Conclusion

In the religious and spiritual history of India the Sanskrit scriptures have played an impressive role to trace the fundamental concept of the nation’s thought, belief and culture. A detailed and investigative study of the Vedic, Purāṇic and Tāntrik literature is necessary for furtherance of the concept. The cultural tradition of India has encompassed the entire natural phenomenon and has given due space to both animal and human in the day to day activities, the rituals, ceremonies, folktales, myths and tradition. Since the Vedas have been the source of our cultural tradition, it was felt necessary to investigate how far the materials relating to Hayagrīva were available in the Vedas and the how the concept of Hayagrīva had taken different forms in the succeeding periods.

Throughout the study emphasis has been accorded to the symbolical, mythological, iconogrraphical, and ritualistic transformation in respect of origin and development of Lord Hayagrīva in Sanskrit literature.

To unveil the truth a due survey of the genre of the Saṃhitā, Brāhmaṇa, Āraṇyaka and Upaniṣad under the sphere of the Vedic literature was made which led us to the origin of the symbolic concept of Hayagrīva in the Vedic literature. In the Ṛgveda Saṃhitā, mention of sūryāśva, the horse of the sun god symbolizes speed and light energy of the material science. The divine horse is sometimes called Dadhikrā, Tārkṣya, Paidva and Garutman. In this Saṃhitā we also come across the incident of beheading of the original head of sage Dadhyañc and transplanting of a horse head on the headless body of sage Dadhyañc in a myth. This beheading motif has expanded to the Brāhmaṇa literature with a similar account of beheading of Yajña Viṣṇu. The concept of Hayagrīva has sprouted in Vedic anthropomorphism with its symbolic expression of horse as the sun or the sun steed and its relationship between with the solar god Viṣṇu is also available in the Ṛgveda Saṃhitā. Lord Hayagrīva is actually a symbol, a purely symbolic incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu that symbolises energy, speed, power, intelligence and knowledge. This concept gradually expanded to the prominent Brāhmaṇas and Āraṇyakas. In the Āraṇyaka literature the concept developed as a deity and subsequently that developed to a full-fledged divine, supreme form in the Hayagrīvopaniṣad. In the Hayagrīvopaniṣad Hayagrīva Viṣṇu, the presiding deity of the supreme knowledge and wisdom is reflected to symbolize the free, the indefinable, unembodied, absolute Brahman.

With the development of the symbol-worship in the Vedic period, the concept of Hayagrīva in its symbolic form was dormant. It spreaded its wings and gradually emerged as a glorified form in the myths of the great epic Mahābhārata, where Hayaśira with its very name appears for the first time. As we gradually traverse the mythological narratives of Lord Hayagrīva in the purāṇic literature, his role as the retriever and redeemer is formed. His avatāric forms established in the vaiṣṇava purāṇas, the contradictory divine and demonic forms, the amplitude of iconographical descriptions as well as His idol worship, are also found. In the vaiṣṇava tradition of religion, Lord Hayagrīva occupies an exalted position but in the śākta tradition of religion, Hayagrīva occupies a completely different secondary role, with all pervading Devī as the supreme yogamāyā. Various aspects of Hayagrīva were realized from our investigation such as, this benevolent form, supreme form, god form, the contradictory divine and demonic forms and the good with demonic instinct and the evil with good instinct.

The luminous form of Lord Hayagrīva as the supreme knowledge and his worship being rewarded with intelligence, has been elucidated in the purāṇas. He is generally worshipped with great fervour and His blessings are sought by the devotees. He, not only protects all types of creatures of the world, but is also known to have imparted knowledge to goddess Sarasvatī herself, the presiding deity of learning and all types of fine arts. Thus it is realised that without His grace, no one can obtain knowledge.

Thus, surrounding the mythological character of Lord Hayagrīva a cult had started its journey. Ultimately the notion developed to such an extent that when we come to the Tāntrik literature, we find Lord Hayagrīva to be owned by both the Hindu and the Buddhist Tantra. Even the relationship between Hayagrīva and Gautama Buddha is being established in the Buddhist system.

To realize how the extent of the Hayagrīva concept, its beliefs, tradition and culture have impacted the real life, we intended to include a study in respect of the worship of this indomitable form in the various temples of India. A visit to one of the nearest temples, a temple in Assam near our state Tripura, added excitement, zeal and nurture to the quest. In the Hayagrīva Mādhava Temple in Hājo, Assam, He is not only the avatāra of Viṣṇu, but also highly honored and worshipped in vivid reality, so much so that He has become a living deity in the heart of his followers.

Indian spiritual tradition has established that the highest goal of human life is attainment of the state of Unqualified Brahman. But in attaining this path of renunciation it never denies the importance of material requirements in human life.

That is why the Veda advises for learning of the two vidyās, parā and aparā—

“Dve vidye veditavya iti ha sma yad bahmavido vadanti parā caivāparā ca//”^[1]

In fact the Supreme Brahman has two forms, parā and aparā. While the aparā vidyā is of the nature of kārya, effect, having the manifested form of the Supreme Brahman as this entire creation including the form of Lord Hayagrīva, the parā vidyā is in reality the Supreme Brahman Himself, the eternal cause of all causes, the very unbounded central power, the vital force of the entire creation having no manifested form at all—

“Na sandṛśe tiṣṭhati rūpamasya/
na cakṣuṣā paśyati kaścanainam//”^[2]

These two aspects of Indian spirituality adumbrated by our eternal scriptures appear to have greatly influenced the concept of Lord Hayagrīva reflected in Sanskrit literature.

The concept of Hayagrīva that originated in the mystical symbolism in the Vedic literature, has evolved throughout the entire Epic and Purāṇic literature and still prevails in the Garbhagṛha of the Hayagrīva Mādhava temple in the north-east state of Assam under the veil of darkness revealing the Tāntrik influence.

Hence our effort accommodates a fresh and significant contribution to the domain of knowledge in the academic world. Various aspects of Hayagrīva such as, the benevolent supreme god form, the contradictory divine and demonic forms, the good with demonic instinct and the evil with good instinct could be realised through the study. Realizing the immense potential of energy both good and evil, one needs to understand the potential of knowledge for spiritual upliftment of mind and soul. The spiritual tradition of India, no doubt, has been enriched by the significant conception of Lord Hayagrīva reflected in the ancient Sanskrit texts.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Muṇḍakopaniṣad, 1.4.

[2]:

Śvetāśvataropaniṣad, 4.20.