, otherwise called Hiraṇyagarbha, is the Grandsire of all the worlds. Epic poet identified Puruṣa with Prakṛti[4] , Hiraṇyagarbha with buddhi and Brahmā with ahaṃkāra.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Nārāyaṇa who is also called as Hari thinks of the Creation of the Universe of diversified phenomena. It reminds us of the Vedic dictum “sa aikṣat bahusyāṃ prajāyeyaeti...” (CU, 6.2.3). śānti parva of Mahābhārata refers that from lord Nārāyaṇa’s thinking of creation, Ahaṃkāra appeared and thereof sprung caturmukha Brahmā, the consciousness of Aniruddha ‘Padme’aniruddhāt sambhūtastadā…’ (Mahābhārata, 12.335.19) also called Hiraṇyagarbha. Thereafter the parameṣṭhi Brahmā creates the universe—“sattvasthaḥ parameṣṭhī sa tato bhūtagaṇan sṛjan.” (Mahābhārata, 12.335.20).
[2]:
Commentator states that “Vidyāsahāyavān jñānavān, devo dyotamānaḥ, viṣvak samantāt senā śaktiryasya saḥ, prabhuḥ prabhāvavān, harirnārāyaṇaḥ, apsu kāraṇasalila eva śayanaṃ cakre śyita iva niṣkriya āsīt, nidrāyogaṃ yoganidrāmupāgataḥ san//”
[3]:
Mahābhārata, 12.335.17-18.