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Sri Krishnaya Namah!

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

I would appreciate if you could let me know

 

the meaning of the word - Hayagriva.

 

the above is necessitated as, we used to prepare a delicious dish called

by the same name and offer it to the Lord and the Lord has also been called

by the same name - Hayagriva. Is Sri Madhvacharya offered to Lord

Hayagriva, a dish which then called by the same name once consumed by the

Lord.

 

Humble Pranams!

 

Sukumar

 

 

Sri Krishnaparabrahmane Namah!

 

 

Malolan Cadambi [sMTP:mcadambi]

16/04/2003 10:21 AM

 

Re: need clarification.

 

Sri

Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

 

> Hello all,I have two doubts.1)Is Balarama an avatharam of

> Mahavishnu or is he a an amsam of Adishesan?

 

Please see:

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/may2000/0123.html

 

>2) What about Hayagrivar? Isn't he an avatharam of Mahavishnu too?

>Why are we not including him in the Dasavatharam?

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar99/0068.html

 

There are about 22 or more avataram-s of the Lord. The DasA avatArams

are the most prominent.

 

Regards,

 

Malolan Cadambi

 

 

 

 

 

Srirangasri-

 

 

 

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Jai Ramanuja,

Thanks for asking this question.The scriptures (saatvik)mension

LORD SRIMAN NARAYANA as the supreme reality to whom seekers of

salvation must surrender.In GITA too Bhagvan says that those

worshipping other gods reach them while those worshipping me

attain me from where there is no return.Though the efforts are

same ,people for sake of minor & perishing fruits approach other

gods while I am ready to give eternal fruits.Even ADI

SHANKARACHARYA in his gita bhashya has commented thus.Hence

srivaishnavas who seek salvation worship only Bhagvan with one

mind.(ananya,which is mentioned in places in GITA).This is a brief

answer.There are books written on it.Pl. read ADI SHANKARA'S GITA

COMMENTARY.

dasan

9minor)

, 22 Apr 2003 Nagraj wrote :

>Dear All

>

>Even i requried some clarification,Infact i have asked several

>time

>these question but none of them have replied.

>Do Iyengar worship lord Ganesha,But lot of them say no pl let

>me

>know what wrong in worshiping Lord ganesh/Vinayaka.

>

>Kindly do replay

>

>nagaraj

>

> -

> Vasan Sriranga Chari

> sukumar

> Cc: 'Malolan Cadambi' ; ;

>ramanuja ; bhakti-list

> Tuesday, April 22, 2003 5:22 PM

> Re: RE: Re: need clarification.

>

>

>

> Jai Ramanuja,

> Haya means horse ,greeva means neck.So may be the lord whose

>face

> was like a horse is called HAYAGREEVA.(HAYAVADANA)

> DASAN

> On Sat, 19 Apr 2003 sukumar wrote :

> >Sri Krishnaya Namah!

> >

> >Dear Bhaktas,

> >

> >I would appreciate if you could let me know

> >

> >the meaning of the word - Hayagriva.

> >

> >the above is necessitated as, we used to prepare a

>delicious

> >dish called

> >by the same name and offer it to the Lord and the Lord has

>also

> >been called

> >by the same name - Hayagriva. Is Sri Madhvacharya offered

>to

> >Lord

> >Hayagriva, a dish which then called by the same name once

> >consumed by the

> >Lord.

> >

> >Humble Pranams!

> >

> >Sukumar

> >

> >

> >Sri Krishnaparabrahmane Namah!

> >

> >

> > Malolan Cadambi [sMTP:mcadambi]

> > 16/04/2003 10:21 AM

> >

> > Re: need clarification.

> >

> >Sri

> >Srimathe Ramanujaya Namaha

> >

> > > Hello all,I have two doubts.1)Is Balarama an avatharam

>of

> > > Mahavishnu or is he a an amsam of Adishesan?

> >

> >Please see:

>

> >http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/may2000/0123.html

> >

> > >2) What about Hayagrivar? Isn't he an avatharam of

>Mahavishnu

> >too?

> > >Why are we not including him in the Dasavatharam?

