Sri Vageesha Priyah eSouvenir May 2014 | Page 20

avataram is full of finest truths and realizations of Vedanta. Sri Hayavadana is also celebrated as Madhusudana and Kaitabhari. From a philosophical point of view, the story of Hayagriva avataram is actually a representation of the victory of satvaguna over rajas and tamas due to the infinite mercy of Sri Lakshmi Hayavadana. The pramanam for this come from Vedavyasa who says – sÅvamsaemxujaRt> tda naray[a}ya, kiQnSTvpraeibNÊ> kEqÉaerajs> Sm&t>. The Lord in Ramavataram preached the truths of Sharanagati and Varnashramadharma. In Krishnavataram, He preached the Bhagavath Geetha, along with vishwaroopa darshana and the destruction of the evil. In all the other avatarams of the Lord it can be seen that the Lord preaches some important truth, but it is only in Hayagriva avataram that one can have a complete realization of all the truths of Vedanta. It is said that the avatara of Hayavadana is from the krutayuga. Down the ages, many sages have meditated upon this form of the Lord to attain knowledge and spiritual perfection. Sage Vedavyasa was also a great Hayagriva upasaka. He has described the greatness of this avataram in Mahabharata shantiparva moksha dharma narayaniyam, 375 sargam, which is popularly known as Hayashiropakhyana. Shiva in the form of Dakshinamurthy and Devi Sarasvathi are also said to have adored and worshipped this Hayagriva form of Sriman Narayana. We also learn from the purvacharya parampara that Bhagavad Ramanuja made the samarpanam of his Sribhashya to Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva that was being worshipped at Sarasvathi peetam in Kashmir. Swamy Vedanta Deshika was also a great Hayagriva upasaka who received initiation into the Hayagriva mantram from none other than Garudazhwar himself. The Azhwars are also not far behind. The divyaprabandhams carry ample accounts where Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva has been celebrated and glorified by all the Azhwars. Sri Hayagriva is considered as the principal deity of all knowledge and enlightenment. One becomes wise and erudite, worshipping and contemplating on Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva. He is the “Yajnapurusha” who bestows moksha. Swamy Deshika says – nmôexaivÉ´ana< AaTmna< ANtraTmne, äü[e hyv±ay bNxmae]Ekhetve. We pray unto the twin lotus feet of this Lakshmi Hayagriva to grant mankind, the bliss of spiritual k nowledge and all-round auspiciousness. y @kae Êl¡¸yiÇgu[injmayaingiltEivRicÇE> ]eÇ}E> ivhrit sraejashcr>, jgTsgR]em]p[pirkmIR[mihma dyaludeRvae=saE turgvdnStarytu n>. AnNyana< pu, tdek< sTs. G-12