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Si HayagrIva SthOthram : Part XIII --SlOkam 4 set in SaalinI metre

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Sadagopan • August 29, 2000 


Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Namo NaarAyaNAya ! 

Dear BhakthAs:

The fourth slOkam is a prayer for 
the gift of Vedic speech arising out of
the destruction of the inner darkness 
described in the previous slOkam
( Haya Vadhan hEshA hala-Hala: anthar-
dhvAntham harathu). Here Swamy describes 
the power of that Hala-Hala dhvani further.
He states that the anugraham of Sri HayagrIvan 
is like the the Sun rise that chases away 
the night's darkness ( Anthar nisAyaa kaachith 
prAchi SandhyA ). He describes the unique 
anugraham of Sri HayagrIvan also as ," praj~nA
dhrushtE: apoorvA anjana SrI:". The imagery 
used by Swami Desikan is powerful and revealing.

That lustorous image of Sri HayagrIvan
is like kOti SuryOdhayam with the power to
banish the terrors of the night of inner darkness .
That lustre is also of divinely wonderous nature 
(kaachith prAchi SandhyA ). That lustre , which is 
in the form of praatha: sandhyA Kaalam drives away 
swiftly and decisively the inner darkness. 

The Saama MaadhyAhnika UpasthAna manthram
translated by the Sri Kaaryam of Poundarikapuram
Aasramam, Professor Anantha NarasimhAcchAr Swamy 
is very appropriate in the context of invocation 
of the uniqueness of Praatha: sandhyA image 
invoked by Swamy Desikan ( PraachI SandhyA Kaachith): 

" The Lord from whom the Sun derives the light ,
  The Lord who is the propagator of the VedAs ,
  The Lord whom the great souls sustain in their 
  heart through meditation and see the entire
  universe , The Lord from whom the army for
  the protection of the DevAs came into being , 
  The Lord for whom VaruNA and Agni are like two
  eyes , He is the inner soul (AntaryAmi) living
  inside all things and beings in the Universe .
  He is pervading the Upper worlds , the earth 
  and the intervening space.May This Lord (Adithya
  Mandala Madhya Vaasi) ----  bestow on me lustre 
  like Sun , life like Vaayu , Smell(fragrance) 
  like SomA , intelligence like Brihaspathi ,
  beauty (youth) like Aswins ,Strength like 
  IndrA and Agni ".

That radiant form of Sri HayagrIvan also
has the power to reveal what was hitherto
unseen. What is being revealed is the true 
Jn~Anam. How was it revealed ? What was 
the power that made it possible to see 
what could not be seen until now ? It 
is the power of Sri HayagrIvan , which
acts like the rare kind of sacred anjanam 
( collyrium ) , which opens up the eye of
Jn~Anam to experience the entire range of
Vedic knowledge , which helps to understand
what are true Tatthvam, Hitham and PurushArtham
among a bewildering array of false entities.

This powerful VidhyA Moorthy blessing those 
who seek refuge is Sri HayagrIvan , who performed
Veda UpadEsam to Brahma Devan ( VakthrI Vedaan).
Swamy identifies this Nru-Turangan as the avathAram
of Sri VaikuntanAthan, Para VaasudEvan.

The fourth slOkam houisng all these
thought is as follows:       

"prAchi SandhyA kaachidanthar nisayA:
 praj~nA dhrushDEranjana-SrirapUrvA
 VakthrI VedAn bhaathu mE VaajivakthrA
 VaaghIsAkhyA VaasudEvasya Moorthy:"

(meaning): The Horse-faced Lord worshipped as
the Lord of Speech (VaagIsan )is indeed the avathAra 
roopam of Para VaasudEvan of Sri VaikuNtam. He instructs
Brahma Devan on the VedAs and is like the unique , 
morning light ( prAtha: SandhyA )to drive away 
our inner darkness . He is the matchless , 
sacred collyrium (anjanam) for revelation of 
the dhivya Jn~Anam .May this subhAsraya ThirumEni 
of this incarnation of Para VaasudEvan shine with in 
and before me always !

Swami Desikan touches on the avathAra rahasyam
of Sri HayagrIva BhagavAn here since the avathAra
rahasya chinthanam ( reflections on the Six rahasyams
underlying His incarnation ) is vital for the successful
completion of the Bhakthi or Prapatthi anushtAnam
for Moksham without delayed phalan . In His magnum
opus , Sri Rahasya Thraya Saaram ( Charama SlOkAdhikAram),
Swamy Desikan sums up the six rahayams this way :

avathArasya sathyathvam ajahath svasvabhAvathA
Suddha Satthvamayathvam cha SvEcchAmAthranidhAnathA
Dharma glAnou samudhaya: Saadhu samraksdhANArTathA 
Ithi Janma rahasyam yO vEtthi naasya Punarbhaav:

(meaning):(1) Our Lord's incarnations (avathArams)
are real .(2) They happen without any dimunition 
in His svabhAvam .(3) These avathArams are constituted 
by Suddha Satthva Dhravyam.(4) These avathArams happen
because of our Lord's own volition (Sankalpam). 
(5)These avathArams take place , when there is 
even the slightest harm to dharmam in His world.
(6) The avathArams of the Lord are intended for 
the protection of His BhakthAs.Those who reflect on 
these six inner meanings of the reasons behind 
the Lord's avathArams do not get rebirth (na Punarbhava:).

When Swami Desikan salutes Sri HayagrIva-
BhagavAn in the fourth paadham of this slOkam 
as " VaaghIsAkhyA VaasudEvasya Moorthy:" ,
He wants us to remember the avathAra Rahasyam 
of Sri Nru-Turanga HayagrIvan ( The avathAram with
human body and a horse's face). 

This HayagrivAvathAram came about to save 
Brahma Devan , who had lost the VedAs to 
two asurAs . Bhagavan incarnated to punish those
asurAs (Madhu KaiDapan). Out of His own sankalpam , 
without the least dimunition in His svAbhAvIka-kalyANa
guNams , Para VaasudEvan took on the Suddha 
Sathva Drvya maya svarUpam of HayagrIvan 
and came to the rescue of Brahma Devan 
and helped him continue with his assigned duty of 
creation (Srushti karmA).

In this avathAram , Para VaasudEvan has
the face of a horse ( Vaaji Vakthra:).
He stays as the Supreme God of Learning 
and instructs Brahma Devan on the four Vedams
that are essential for him to continue his
srishti karmAs. Brahma Devan pleaded with
the Lord to restore the VedAs from the two
asurAs, which the Lord did effortlessly.
Swamy Desikan prays for that illustrious
avathAra Moorthy (HayagrIvan ) to shine
always in his mind and in front of him
with the words of the third and fourth 
paadhams of this fourth slOkam:

" VakthrI VedAn Bhaathu mE Vaaji VakthrA
  VaaghIsAkhyA VaasudEvasya Moorthy: "

Vaikunta Vaasi Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar 
quotes in this context the Upanishidaic passage 
dealing with the extraordinary effect of
the darsana soubhAgyam of the Para Brahmam.
All the knots of confusion are broken apart
and frees one to receive and benefit from
the full range of Vedic wisdom ( True Jn~Anam ).

With the fifth slOkam set in the UpajAthi
metre, the SthOthram proper is said to start 
and goes upto slOkam 31 followed by the DhyAna
slOkam ( 32nd SlOkam set in MandhaakrAnthA metre)
and concludes with the Phala Sruthi SlOkam (33) 
set in the AaryA metre .

Sri HayagrIva ParabrahmaNE Nama:
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Satakopan 
 

       
  




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