Śrī Hayagrīva Stotra 3 | Swami Deśikan
23.
संचिन्तयामि प्रतिभाद शास्थान्
संधुक्षयन्तं समय प्रदीपान् ।
विज्ञान कल्पद्रुम पल्लवाभं
व्याख्यान मुद्रा मधुरं करं ते ॥ २३ ॥
saṁcintayāmi pratibhāda śāsthān
saṁdhukṣayantaṁ samaya pradīpān |
vijñāna kalpadruma pallavābhaṁ
vyākhyāna mudrā madhuraṁ karaṁ te || 23 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva! Your right hand is resplendent with the Jñāna mudrā intended for performing Jñāna teaching for Your Bhaktas.
This Jñāna mudrā is instrumental in instructing efficiently all the essential and deeper meanings of Siddhāntas that has to be grasped by your devotees with sharp intellect.
24.
चित्ते करोमि स्फुरिताक्षमालं
सव्येतरं नाथ करं त्वदीयम् ।
ज्ञानामृतो दञ्चन लम्पटानां
लीला घटी यन्त्र मिवाश्रितानाम् ॥ २४ ॥
citte karomi sphuritākṣamālaṁ
savyetaraṁ nātha karaṁ tvadīyam |
jñānāmṛto dañcana lampaṭānāṁ
līlā ghaṭī yantra mivāśritānām || 24 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva! I etch in my mind Thy right hand that also holds a Japa Mālā, which resembles a ghatī-yantra, a machine used for pumping water from the well for irrigation purposes.
The movement of the beads of Japa Mālā in Your right hand is blessing Your devotees by bringing up of the nectar of Jñāna from Your inner depths.
Commentary:
The Ghatī yantra is a configuration of buckets tied together with a rope over a rotating wheel:
As it dips into the well, water gets filled in the first bucket and comes up for distribution to the irrigational canal; at the same time, the next bucket goes down to fill itself with water and this event repeats itself continuously. Copious amounts of water are drawn from the well with this simple mechanism used by the farmers.
Swāmi Deśikan compares the movement of the beads of the japa Mala on the right hand of Lord Hayagrīva to the operation of this Ghatī Yantra:
In Lord Hayagrīva’s case, the nectar of Wisdom is brought out from His inner depths for the benefit of His Devotees.
Those who are the objects of Lord Hayagrīva’s karuṇā mercy thru His mantra practice become a blessed One fit to enjoy the bliss and happiness in this and the other world.
25.
प्रबोध सिन्धोररुणैः प्रकाशैः
प्रवाल सङ्घात मिवोद्वहन्तम् ।
विभावये देव सपुस्तकं ते
वामं करं दक्षिणम् आश्रितानाम् ॥ २५ ॥
prabodha sindhoraruṇaiḥ prakāśaiḥ
pravāla saṅghāta mivodvahantam |
vibhāvaye deva sapustakaṁ te
vāmaṁ karaṁ dakṣiṇam āśritānām || 25 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva! In Your lower right hand (embracing Maha Lakshmi), You adorn a book (pustakaṁ). The reddish hue of Your left palm is spreading like coral bead assembly brought out from the depths of the ocean of Jñāna. Adiyēn reflects always on the power and glory of this left hand, which blesses Your devotees with all desired boons.
26.
तमांसि भित्वा विशदैर्मयूखैः
संप्रीणयन्तं विदुषश्चकोरान् ।
निशामये त्वां नव पुण्डरीके
शरद्घने चन्द्रमिव स्फुरन्तम् ॥ २६ ॥
tamāṁsi bhitvā viśadairmayūkhaiḥ
saṁprīṇayantaṁ viduṣaścakorān |
niśāmaye tvāṁ nava puṇḍarīke
śaradghane candramiva sphurantam || 26 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva! You gladden the hearts of all scholars and destroy the darkness of Ajñāna with the spotless, white rays emanating from You, while being seated on a newly blossomed, radiant white lotus.
When we have the blessings of presence of this emanate form of Yours, we are reminded of the spotless white hue of the autumn Moon removing the darkness of the night and making the Chakora birds happy with His rays (moon beams), which is their only food.
