Notes regarding Brahmavidyā

Brahmavidyā appears already as an epithet of a goddess in the Mahābhārata. There is a renowned Durgāstotra, where Durgā praised as Brahmavidyā, the knowledge of Brahman among knowledge’s. She also extolled as mahānidrā or great sleep of embodied beings. Devī-Bhāgavatam refers Devī as vidyā which executed by the English translator as Brahmavidyā. Hazra says that Devī-Bhāgavatam deals with Brahmavidyā especially in the twelfth skandha and in the Hayagrīva story narrated in the fifth chapter of the first skandha. Concerning the term Hayagrīva-Brahmavidyā, Nīlakaṇṭha in his commentary of Devī-Bhāgavatam states that “in the first skandha of Devī-Bhāgavatam, the famous demon named Hayagrīva who practice a vidyā treating of Brahman. This vidyā mantra identifies a female divinity that the demon practice vidyā which found in the first skandha. Devī herself declares that the demon practiced ekākṣaraṃ mantraṃ comprising of the māyā bīja.

But according to the Bhāgavata Purāṇa which is identifies a vaiṣṇava purāṇa, here Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā refers to a Hayagrīva mantra addressed to Hayaśirṣaḥ viṣṇu. The Hayagrīva mantra here is addressed to, not by the demon Hayagrīva. Jīva Goswami, one vaiṣṇava scholar in his Tattvasandarbha cites Śrīdhara’s definition and claimed that Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā is associated with the slaying of Vṛtra. The term Hayagrīva hererefers to the horse-headed Dadhīci, who proclaimed the knowledge of supreme Brahman, known as ‘Nārāyaṇa Varma’. In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (VI.9.52-53) Dadhīci plays a crucial role. He is the chief in the transmission of this Nārāyaṇa Varma and through the transmission history Nārāyaṇa Varma identifies with the teaching of Dadhyañc. Jīva Goswami equated Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā with Nārāyaṇa Varma. Sanyal point out some objections to Jīva Goswami’s identification of Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā with the Nārāyaṇa Varma. Moreover, he thinks that Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā is not used in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Even the definition of Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā given by Nīlakaṇṭha is a major theme in the Devī-Bhāgavatam either, nor is the mantra uttered by demon Hayagrīva in fifth chapter of the first skandha, referred to by that name. Brown, C. Mackenzie: Op. cit., pp. 241-247.

Interestingly there is an ancient Sūtra work on the philosophy of Śāktas named Hayagrīvaśaktisūta. It is also known as Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā. Hayagrīva is traditionally believed to be the progenitor of a system of philosophy known as Śāktadarśana or Hayagrīva Brahmavidyā. As the doctrine advocated in the present treatise are similar to those postulated by the worshippers of the goddess Śakti, it is named Śāktadarśana. Śāktadarśana is also known as tantravidyā. Few works of this kind belonging to the Sūtra period (500 BC to 500 A.D.) could be found. The Paraśurāmakalpasūta is often stated as an ancient authoritative work in the śākta system of philosophy. There is another short work consisting of about 400 sūtras, which is attributed to Agastya known as Agastyasūtra that is quite later than the Hayagrīvaśaktisūtra, as it refers to Hayagrīva in the sūtras of Agastya. The system of philosophy propounded in the sūtra.

Hayagrīvaśaktisūtra comprises 18 adhyāyas, each adhyāya consisting of 4 pādas. There are in all 1360 sūtras in the work of tantravidyā. This vidyā was very difficult to attain that vidyā and more difficult is to comprehend their meaning. Moreover, the vidyā is kept secret by its followers.

Śākta Philosophy has not so far any representative sūtra as is the pattern in traditional style of Indian Philosophy. The Sarvadarśanasaṃgraha does not mention śākta darśana amongst the summaries of philosophical systems. The Śāktadarśana of Hayagrīva edited by Prof. K, V. Abhyankar is Indian philosophy compiles sūtra dealing with all aspects of śākta faith and philosophy. Abhyankar, K.V: Śākta Darśana of Hayagrīva. pp. ii-xxxx.