100 - Hayagriva Upanishad

Topic: Revealing Hayagrīva Mantras
Interlocutors: Narada and Brahmā (teacher)

Mastering the Scriptures

Reciting the Hayagrīva mantras with utmost devotion is said to bestow the same results as mastering all the scriptures.
These mantras reflect the Mahāvākyas—the great, quotable declarations of the Upaniṣads:
- prajñānaṃ brahma — Direct realization is Divine
- ahaṃ brahmāsmi — I am Divine
- tat tvam asi — That You Are
- ayam ātmā brahma — The Inner Self is Divine

How is this conveyed through mantra?

In mantra science, vowels are seen as the Divine presence, while consonants represent the individual soul.
Just as vowels and consonants unite to form meaningful chants, the individual soul and the Divine are already united.
This understanding is to be held while reciting mantras.

The One-Syllable Mantra

Hayagrīva’s seed syllable (bīja) is hlauṃ.
This syllable is Brahma-Vidyā, a transcendental mantra.
Chanted on the eleventh day of the lunar month (Ekādaśī).
Hayagrīva’s one-syllable mantra was transmitted through an unbroken lineage: Brahmā → Maheśvara → Saṃkarṣaṇa → Nārada → Vyāsa → the world.

Meditation on Hayagriva

śaṅkha-cakra-mahāmudrā- pustakāḍhyaṃ caturbhujam | saṃpūrṇa-candra-saṃkāśaṃ hayagrīvam upāsmahe ||

The four-armed one — holding a conch and discus, displaying the mahā-mudrā (a hand gesture of wisdom), and bearing a book; We meditate upon Hayagrīva, radiant like the full moon.

Hayagrīva Mantras: 1, 2, and 3

viśvottīrṇa-svarūpāya cinmayānanda-rūpiṇe | tubhyaṃ namo hayagrīva vidyārājāya viṣṇave svāhā svāhā namaḥ || 1 ||

ṛg-yajuḥ-sāma-rūpāya vedāharaṇa-karmaṇe | praṇavodgītha-vapuṣe mahāśva-śirase namaḥ svāhā svāhā namaḥ || 2 ||

udgītha-praṇavodgītha sarva-vāgīśvareśvara | sarva-vedamaya acintya sarvān bodhaya bodhaya svāhā svāhā namaḥ || 3 ||

Salutations to You, Hayagrīva — whose nature transcends the universe, whose form is awareness-filled and blissful; to Viṣṇu, the King of knowledge — offer my self (in surrender) with salutations.

Salutations to Him — whose form is Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma, whose sacred act was the retrieval of the Vedas, whose body is Praṇava and Udgītha (Om as the source and the chant); the great horse-headed One — offer my self with salutations.

O Udgītha, O Praṇava-Udgītha, Supreme Lord of all masters of speech, embodiment of all the Vedas, the inconceivable — awaken all, awaken all; offer my self with salutations.

Auxiliary Details of the Above Three Mantras

Seers: Brahmā–Atri, Ravi–Savitṛ, and Bhārgava
Meters: Gāyatrī, Triṣṭubh, and Anuṣṭubh
Deity: The revered Hayagrīva
Bīja (seed syllable): hlauṃ
Śakti (power): so’ham
Kīlaka (locking-unlocking syllable): hlūm
Mantra Application: Fulfillment (bhoga); liberation (mokṣa)
Aṅga-nyāsa: Performed with the syllables a, u, m

Hayagrīva Mantras: 4 and 5

Devotional chants of Hayagrīva, for the intellect and wisdom.

oṃ śrīṃ hlauṃ | oṃ namo bhagavate hayagrīvāya | viṣṇave mahyaṃ medhāṃ prajñāṃ prayaccha svāhā || 4 ||

oṃ śrīṃ hlauṃ | aiṃ aiṃ aiṃ klīṃ klīṃ sauḥ sauḥ hrīṃ | oṃ namo bhagavate hayagrīvāya | viṣṇave mahyaṃ medhāṃ prajñāṃ prayaccha svāhā || 5 ||

For Vāk Siddhi — Eloquent Speech

Hayagrīva, a form of Viṣṇu, is often invoked for siddhi — worldly accomplishment, especially mastery of speech.

amṛtaṃ kuru kuru svāhā | hlauṃ sakala-sāmrājyena siddhiṃ kuru kuru svāhā || 6 ||

Make it (speech) nectar, make it so, as I offer my self. Hayagrīva (hlauṃ) — grant all necessary worldly accomplishments; make it so, make it so, as I offer my self.

An Auxiliary Hymn (Quotation)

yad-vāg-vadanty-avicetanāni rāṣṭrī devānāṃ niṣasāda mandrā | catasraḥ ūrjaṃ duduhe payāṃsi kva svid asyāḥ paramaṃ jagāma ||

That Speech which the unaware utter — the Queen among the gods, melodious — from whom the four nourishing streams of milk (the Vedas) flowed: where indeed has Her supreme abode gone?

Explanation: A riddle-like hymn that wonders: In those who speak without awareness, where has Her supreme presence — which flows melodiously through the Vedas — vanished?