The story of Hayagriva appears with variations in the Mahabharata and many other Puranas like the Bhagavata Purana, Matsya Purana, Skanda Purana and Devi Bhagavata. This narration, perhaps one of the most engaging, is from the Devi Bhagawat Purana.
It was Lord Brahma’s divine task to recreate the world in harmony with the eternal wisdom of the Vedas - the sacred source of all the knowledge. Yet even the creator is not immune to weariness and Brahma drifted into a brief, restorative slumber. While he was asleep Hayagriva, a malevolent demon, with the head of a horse emerged from Brahma’s nose. He was named Hayagriva -‘Haya’ meaning ‘horse’ and ‘Griva’ meaning ‘neck’. Therefore, Hayagriva literally means one who has the neck of a horse.
Consumed by ambition, Hayagriva conceived a dark desire: to possess the Vedas for himself. He believed that hoarding this wellspring of divine knowledge would grant him unrivalled power and the ability to dominate the entire universe. With this wicked intent burning in his heart, Hayagriva seized the sacred texts. Swiftly and surreptitiously he plunged into the ocean’s abyss, concealing the stolen Vedas in the unfathomable depths of the ocean bed.
As Brahma had been asleep when he stole the Vedas Hayagriva reveled in his apparent triumph convinced that no one had witnessed his brazen larceny. Hayagriva’s arrogance blinded him to a profound truth that nothing escapes the gaze of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the cosmic order. Not one to allow evil to prevail Vishnu was determined to retrieve the holy texts and restore balance to the universe. To confront Hayagriva and undo the chaos, Vishnu manifested as Matsya, a divine fish. In this magnificent avatar, Vishnu plunged into the ocean, determined to reclaim the sacred texts and to re-establish righteousness in a world teetering precariously on the edge of abject adharma.
The Matsya avatar of Lord Vishnu appeared before the great King Satyavrata in the form of a tiny fish. The compassionate king saved the fish. Unbeknown to him Satyavrata had been chosen by the Lord for his virtue and unshakable devotion to be the progenitor of a new lineage, the father of future generations.
Lord Matsya later revealed Himself to the king as being Lord Vishnu Himself and entrusted him with specific duties which included building a sturdy boat and taking aboard seven holy sages and one representative of every variety of plant, medicinal herb, seed, animal and living creature, ensuring that no life-giving element was left out. Lord Matsya also directed the king to complete all these tasks in seven days. It was during those seven days at the end of Kali yuga that Vishnu eliminated Hayagriva.
However, the task of destroying the powerful demon was not an easy one. Hayagriva had performed severe penance and obtained a formidable boon from Goddess Durga, that he could be killed only by another “Hayagriva”.
Emboldened by this divine protection he grew arrogant and began creating havoc even in Devaloka. The hapless, terror stricken Devas turned to Vishnu for deliverance from the evil and cruel demon. But the boon proved too powerful even for Lord Vishnu as it was given by none other than the Supreme Goddess.
A fierce and prolonged battle ensued between Vishnu and Hayagriva, but the demon’s invulnerability took its toll on Lord Vishnu. Exhausted, He retreated to Vaikuntha to rest, recuperate and replenish his powers and strength. Seated in padmasana, with His head resting on the upper end of His taut bow He immersed Himself in deep meditation.
The Devas, desperate for Vishnu’s return to the battlefield, sought to rouse Him from His divine slumber, but failed. It was then that Brahma devised a plan. He summoned termites to gnaw at the bowstring, hoping the sound of its snap would awaken the Lord. The plan worked—though not as intended. The bowstring snapped with a deafening reverberation that shook the cosmos, but the force of its release severed Vishnu’s head from His body. His head plummeted into the Lavan Sagar, leaving the Devas aghast at the unforeseen calamity.
Brahma’s plan had backfired and resulted in total disaster. The sight of the beheaded Vishnu filled the Devas with horror and mortification and out of sheer panic they started praying to the Goddess Durga for help. She had always protected them in times of dire need, time and time again. So they prayed fervently for her guidance and grace. Pleased with their prayers She appeared before them Her radiance filling the heavens. She reassured them saying, “There is no cause for fear as nothing in this universe occurs without a reason and purpose.”
Revealing the secret of Hayagriva’s boon and the reason for his invincibility, she instructed the Devas to replace Vishnu’s head with that of a horse. In this new form, Vishnu would then be a Hayagriva too and fulfilling the conditions of the boon would demolish the demon. The Lord would get His form back once this purpose was achieved.
In accordance with the Goddess’s instructions Brahma attached the head of a white horse to Vishnu’s body. Revived, Vishnu as Lord Hayagriva, arose—a fierce and majestic fusion of divinity and might, destined to confront and annihilate the demon that had brought chaos to the cosmos.
It is said that after Hayagriva was killed the divine Sudarshana Chakra was fashioned from his bones. This weapon, imbued with cosmic energy, became one of Lord Vishnu’s most iconic attributes, a symbol of divine will and the unyielding order of the universe. It served as a reminder of Vishnu’s eternal role as the preserver and protector of creation.
As his life force ebbed, a ferocious, venomous fire erupted from Hayagriva’s colossal mouth, surging through the cosmos with unrelenting fury. The flames consumed the heavens, the stars, and the very fabric of existence, heralding the end of the Kali Yuga. The skies darkened as the seven clouds of doomsday gathered, their ominous forms blocking out all light. The black clouds burst into torrential rains the deluge quenched the fires as it drowned the whole universe in a watery embrace, submerging everything.
Safe aboard the boat, King Satyavrata witnessed the dissolution of the old world and prepared to usher in the dawn of a Dharmic age - the pure and radiant Satya Yuga.
Vishnu as Hayagriva, destroyed the demon and returned the Vedas to Lord Brahma.
With a human body, a brilliant white horse’s head and dressed in white garments Lord Hayagriva is seated on a white lotus. He is worshiped as the God of knowledge and wisdom. Though not a part of the ten popular incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the worship of Lord Hayagriva, as the bestower of knowledge is an integral part of Vaishnava tradition.
LIFE LESSONS
1. Hayagriva’s story teaches us that God sees and is aware of not only our actions and words but every thought that appears in our mind too.
2. Like the Devas we too must have be assured that God will always be there to help us through our difficulties.
3. Just as the Goddess said we must realize that everything that occurs in our lives or in the world around us has a reason.
4. From Satyavrata we learn that no matter how evil the world around us is God will save the virtuous.
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