Commentary:
Here, the Scholars are equated with the proverbial Chakora birds who anxiously await autumn Moon to sustain themselves with the Moon Beams, which are their sole source of nourishment.
The Lord is compared to the autumn full Moon seated on a freshly blossomed white lotus radiating blemishless white beams of light from His Thirumeni (emanate form).
The Scholars are sustained by these white rays of light, originating from the Lord. The nescience of the world is also destroyed by those white rays.
Lord Hayagrīva is like the spotless white, autumn Moon seated on a freshly blossomed white lotus. Swami Deśikan states that he visualizes the Lord in this lovely form through his mental eye:
ˮAdiyēn sees with his eyes You (Hayagrīva) as the resplendently shining Moon of a clear autumn night seated on a splendid white lotus. His hue is that of crystal and with His radiant white hue, He drives away internal and external darkness, doubts, confusions and sorrows. Swami Deśikan states that He has the direct visualization of Lord Hayagrīva as the purest white light seated on a white lotus.ˮ
27.
दिशन्तु मे देव सदा त्वदीयाः
दया तरङ्गानुचराः कटाक्षाः ।
श्रोत्रेषु पुंसाम् अमृतं क्षरन्तीं
सरस्वतीं संश्रित कामधेनुम् ॥ २७ ॥
diśantu me deva sadā tvadīyāḥ
dayā taraṅgānucarāḥ kaṭākṣāḥ |
śrotreṣu puṁsām amṛtaṁ kṣarantīṁ
sarasvatīṁ saṁśrita kāmadhenum || 27 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord!
May Your divine glances imbued with Your limitless mercy bless me with the powers of eulogizing You!
May those Stotras serve as nectar for the ears of the listeners!
May Those Śrī Sūktas confer all auspiciousness on those, who recite them!
May adiyēn be blessed with the powers of speech to compose such poems through Your divine grace!
Commentary:
This śloka is the first of the five ślokas, where Swami Deśikan prays for the Lord’s blessing to prepare him for the debates ahead in defence of Bhāgavat Rāmānuja Siddhāṅtam.
He prays to the Lord for the gifts of Veda Vāk (Divine Wisdom) that would empower him to debate the contestants from other orders with clarity and strength.
The wealth requested by Swami Deśikan is the Vāk -Sampat and that is gained by the mercy-laden glances of Lord Hayagrīva falling on His devotees.
Swami Deśikan prays for the Wisdom that would generate nectar in the ears of the listeners and also bless them to realize all their longings like the wish-granting divine Kāmadhenu.
Swami Deśika’s prayer is for the flow of nectarine speech (Vāk amrita) to defeat the Paramatha Vādins:
May Your mercy-laden waves of glances generating nectar bless adiyēn always with nectarine speech (Vāk amrita)!
In the previous śloka, Swami Deśikan experienced Lord Hayagrīva with his own eyes. Now, he seeks Wisdom form the Lord:
Oh Lord! Your glances are rolling one after another like waves of grace and are like wish-granting Kāmadhenu for one, who has surrendered unto You.
Your glances generate the flow of nectar. May those nectarine glances accompanied by mercy bless adiyēn with sweet Veda Vāk!
28.
विशेष वित्पारिष देषु नाथ
विदग्ध गोष्ठी समराङ्गणेषु ।
जिगीषतो मे कवितार्कि केन्द्रान्
जिह्वाग्र सिंहासनम् अभ्युपेयाः ॥ २८ ॥
viśeṣa vitpāriṣa deṣu nātha
vidagdha goṣṭhī samarāṅgaṇeṣu |
jigīṣato me kavitārki kendrān
jihvāgra siṁhāsanam abhyupeyāḥ || 28 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva! Please bless me to join the mighty battlefields of contests, where very learned scholars serve as mediators of debate between contestants!
Please bless me to win over those who belong to highest orders, who use their tricks to increase their ranks! Please bless me with the power of Veda Vāk to establish the truth!
