Hymn-Shri Hayagriva stotram-M. Venkataraman

Glimpses from Indian spirituality, mythology and way of life.

This hymn is a composition of Swamy Vedanta Desikan. Swamy Desikan is a great Poet-Saint. He belonged to the 13th century. He had composed many hymns and many other works based on the Visishtadvaita philosophy. Notable among his great works are the ‘Yadavabhudayam’ and ‘Paduka Sahasram’. His authorship of the Sri Hayagriva Stotram is one of the most potent of his collection of hymns and intellectual writings.

Sri Hayagriva is regarded as the Supreme God of Knowledge. It is considered that one who prays to Hayagriva shall be blessed with all knowledge and wisdom. Students and others pursuing academic goals will find this hymn to be of great assistance.

Hayagriva is considered as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Haya means horse and Greeva means neck and Hayagreeva is the horse-faced form of Lord Vishnu. He has the appearance of a lovely white horse with a human body. His body has the shine and sparkle of a white crystal. He has the sacred disc Sudarshana Chakra, the holy conch Paanchajanyam, a book, and the Jnana Mudra in his four hands. While seated with his spouse Lakshmi, He is revered as Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva.

The hymn has 33 verses set in 6 different poetic meters. In the first verse Swamy Desikan points out that Sri Hayagreeva is the integrated form of Pure Knowledge and Supreme Bliss. He goes on to describe that the Lord is the manifestation of the effulgent light.

In the thirty second verse, Swamy Desikan blesses us with the Dhyana slokam for Sri Hayagreeva. He praises the Lord as the one with a lustre that never diminishes and visualizes Him as being seated on a beautiful white Lotus. He sees in the hands of the Lord of unblemished attributes, a book symbolizing sacred knowledge, the divine disc, the Conch and the Jnana upadesa mudra. Through this Dhyana slokam he appeals to Lord Hayagreeva to appear in his mind and drench him with His Vision.

It is said that at this point of time the Lord responded to his appeal and appeared before him at the hill of Thiruvaheendrapuram and blessed him.

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