Vedanta Desika's Hayagriva Stotram

Sri N. Krishnamachari • January 26, 1998

Following is a summary of some thoughts that registered in my mind as I was going through the Hayagriva Stotra of Sri Vedanta Desika. These thoughts are based on the translation and explanations provided by Sri Vangipuram Rama Desikacharya Svami in his book titled “Sri deÅ›ika stotramÄ�lÄ�” published by the LIFCO Publishers.

I am aware that many of Sri Vedanta Desika’s stotrams have already been presented in our forum by others, with translations, etc. The material I am presenting here provides a different perspective to those which have already been presented in the earlier writings.

It is believed that Sri Hayagriva stotram was the first of the many stotra-s that were composed by Sri Desika. Sri Desika had worshipped Lord Hayagriva as part of his nitya aradhana (daily worship). Sri Rama Desikacharya points out that for this reason, wherever Sri Desika’s vigraham has been installed, Lord Hayagriva’s idol is also installed alongside.

Among the points that I noticed as I went through the 33 sloka-s in this stotra are:

1. The sphaá¹­ika (crystalline) hue of Bhagavan Hayagriva
2. The Vedas and Bhagavan Hayagriva
3. Sri Desika’s prayer for the defense of the sampradayam (tradition)
4. Swami Desikan’s simplicity and humility.

In the following sections, the above topics are elaborated with quotes from Swami Desikan’s Hayagriva Stotram. The sphatika hue of Bhagavan Hayagriva Sri Desika points out in several places that Lord Hayagriva’s form is pure white like a flawless sphatika maṇi.

1. nirmala sphaá¹­ikÄ�ká¹›tim — One with a pure white form, in sloka 1
2. Suddha sphaṭika maṇi in sloka 2
3. mugdha-indu-nishyanda, dugdha-sindhÅ�h udÄ�rÄ�m, tava mÅ«rtim — Your appearance is pure white like the molten form of the rising moon or the great product from the Milk Ocean (Sloka 13)
4. viÅ›adaih mayÅ«khaih Ä�plÄ�vayantam tvÄ�m ye kshaṇardham api kalayanti… --- Those who meditate even for a fraction of a second on your form which radiates pure white rays… (sloka 15)
5. viÅ›adaih mayÅ«khaih tamÄ�msi bhittvÄ� Sarad-ghane candramiva nava-puṇdarÄ«ke sphurantam — You remove the darkness of ignorance in your devotees through the pure white rays emanating from you, and appear like the beautiful milk-white moon seated on the new white lotus (sloka 26)
6. amá¹›ta viÅ›adaih amÅ›ubhih mÄ�m plÄ�vayan mÄ�nase Ä�virbhÅ«yÄ�t — O Lord Hayagriva! Please shower me with Your white radiant rays which are like nectar, and dwell in my mind always.

In his Rahasya Traya Sara, he also says the following (in Tamil) :

வெள�ளைப� பரிம�கர� தேசிகரை விரகால� அடியோம�
உள�ளத�தெழ�தியத� ஓலையில� இத�தனம� யாம� இதர�க�கென�

Lord Hayagriva with the face of a white horse appeared as the acharya and wrote this grantham in my mind, and all I have done is reproduced it. So there is no fault in this work.

Lord Hayagriva and the Vedas

There are several references by Swami Desika beautifully describing the origin of the Vedas from Bhagavan Hayagriva. He variously describes the “hala hala” sound arising from Lord hayagrÄ«va with the face of a horse, and the sound of the oranments in His leg, as the Vedic emanations from the Lord.

1. anantaih traiyantaih anuvihita hesh� hala halam in sloka 2
2. sÄ�mnÄ�m samÄ�hÄ�rah, á¹›cÄ�m pratipadam, yajushÄ�m dhÄ�ma, pratyÅ«hÄ�nÄ�m layah, bodha jaladheh lahari vitatih, hahavadana heshÄ� hala halah — The hala hala Sabda of the horse-faced Lord Hayagriva which is the source of the Sama, Rg, and Yajur Vedas, which removes all obstacles to knowledge and which is the like the waves arising out of the ocean of knowledge, in sloka 3
3. ved�n vaktree - One who taught the Vedas (sloka 4)
4. tvam daitya apanÄ«tÄ�n nigamÄ�n dayayÄ� eva bhÅ«yah api na adhyÄ�payishyah cet — If only you had not with your mercy restored the Vedas to Brahma after they had been stolen by the asura-s… (sloka 8 )
5. te mañjupraṇÄ�dam maṇi nÅ«puram veda girÄ�m ma~ñjÅ«shikÄ�m pratÄ«mah — We know that the Vedas are stored in the sounds arising from the decorative ornament you wear in your feet and given to this world kalpa after kalpa (sloka 22).

Sri Desika’s Prayers For the Defense of our Sampradayam Sri Vedanta Desika’s thoughts seem to have been preoccupied with the efforts of those with other beliefs who were putting up annoying fights and arguments against his own philosophy. He repeatedly prays to Lord Hayagriva in this stotram to give him the ability to overcome these obstacles and to establish the right path.