Oh Lord! You must grant me this boon of Veda Vāk to be used in Your service! To succeed in my efforts to defend and protect our Siddhāṅtam (Parama Vaidika Maṭha), Thou should occupy the tip of my tongue as Your throne!
Commentary:
In the previous śloka, Swami Deśikan prayed for the boon of mastery over sweet words in his speech; here, he prays for the power in his speech to win in debates with master poets and logicians.
It is said that many speakers at public assembly recite this and previous ślokas prior to their speeches and debates to secure Lord Hayagrīva’s grace.
The power to succeed in debates with rival Siddhāntins is the prayer here. For such success, Swami Deśikan realizes that the presence of Lord Hayagrīva on the tip of his tongue is essential and therefore he invites the Lord to sit on a throne that he sets up for Him there.
29.
त्वां चिन्तयन् त्वन्मयतां प्रपन्नः
त्वामुद्गृणन् शब्द मयेन धाम्ना ।
स्वामिन् समाजेषु समेधिषीय
स्वच्छन्द वादाहव बद्ध शूरः ॥ २९ ॥
tvāṁ cintayan tvanmayatāṁ prapannaḥ
tvāmudgṛṇan śabda mayena dhāmnā |
svāmin samājeṣu samedhiṣīya
svacchanda vādāhava baddha śūraḥ || 29 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva! May adiyēn meditate always on Your divine incarnation!
May I thereby imbibe Your auspicious attributes and achieve a state of oneness with You!
May adiyēn perform japam of Your sacred mantra and through that power become a renowned warrior in the battle fields of debate, where rival Siddhāntins take part!
May adiyēn rise victorious with Your blessing in these debater’s assemblies and argue with unabated strength to gain victory!
Commentary:
This śloka is a description of what happens after Lord Hayagrīva occupies the throne at the tip of Swami Deśikan’s tongue. 3 things happen in quick succession:
1. Swami Deśikan meditates deeply on the Lord and reaches a state of Oneness with the Lord).
2. Swami Deśikan performs Śrī Hayagrīva mantra Japam and offers his salutations.
3. At the end of the japam, he prays to the Lord for the blessing to rise victorious in the debates with rival Siddhāntins through command over their arguments with the power of Veda Vāk.
It is also said that it is Lord Hayagrīva, who really wins in these contests by using Swami Deśikan as His instrument.
30.
नाना विधानामगतिः कलानां
न चापि तीर्थेषु कृतावतारः ।
ध्रुवं तवानाथ परिग्रहायाः
नवं नवं पात्रमहं दयायाः ॥ ३० ॥
nānā vidhānāmagatiḥ kalānāṁ
na cāpi tīrtheṣu kṛtāvatāraḥ |
dhruvaṁ tavānātha parigrahāyāḥ
navaṁ navaṁ pātramahaṁ dayāyāḥ || 30 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva!
Adiyēn has not devoted any time to learn the various kalās (Sāmānya and Viśeṣa Vidyās) that are prevalent in the world. Adiyēn has not accumulated merit by bathing in the sacred waters. Adiyēn has not performed intense service to Āchāryas to qualify for their blessings.
Your grace is received with open arms by “the helpless and the hapless”. Adiyēn is the most qualified candidate to be the object of Your Parama Mercy due to my limitless deficiencies.
Commentary:
Swami Deśikan has eulogized Lord Hayagrīva’s Mercy in earlier ślokas of this stotra.
Here, he proposes to the Lord in front of him that no one is more qualified than him to receive the mercy of the Lord because he is so hapless and helpless.
31.
अकम्पनीयान् यपनीति भेदैः
अलंकृषीरन् हृदयं मदीयम् ।
शङ्का कलङ्का पगमोज्ज्वलानि
तत्वानि सम्यञ्चि तव प्रसादात् ॥ ३१ ॥
akampanīyān yapanīti bhedaiḥ
alaṁkṛṣīran hṛdayaṁ madīyam |
śaṅkā kalaṅkā pagamojjvalāni
tatvāni samyañci tava prasādāt || 31 ||
MEANING:
Oh Lord Hayagrīva!
