Hayagreeva Jayanti occurs on Shravana Purnima. During year 2017 this event will occur on August 7th. Hayagreeva is one of the minor incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Those who seek to dig deeper will find that Hayagreeva is also associated with the Golden Age and the fostering of the Vedas, veda poshana. There is much deeper meaning and purpose to Hayagreeva; for this Kali Yuga, let it be known that Hayagreeva, when propitiated, gives very pure knowledge. He is favourite of students and those who must learn and concentrate for deeper understanding to emerge.
Hayagreeva is associated with the knowledge of Yajurveda, which he received from Surya, after performing a severe penance. The knowledge he gained thus forms part of the Vajasaneyi Samhita. According to some version, Lord Vishnu was born as Hayagreeva to rescue the Vedas from two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha when they stole them. In the images, he is shown with the head of a horse, having four or eight arms, holding several weapons and objects in them.
Hayagriva Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Lord Hayagreeva who is considered the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Lord Hayagriva restored all Vedas to Brahma.
Hayagreeva is a unique incarnation of Lord Vishnu with the head of a horse and the body of a human being. The purpose of this Avatar was to retrieve the stolen Vedas from the demons. The day is observed as Upakarma day by Brahmin community.
Upakarma means beginning or Arambham and it refers to the ritualistic beginning of learning Veda. Apart from learning Vedas on Upakarma day, Brahmins ritually change their Upanayana thread along with Shrauta rituals. Upakarma which is a Vedic ritual is still practiced by Hindus of Brahmin community.
Those who follow Yajurveda observe the Upakarma on the full moon day during Shravan month i.e. on Shravana Purnima day. Those who follow Rigveda observe the Upakarma on Shravana Nakshatra day in the month of Shravana. Hence the day to observe Upakarma might differ for the followers of Yajurveda and Rigveda.
Brahmins choose the day of Shravana Purnima to begin the study of Vedas as the day coincides with Hayagreeva Jayanti. Hayagreeva Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Lord Hayagreeva who is considered the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Lord Hayagreeva restored all Vedas to Brahma.
The Hayagreeva Dhyana Sloka is given below :
Nyaanaananthamayam Dhevam
Nirmala Spadhikaakruthim
Aathaaram Sarva Vidhyaanaam
Hayagreeva Mupaasmahe
Shangkha Chakra Mahaamudraa
Pustakaathyam Cathurpujam Sampoornam
Chandra Shangkhaaja Hayagreevam Upaasmahe
Meaning of the Dhyana Sloka Of Lord Hayagreeva :
I worship Hayagriva who is the form of knowledge, pure as crystal, and who is the fact of all knowledge.
We worship Lord Hayagriva who is splendid like the Moon and who holds a conch, chakra (disc), Maha Mudra, and book in his four arms.
Hayagreeva Gayatri Mantra
The Gayatri mantra of Lord Hayagreeva is a highly beneficial mantra for students to improve their studies. Best to be chanted before sitting for exams. Chanting of the Hayagreeva Gayatri mantra leads one to the divine path of life. It also sharpens one’s intellect and makes the person extremely alert.
Those whom are suffering from emotional distress, stress, tensions, depression, etcetera can benefit from praying to Lord Hayagreeva by chanting the Hayagreeva Gayatri Mantra.
Pregnant ladies can also benefit from chanting this mantra as it is believed that Lord Hayagriva will bless the child with good intellect, strong body, valour, and beauty. It is also said that the baby will be born free from defects and diseases if there are blessings of Lord Hayagriva.
Those who wants to excel in sports and athletes can also chant the gayatri mantra of Lord Hayagriva and gain benefits from it. As Lord Hayagriva will bless the devotees with speed, strength, and intelligence.
Best Time to Chant: Brahma muhurta, Ekadasi tithi, Navami tithi, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
Hayagreeva Gayatri Mantra
More resources on Hayagreeva are found here
