Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature
by Anindita Adhikari | 2019 | 56,368 words
This page relates 鈥楽amhita (1): Divine steed in the Rigveda鈥� of the study on Lord Hayagriva as found in Sanskrit Literature such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Puranas and Tantras. Hayagriva as an incarnation of Vishnu is worshipped as the supreme Lord of knowledge and wisdom but also symbolizes power and intelligence. His name means 鈥渢he horse-headed one鈥�.
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厂补峁僪颈迟腻 (1): Divine steed in the 峁欢惫别诲补
1. Dadhikr膩:
The Vedic 厂补峁僪颈迟腻蝉 and the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺s are mentioning the divine steed which is symbolically connected with Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻, the Sun god. In the passages of the 峁欢惫别诲补, horse is related with the sun and the most striking example of this is the steed Dadhikr膩 is celebrated in the later hymns of the 峁欢惫别诲补.[1] Dadhikr膩 is mentioned in the 峁欢惫别诲补 twelve times and often as Dadhikr膩van during least ten times. Characteristically Dadhikr膩 as a steed, appearing in the 狈补颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻办补,[2] is a synonym of horse. He is swift[3] , who speeds like the wind.[4] In one passage he is describe as the swan or 丑补峁僺补 dwelling in the light.[5] This description of the symbolic nature of Dadhikr膩 may suggest the great swiftness of the steed. The steed Dadhikr膩 is praised when agni is kindled at the dawning of 耻峁蝉.[6] Thus he is called Dadhikr膩 represented in the form of a steed, the circling ball of the sun which supports that Dadhikr膩 is closely connected with 耻峁蝉.[7] Dadhikr膩 is often related with agni including his solar and lightening forms which indicate that divine steed is connected with the sun. He is conceived as winged and his wing is like a bird and of a speeding eagle.[8]
2. 罢腻谤办峁补:
罢腻谤办峁补 is nearly related to Dadhikr膩 mentioned twice in the 峁欢惫别诲补.[9] In the identical word applied to Dadhikr膩[10] , he is primarily conceived as a steed shown by his epithet 补谤颈峁ａ弓丑补苍别尘颈, [11] 鈥榳hose fellies are intact鈥�, which appears as an independent name beside 罢腻谤办峁补 and 骋补谤耻岣峚 in 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测墨 厂补峁僪颈迟腻.[12] In the 狈补颈驳丑补峁囜弓耻办补 办腻峁囜笉补 of Nirukta the word 罢腻谤办峁补 is used as a synonym of horse.[13] However, in another place 罢腻谤办峁补 refers to a bird.[14] In the epic and later literature it is identical to 痴颈峁ａ箛耻鈥檚 vehicle, the swift bird 骋补谤耻岣峚. This may be the source of its origin and later association with 痴颈峁ａ箛耻. Macdonell states that 罢腻谤办峁补 originally represented the sun in the form of a divine steed.[15] These passages may be the source of origin and inspiration of the later association between 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 and the divine bird Garutm膩n. The mythical bird Garutm膩n finds its origin in the idea of 罢腻谤办峁补. The sun also sometimes is conceived as a bird by the name of Garutmat at least twice in the 峁欢惫别诲补. [16] The 峁欢惫别诲补 affirms that: 鈥淕od is one. The sages call him by many names like Indra, Mitra, 痴补谤耻峁嘺, Divya, Garutmat, the celestial universal sunbird. They speak of Agni, Yama, 惭腻迟补谤颈艣惫补苍.鈥�[17]
3. Paidva:
One more divine steed of the 峁欢惫别诲补 is Paidva which was brought to Pedu[18] by the 础艣惫颈苍蝉 and so it is called Paidva.[19] Paidva is described as white in colour, conqueror, invincible in battle and seeking heaven.[20] This evidence again appears to favour the interpretation of the steed Pedu as symbolising the sun.
The word Et膩艣a occurs sometimes as adjective, meaning swift, more frequently signifying steed in the 峁欢惫别诲补[21] and also designating the horses of the sun.[22] In one passage it is indicated that the dawn is said to lead a white steed[23] and in another passage the sacrificial steed appears to be created by the gods out of the sun[24] .
According to Macdonell鈥檚 interpretation, all these references are of the divine steed which is associated with the sun. Other references of the 峁欢惫别诲补 recommend the horse as a symbol of the sun. Apart from the indirect connection of horses with 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 as a solar deity, these references do not provide us an explicit beginning of the full winged horse-headed form of 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 at this stage in the 峁欢惫别诲补.
An interesting matter mentioned in the Vedic 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 is that the beheading motif is related with the knowledge of emancipation. After searching these informative references of the horse in the 峁欢惫别诲补 we would try to analyse the references therein related to Dadhya帽c 膧tharvan who appears in the horse-headed form for introducing 尘补诲丑耻惫颈诲测腻 to the 补艣惫颈苍 brothers. The mythical story of the sage Dadhya帽c 膧tharvan[25] was developed in the later 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, [26] 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺[27] and 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲. [28]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
峁欢惫别诲补, 4.38-40; 7,44.
[2]:
Nir, 1,14.
[3]:
鈥淯ta v膩jinam puruni峁ａ梗idv膩na峁� dadhikr膩mu dadathurvi艣vak峁涐梗峁璱m/
峁歫颈辫测补峁� 艣测别苍补峁� pruyitaspum膩艣u峁� cak峁況tyamaryo 苍峁沺补迟颈峁� na 艣耻谤补峁�//鈥� 峁欢惫别诲补, 4.38.2.
