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Our AchAryAs on Sri Hayagreevan

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • August 14, 1998 


Sri:

Dearest Sisters and Brothers,

jnAnAnanda-mayam devam nirmalas sphaTikAkRtim | 
AdhAram sarvavidyAnAm hayagrIvam upAsmahe ||

Our AchAryAs on Sri Hayagreevan:

1. Alavandhaar (Yamuna muni) while praises his Grandfather (his Guru's 
Guru), says "madhu jithangri sarOja thatva jnAna anuraag.." . He 
(Nathamuni) became a great jnAni/bhakthA at the Feet of Madhsoodhanan 
(Hayagreevan). YamunAchArya also refers in his SthoThra Rathnam 13th 
slOka to Haygreevan for which Periyavaacchaan PiLLai comments that it 
narrates about the recovery of Vedas by Lord Hayagreeva and handing over 
to BrahmA. That makes us realise Alavandhaar's involvement on Lord 
Hayagreevan. He also requests the Lord Madhusoodhanan (in 57th slOkam) 
to mercifully remove all non-vedic thoughts in the world and traditions 
existing in the world to save us as He did earlier as Haygreevan by 
killing madhukaitapar to establish/recover Vedas. 
 
2. SvEthAsvara upanishad, "yO BrahmANam vidhadhaadhi poorvamÂ…. 
Mumukshuvai saraNamaham prapdhyE.." means: adiyEn who is interested only 
in mOksham, a mumukshu, surrenders to the Paramapurushan, who did parama 
upakaaram by recovering Vedas from madhukaitapar and handed over to 
BrahmA to save the world"- i.e Lord Hayagreevan." BhAshyakaarar Sri 
Ramaujar took this manthrA in his Saranaagathi Gadhyam and surrenders to 
the Lord. 

3. Here asvam in svEthAsvara upanishad refers to the Lord Hayagreevan 
(White Horse faced Lord)and that is why Swami Desikan refers Lord 
Haygreevan in Rahasyathraya saaram as "veLLai parimukhar". (Swami 
Desikan's bhakti for Hayagreevan needs no elaboration to this Group)
 
4. Sri Kooratthaazhwaan in his "sundharabaahusthavam" 84th slOkam 
highlights Sri Hayagreeva avataar.
 
5. In 121st slOkam also, Kuresa says "Do not think that there are only 
10 avataars of the Lord. Even Hamsa, hayagreeva, NaranaraayaNa avataars 
are also His only are equally grand and great.
 
6. In 58th slOkam of Sri Vaikunta sthavam of Kooratthaazhwaan, it is 
said "Adhyaathma saasthraas are established by Emperumaan in Hayagrreva 
avtaar by recovering vedas and saving the world. 
 
7. Swami Desikan in his last pAsuram of Sri RTS, says "It is the white 
horse faced Lord who wrote in my mind and I have written that on the 
palm leaves.
 
8.  Lakshmi Hayagriva Bhagavan is the Archa Murthy of both Srimad 
Paundarikapuram Ashramam as well as Sri Parakala Matam.

HOW LORD HAYAGREEVA VIGRAHAM CAME TO US: (Not USA- but "us"- BhakthAs)

Sri Ramanujacharya re-established the Visishtadvaita siddhaantham and 
commented on Brahma sUthram in his Bhashyam. This excellent, unambiguous 
vyAkhyaanam was completed by Yathiraajaa and fulfilled his "maanaseega 
guru" Yamaunaacharya's wish (manOradham). Ramanuja "officially" releaed 
the commentary at the grand gathering of all sanskrit scholars and Vedic 
scholarsat Saraswathi peetam in Kashmir, in front of Saraswathi Devi. 
Saraswathi, immenslely satisfied at the excellent commentary and the 
truthful presentation of Brahma sUthram, she honoured the commentary by 
confering a award calling it "SRI BHAASHYAM". Also, she was extremely 
happy with Yathiraajaa, she presented to him a Divya mangaLa vigraham of 
Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevan. Since the, Yathiraaja was performing 
Thiruvaaraadhanam for Sri Kalshmi Hayagreeva Vigraham daily. 

This vigraham, through Thirukurugai piraan, through our AchAryAs, came 
to Sri Vedanta Desikan. Afetr Swami Desikan's period, this is passed on 
to Sri Brahma tantra Swami and is now with Mysore Parakala Mutt Swami. 
Even today, the Thiruvaaraadhanam is being performed on this Divya 
MangaLa vigraham of Lord Sri Lakshmi Hayagreevan.

If one has a close loving glance at the Lord Hayagreevan;s vigraham, He 
has four hands, and has a beuatiful Horse face, sitting on a white 
Lotus. His Lotus Feet wears "salaghai" (paayal). His upper two hands 
hold Sanghu and ChakrA. His lower right hand offers jnAnOpadEsam to us, 
bhakthAs. Other hand hold Japamaalaa. Also, it appears as if He is 
granting us boons. VishNu DharmOttharam, VaishNava Moorthanya DharaNi 
part describes Hayagreeva Thiruvuruvam (form). There it details eight 
hands for Hayagreevan, where four hands hold Vedas (four children) and 
other four hold Sanghu, ChakrA, GadhA, and Padmam. Afterwards, He is 
blessing us with four hands as detailed above.

Even Sri VishNu puraaNam, details Sun as the Horse faced one for 
upadEsam. Hayagreeva avtaar is only for VedOpadEsam and granting us 
jnAnam. (As Sri SadagOpan emphatically pointed out Swami Desikan was 
initiated into the Great Hayagreeva Manthram and then is the HistoryÂ…)

Once Swami Desikan wished to stay at Thiruvaheendra puram and was 
proceeding from Kanchi. On the way he stayed at some remote place (that 
belonged to a grain merchant). There lot of grains were stored and piled 
in sacks. 

There Swami Desikan did not have anything to offer to his Sri Hayagreeva 
vigraham and hence, offered just water and he also went to sleep, 
without eating anything (just by drinking few drops of water that he had 
offered to the Lord). Midnight, the merchant noticed a very big, 
beautiful white Horse which started eating those grains from a sack. The 
merchant, thinking that it belongs to Swami Desikan, immediately woke 
him up to tie the white horse. Swami Desikan has tears rolling down his 
cheeks, and prostrated to the Lord  (who had come as the White Horse) 
and explained to the merchant and asked him to bring a pot of milk. The 
excited merchant and others brought milk which the Lord drank happily 
and disappeared. 

Next day morning the merchant chased Swami Desikan, (who had actually 
started off his journey to Thiruvaheendrapuram) and informed that the 
whole sack (from which the white horse ate) is full of Gold coins! Swami 
Desikan smiled and was overwhelmed with joy for His mercy and leelA. 
That pleace is called "pon viLaintha kaLampudhoor". 

Other sampradaya AchAryAs on hayagreevan- the last post- Next one!


Ram Ram

With Best Regards

NarayaNa dAsan madhavakkannan


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