Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature
by Anindita Adhikari | 2019 | 56,368 words
This page relates ‘Iconographical descriptions 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”.
Iconographical descriptions of Hayagrīva
Yoginī-tantra gives some ideas about the iconographic descriptions of Hayagrīva.
The mūlamantra exposes Hayagrīva as endowed with thousand arms and thousand rays of light and as an image of the very universe:
“Sahasravāhave sahasraraśmi pravarāya vedhase hayāsyarūpāya/
Namo vedhase hayāsyarūpāya namo Namaste//”[1]
He is also four armed with a boon giving pose or Varada mūdrā[2] , a noose or pāśa, a book or pustaka and a white lotus or sitasaroja in his hands, with white complexion as like the moon and is seated on a lotus.[3] Those who are not aware of the mantra for the worship of the idol, would say,“Om namo Hiraṇyagarbhāya,” and worship the great god.
We also find the description of Hayagrīva image in the dhyāna śloka of Kālikāpurāṇa which representing the Lord poised on a white lotus, sometimes on Garuḍa, adorned with jewellery and other ornaments. Of his four arms, two depict the Varada and the Abhaya mudrā,[4] the postures of granting boon and ensuring safety. The third hand holds a white lotus and the fourth holds a book. This iconographical description of Hayagrīva has a striking resemblance with that of the iconographical description of Hayagrīva Lokeśvara in Buddhist sādhanās.[5]
Here Hayagrīva Lokeśvara’s approach is in benign form—
“The god sits in the Vajraparyaṅka[6] attitude on a lotus with four hands. Out of these the principal ones reveal the Vyākhyāna pose. The second pair holds the rosary in the right and the lotus in the left.”[7]
Although claimed that the image of Hayagrīva Mādhava was an image of Mahāmuṇi Buddha originally, its identity is not yet established beyond all reasonable doubts. The priests hesitate to tell others what the image look like under the cover of the cloths.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Yoginī-tantra, 2.9.201.
[2]:
Varada mudrā is the gesture of hands shown by gods while conferring boons. The hand showing this gesture is pendant with its palm outward and figures all stretched. Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh: The Indian Buddhist Iconography, p.441.
[3]:
“Jayati varadapāśa pustakavystahasto/
Viṛtasitasarakyomokṣhadānaṃ vibhartti/
Śaśadharaśubhasumūrttirbhuktimuktipradāyī/
Praṇatasuranarebhyo vājīvaktro murāriḥ///” Yoginī-tantra, 2.9.208.
[4]:
The gesture of protection. The hand showing this mudrā should be slightly elevated and bent with the palm turned outward, the fingers being outstretched and elevated. This mudrā should be distinguished from the Varada mudrā in which the hand is stretched downwards with the fingers, instead of being elevated, pointed downwards. Bhattacharyya, Benoytosh: Op. Cit., p.432.
[5]:
“In Buddhist sādhanās Hayagrīva is described as a companion of Khaṣarpaṇa along with Tārā and two other deities. He and Tārā are also the two companions of Lokanātha. Heruka and Hayagrīva are two of the nine male deities emanating from Akṣobhya. There are three different forms of Hayagrīva—one with the image of Amitābha on the crown, one bearing Akṣobhya and the third, Paramāśva Hayagrīva .” Maheswara Neog: The Worship of Hayagrīva, p.32.
[6]:
Vajraparyaṅkāsana or Vajrāsana or Dhyānāsana is the meditative pose, the two legs being firmly locked with both the soles apparent, the characteristic sitting attitude of the Dhyāni Buddhas. Sometimes a small thunderbolt, shown on the seat of the god, indicates the meditative attitude. Dhyānāsana should be distinguished from the Paryaṅka attitude in which case the legs are placed one upon the other with both the soles invisible. B.Bhattacharya: The Indian Buddhist Iconography, p.435.
[7]:
B.Bhattacharya: ibid., p.177.