When adiyēn receives Your blessing, all the doubts in my mind about our Siddhāṅtam will be erased. The true meanings will dawn majestically and take permanent residence there.
The para maṭha scholars engaged in debate with adiyēn cannot assail these true tattvas rooted in adiyēn’s mind even by an iota.
Therefore Your blessing is vital to commence adiyēn’s service in support of our sampradāya. Please bless me.
32.
व्याख्या मुद्रां करसरसिजैः पुस्तकं शङ्क चक्रे
बिभ्रद् भिन्नस्फटिक रुचिरे पुण्डरीके निषण्णः ।
अम्लानश्रीर् अमृत विशदैर् अंशुभिः प्लावयन् मां
आविर्भूया दनघ महिमा मानसे वाग धीशः ॥ ३२ ॥
vyākhyā mudrāṁ karasarasijaiḥ pustakaṁ śaṅka cakre
bibhrad bhinnasphaṭika rucire puṇḍarīke niṣaṇṇaḥ |
amlānaśrīr amṛta viśadair aṁśubhiḥ plāvayan māṁ
āvirbhūyā danagha mahimā mānase vāga dhīśaḥ || 32 ||
MEANING:
In His beautiful, lotus soft four hands, Lord Hayagrīva holds Sudarśana, Pañchajanya, Jñāna Mudra and a Book. He is seated on a freshly-blossomed White Lotus and reminds the devotees of the whitest-white fragment of a freshly cleaved crystal. His lustre never ever fades. There is no limit (boundary) to His blemishless glories.
May This Lord of Vidyās shower on adiyēn His nectarine, white and cool rays! May He reside and preside over my hearts cavity in this manner!
Commentary:
This is the Dhyāna (meditation) śloka for the enduring presence of Lord Hayagrīva in Swami Deśikan’s heart lotus. His presence there would bring prosperity, wealth, knowledge and perfect wisdom to all.
In the dhyāna of the Lord, he is visualized with His Upadeśa mudra on His right hand, a book on His left hand, a conch and chakra on the upper hands, while being seated on a throne of white lotus like crystal clear crystal gem with His Devi and drenching every one with His spotless rays and showering His benedictions with unparalleled grandeur.
The first śloka and this Maṅgala dhyāna śloka are very important for our daily prayers. The recitation of the entire stotras is recommended for all, who can find the time to recite daily to be blessed with Superior knowledge and Brahma Wisdom. If the recitation of the entire śloka is not possible for whatever reasons, the First and the 32nd Dhyāna śloka should be recited.
Śrī Hayagrīva was one of the most important Mūrti of Swami Deśikan along with Lord Varadarāja.
33.
वागर्थ सिद्धिहेतोः
पठत हयग्रीव संस्तुतिं भक्त्या ।
कवितार्किक केसरिणा
वेङ्कट नाथेन विरचिता मेताम् ॥ ३३ ॥
vāgartha siddhihetoḥ
paṭhata hayagrīva saṁstutiṁ bhaktyā |
kavitārkika kesariṇā
veṅkaṭa nāthena viracitā metām || 33 ||
MEANING:
Oh Theists of this world! Oh Devotees! This stotra on Lord Hayagrīva was composed by the Lion among the poets and logicians with the name of Veṅkaṭa Nātha. May You all recite this sacred Stuti to be blessed with the powers of composing poetry and realizing special wisdom about the true meanings of Tattva–Hita-Puruṣārthas.
Commentary:
Swami Deśikan declares that one should recite with devotion the Hayagrīva Stotra composed by Veṅkaṭa Nātha, who is a Lion among poets and Logicians for obtaining the blessings of Veda Vāk impregnated with auspicious meanings.
Swami points out that this Hayagrīva Stotra is no Stuti, but is a Samstuti (most auspicious adoration of the Lord). The reciters will be blessed with sound (Vāk) and arthaṁ (sense) in an inseparable manner through the blessing of Lord Hayagrīva’s mercy.
May Lord Lakshmi Hayagrīva confer His choicest blessings on every one, who studies His stotra composed by Swami Deśikan every day!