鈥淯ta sm膩sya panayanti 箩补苍腻岣� 箩奴迟颈峁� k峁涐梗峁璱pro abhibh奴tim膩艣o岣�/
Utenam膩hu samithe viyanta岣� 辫补谤腻 dadhikr膩 asarat sahasrai岣�//鈥� 峁欢惫别诲补, 4.38. 9.
鈥溎�艣u峁� dadhikr膩峁� tamu nu峁ａ弓av膩m diva峁峁泃hivy膩 utacarkir膩m/
Ucchant墨rm膩m耻峁蝉a岣� s奴dayantvati vi艣v膩ni duritani par峁n//鈥� 峁欢惫别诲补, 4.39.1.
Pa岣峛hirg峁沝hyanta峁� medhayu峁� na 艣奴谤补峁� rathatura峁� v膩tamiva dhrajantam//鈥� 峁欢惫别诲补, 4.38.3.
[5]:
[6]:
[7]:
Macdonell. A.A: Op. cit. p.149.
[8]:
鈥淪at膩 bhari峁 gavi峁 duanysacchraasy膩di峁 耻峁蝉astura峁噛asyat/ Satyodravo dravara岣� ptangaro dadhikr膩ve峁m奴rja峁� svarjanat//
Utasm膩sya dravatstura峁噛ata岣� pur峁嘺峁� na veranu v膩tipragardhina岣�/
艢yenasyeva dhrajato angkasa峁� pari dadhikr膩va峁嘺岣� sahorj膩 taritrata岣�//鈥� 峁欢惫别诲补, 4.40.2-3.
[9]:
鈥�Svasti na indro v峁沝dha艣rav膩岣� svasti na岣� 辫奴峁Ｄ� 惫颈蝉惫补惫别诲腻/
Svasti nastark峁o ari峁ａ弓nemi岣� svasti no v峁沨aspatirdadh膩tu//鈥� ibid.,1.89.6.
鈥淭膩m奴 峁 惫腻箩颈苍补峁� devaj奴ta峁� sah膩v膩na峁� tarut膩ra峁� rath膩n膩峁�/
础谤颈峁ａ弓补苍别尘颈峁� p峁泃an膩jam膩艣u峁� svastaye t膩rk峁amih膩 huvema//鈥� ibid.,10.178.1.
[10]:
[11]:
鈥淪vasti na indro v峁沝dh艣rav膩岣� svasti na岣� 辫奴峁Ｄ� 惫颈艣惫补诲别惫腻/
Svasti nst膩rk峁o 补谤颈峁ａ弓补苍别尘颈岣� svasti no b峁沨aspatirdadh膩tu//鈥� ibid.,1.89.6.
[12]:
VS, 15.18.
[13]:
Nir, 1.14.
[14]:
Macdonell. A.A: 鈥榣oc. cit.鈥檖.149.
[15]:
Macdonell. A.A: ibid.,p.149.
[16]:
Macdonell. A.A: ibid., p.152.
[17]:
[18]:
[19]:
[20]:
鈥湷鄢鼙共贯箖 pedave puruv膩ram补艣惫颈苍膩 sp峁沝h膩峁� 艣惫别迟补峁� tarut膩ra峁� duvasyatha/
艢airyarabhidyu峁� p峁泃an膩su 诲耻峁ａ弓补谤补峁� cark峁泃yamindramiva car峁峁嚹玸aha峁�//鈥� ibid.,1.119.10.
[21]:
A.A. Macdonell: 鈥榣oc. cit.鈥檖.149.
[22]:
鈥淪a 蝉奴谤测补 prati puro na udag膩 ebhi岣� stomebhireta艣ebhirebai岣�/
Pra no mitr膩ya varu峁嚹亂a vocohan膩gaso aryam峁噀 agnaye ca//鈥� 峁欢惫别诲补, 7.62.2.
鈥淣a te adeva岣� pradibau ni v膩sate yadeta艣ebhi岣� patarai ratharyasi/
Pr膩c墨namanyadanu vartate raja udanyena 箩测辞迟颈峁Ｄ� y膩si 蝉奴谤测补//鈥� ibid.,10.37.3.
鈥淎ha峁� 蝉奴谤测补sya pari y膩my膩艣uci岣� paita艣ebhirvaham膩na ojas膩/
Yanm膩 s膩vo 尘补苍耻峁 膩ha nir峁噄ja 峁沝hkk峁涐梗e d膩sa峁� k峁泃vy峁� hathai岣�//鈥� ibid.,10.49.7.
[23]:
[24]:
ibid.,1.163.
[25]:
Owing to his horse-head and his very name Dadhya帽c 膧迟丑补谤惫补峁嘺 being conceptually associated with the steed Dadhikr膩 or Dadhikr膩van, he is invoked with the dawn and is praised when Agni kindled at the dawning of 耻峁蝉. In this way Dadhya帽c 膧迟丑补谤惫补峁嘺 with the horse head and Dadhikr膩, is represented in the form of a steed and get related to the sun. The horse is symbolic to the sun when the 耻峁蝉 is said to lead the handsome white horse. A.A.Macdonell: Op. cit.,p.148.
[26]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, 5.1.4(4); Ka峁環aka 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, 19.4.
[27]:
艢atapatha 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 4.1.5;14.1-4.
[28]:
B峁沨ad膩rya峁嘺ka 鲍辫补苍颈峁诲, 2.5,16-19.