1. In sloka 3 he says kathÄ� darpa kshubhyat kathaka kolÄ�hala bhavam antardhvÄ�ntam haratu — Let Lord Hayagriva remove the darkness of ignorance in those who are making big celebration based on their haughtiness resulting from their wrong arguments.
2. samara angaṇeshu kavi tÄ�rkika indrÄ�n jigÄ«shatah me jihva agra simhÄ�sanam abhyupeyÄ�h — O Lord Hayagriva! Please take your seat at the tip of my tongue so that I can win in these warring debates involving the best of those who debate with me (sloka 28)
3. samÄ�jeshu svacchanda vÄ�da Avaha baddha SUrah samedhishÄ«ya — Please bless me so that I can be the unquestionable victor in the battleground of debates where the people of other faith indiscriminately put forth arguments against me (sloka 29)
4. kavi tÄ�rkika venkatanÄ�thena viracitÄ�m — (This stotra is) composed by Venkatanatha, the lion among the composers and those that excel in debates.

Sri Vedanta Desika’s extreme Simplicity and Humility

More than once in this stotram, sw�mi Desikan gives expression to His extreme simplicity and humility, which is a key aspect of saranagati (whole-hearted self-surrender).

1. n�tha! Aham mugdha iti tvay� k�ruṇyatah eva kat�ksahṇīyah O Lord! Please accept me as an ignorant kid (mugdha iti) and bless me with your Mercy (sloka 6).
2. aham nÄ�nÄ�vidhÄ�nÄ�m agatih — I am not learned in the different arts

tÄ«rtheshu ca na api ká¹›ta avatÄ�rah — I have not learned from the great acharyas anÄ�tha parigrahÄ�yÄ�h tava dayÄ�yÄ�h navam navam pÄ�tram, dhruvam — I am the most fitting case for your mercy which you shower on the destitute and the helpless; That I am the most deserving case for your mercy, there is no doubt, (sloka 30)

1. apa nÄ«ti bhedaih akampanÄ«yÄ�ni Å›ankÄ� kalanka apagama tattvÄ�ni mama há¹›dayam alankr*shÄ«ran — By your blessings, let my mind be rid of the dirt of uncertainty that is being sprayed on me by the indiscriminate arguments of my opponents, and let truth be revealed to me by your Grace.

It should not be forgotten that the main content of the stotra is the praise of Lord Hayagriva, which is covered throughout the stotram. It should also be clearly kept in mind that the main purpose of the stotram is that the followers of Sri Desika chant the stotram and benefit with the blessings of Lord Hayagriva. Hopefully the summary I have presented here will lead to this next step by all of us. Sri Desika’s concluding lines are “paá¹­hata hayagrÄ«va stutim bhaktyÄ� — Read the Hayagriva stotram with devotion”, for the purpose of “vÄ�k artha siddhi hetÅ�h — attaining fluency over words and true knowledge about the Truth” (Sri Rama Desikacharya Svami has translated this part as the ability to be able to compose the praise of the Lord (kavi pÄ�á¸�um vallamai) and to attain true knowledge about the siddhanta-s (uṇmaip poruḷgaḷaip paá¹�iya Å›iá¹›anda aá¹›ivu).

[I have not done a literal translation of all the Sanskrit portions, but have tried to keep the thoughts that were meant to be conveyed.]

Addendum

Even though what follows is not part of Bhagavad-dhyana Sopanam which is the topic of the present write-up, I noticed a “mini Bhagavad-dhyana Sopanam” embedded in the Hayagriva stotram as I was going through the latter yesterday. Swami Desikan composed the Hayagriva stotram as Lord Hayagriva was giving His pratyaksha darsanam to the acharya in Tiruvahindrapuram. In this stotram also, just as in Bhagavad-dhyana Sopanam, we find Swami Desikan describing his anubhavam of Lord hayagrÄ«va’s beautiful form part by part, starting with His sacred feet. There is a sequence of 8 sloka-s (19 to 26) describing the Lord’s beauty. sloka 32 is a summary of the eight sloka-s.

In sloka-s 19 to 21, Swami Desikan describes Lord Hayagriva’s lotus feet. In sloka 22 the beautiful anklets of the Lord are described. Sloka-s 23 and 24 describe the Lord’s two right hands showing the jñÄ�na mudra and holding the japa-mÄ�lÄ� respectively. Sloka 25 is a description of the Lord’s sacred left hand with a book, and sloka 26 talks about the Lord’s beautiful pure white moon-like form as He is seated on the fresh white lotus flower. Sloka 32 (vyÄ�khyÄ�mudrÄ�m karasarasijaih…) is the dhyÄ�na sloka where the over-all beauty of Lord Hayagriva is summarized. I had not included the overall meaning of this dhyana sloka in my write-up on Sri Hayagriva stotram, and so am including it here.

— dÄ�san ká¹›shṇamÄ�cÄ�ryan

Hayagriva