Hayagriva Jayanti

Hayagriva Jayanti And Its Importance

Lord Vishnu, who is shown holding a conch, Chakra, mace, and lotus for the welfare of his devotees, assumes different kinds of incarnations in different Yugas at the request of Gods, devotees, and sages. His incarnations are meant to protect the earth and ensure that his devotees also feel privileged to witness his divine presence. This Hayagriva Avatar is none other than the divine incarnation of lord Vishnu himself. This form of lord Vishnu is shown bearing a head and neck of a horse (a horse-necked lord). This incarnation is known as Hayagriva (horse-headed) Avatar.

Here, ‘Hay’ stands for “horse, while ‘Griva’ means “neck”. In other words, Lord Vishnu is a horse-headed/necked God known as Hayagriva. This divine form of Lord Vishnu is believed to be extremely auspicious and benevolent. Worshipping this form of Lord Vishnu means attaining desired results in life. Lord Hayagriva Jayanti is celebrated every year in Purnima tithi of Shravana month. On the day of Shravana Purnima, Shravani Karma is conducted by Brahmin pandits who are highly-qualified and experienced in Veda and Vedic rituals. Moreover, the festival is also linked to other important and auspicious festivals to be celebrated on Shravana Purnima.

In the Hindu Vedic books and Puranas, we find the description of the Hayagriva Avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is also called Padmanabh due to its origin in the lotus in the navel of Lord Vishnu. And this is the same lotus from which Lord Brahma is believed to have originated. It is said that once the demons called Madhu and Kaitabha who emerged from Kshirodadhi (KshiraSagara) absconded with Shruti(the Vedas) that came from the breathing of Lord Vishnu and which Lord Brahma was reciting. The demons then hid in the endless bottom of the ocean.

When Lord Brahma came to know of the theft of Shruti he informed Lord Vishnu about it. He also eulogized Lord Vishnu to awaken him. Lord Vishnu then killed the demons, retrieved the Vedas and gave it back to Lord Brahma. The tale is mentioned in Skanda Purana, which also advises devotees to worship the Hayagriva Avatar of Lord Vishnu daily in the most religious manner.

Important Details Related To Hayagriva Avatar

According to Purana, Lord Vishnu assumed the incarnation of Hayagriva in the month of Shravana during Shravana Nakshatra. He recited Samaveda religiously and methodologically. Vedic rituals related to Yajurvedi, etc. are performed during Shravana Purnima. On the banks of rivers Sindhu and Vitasta, a huge gathering of devotees can be seen and grand festivals are celebrated. In Shravana Purnima, devotees, who perform almsgiving, holy baths and remember the lord, get miraculous results in life. According to Skanda Purana, doing water activities and worshipping the lord on this day would mean attaining desired results in the life of devotees.

Puja Methods To Follow During Hayagriva Jayanti

Collect all puja-related materials and keep them at a Puja-spot. Worship the lord with shodashopchar methods. Keep praying to the lord with devotion. Offer your puja to the lord Hayagriva. Beg a pardon to the lord for any mistake you may have committed while performing his puja. Thus, worshipping Lord Hayagriva on Hayagriva Jayanti means the attainment of desired results and divine blessings of the Lord.

Story Of Hayagriva Jayanti

According to some religious books, once a petty squabble between Lord Vishnu and goddess Lakshmi took place. Seeing that her husband is smiling, goddess Lakshmi thought that Lord Vishnu is making fun of her and her appearance. Displeased with that, she cursed Lord Vishnu to take the form of Hayagriva. Although it was a divine illusion orchestrated by none other than Lord Vishnu himself, yet he let it happen so as he was supposed to kill the demon Hayagriva. The demon was given a boon that he will not be killed by a common individual, but by someone with a horse-necked physique. Thus, Lord Vishnu assumed the incarnation of Hayagriva, killed the demon, recovered the Veda from his clutch, and gave it back to Lord Brahma, thus ending the darkness of ignorance from the world which then reverted to the echo of Vedic rhymes and songs.

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