> >

> >http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar99/0068.html

> >

> >There are about 22 or more avataram-s of the Lord. The DasA

> >avatArams

> >are the most prominent.

> >

> >Regards,

> >

> >Malolan Cadambi

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >Srirangasri-

> >

> >

> >

> >Your use of is subject to

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >------------------------ Sponsor

> >

> >

> >Srirangasri-

> >

> >

> >

> >Your use of is subject to

> >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>

>

> Sponsor

>

>

>

>

>

>

> Srirangasri-

>

>

>

> Terms of

>Service.

>

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, 22 Apr 2003 Nagraj wrote :

>Do Iyengar worship lord Ganesha,But lot of them say no pl let

>me

>know what wrong in worshiping Lord ganesh/Vinayaka.

 

I have been mulling over some of these very same issues and so far

have formulated the following.

 

In an earlier post, I have drawn the relationship between bhakti yoga,

( bhakti-list/message/16746)

jnana yoga and karma yoga. Having drawn that relationship, it is clear

that knowing "How to act" is the first step and is vital to the

realization of karma, jnana and bhakti.

 

The primacy of all actions can best be summed up by Kurugur SaThakopan's

pasuram in Thiruvaimozhi 2.9.2

O my Dark effulgent Lord, here is all I

ask for at all times.

Grant me the hands of knowledge, that I

may grasp your precious lotus feet.

 

Which leads us to deal with all the remaining daily actions as noted

in the Bhagvad Gita

No man experiences freedom from activity (Naiskarmya) by abstaining

from works; and no man ever attains success by mere renunciation

of works. 03.04

 

No man can, even for a moment, rest without doing work; for

everyone is caused to act, in spite of himself, by the Gunas

born of Nature. 03.05

 

He who controlling the organs of action, lets his mind dwell

on the objects of senses, is a deluded person and a hypocrite.

03.06

 

But he who, subduing his senses by the mind, O Arjuna, begins

to practice Karma Yoga through the organs of action and who is

free from attachment - he excels. 03.07

 

Ganapati - The Lord of categories OR The Lord of Obstacles

is a pictographic representation that epitomises

"How to act" with "Why to act" all wrapped in a structure that

embodies the relationship between Knowledge and action (Jnana and

Karma) whilst patently representing the tattva or Narayana circling

the three worlds i.e. Bhur-Bhuva-Swaha.

 

The Puranic wrapper of Ganapati's creation reads as follows:

Parvati, wife of Shiva was bathing one day. Shiva was away and she

used the sandalwwod from her body to create a little boy. She blew

life into him. She then asked him to stand guard in front of her

door so no could come in. Shiva arrived, when the boy asked him not to

enter as Parvati was bathing, He asked the boy "Who are you". The boy

said

I'm her son, on this Shiva got enraged and with one stroke cut of his

head and barged in. Parvati, wept incolsolably and finally Shiva went out

and the first creature he came across was an elephant. He cut of it's

head, rushed back and placed it on the boy's body and Parvati breathed

life into it and thus was born Ganapati.

 

Looking at the same tale metaphorically

Parvat-vati or three Parva's/aspects. The three aspects are Knowledge,

Will and Action. These 3 factors however cannot mingle together and

do anything unless a fourth factor i.e. chit/consciousness enlivens

them. Shiva is the chitaswaroopa (face of chit). The product of these

four factors is the human mind. This mind is embodied in a body which

is made of achit/matter which is what the earth is made of. This

combination of mind/body is akin to the fragrance of the earth, the

body of Ganapati being created out of fragrant sandalwood, which is

also from Parvati's body essentialy an achit combination. Shiva's

intervention gives the child a unique appearance. essentially the

embodiment of creativity in the combination of the 4 factors.

 

Symbolism of the elephant's head:

It's trunk when curled represents Om (in

Tamil & Sanskrit the Om symbol is that of an elephant in profile).

The elephant is the only animal that combines in one organ both

reason and action i.e. it's mind & trunk. The ears of the elephant

are large and they flap representing the sifting of truth from

untruth. The spread ears, represent the Yoni and the trunk the

linga, representing the sexual act as the product of life.

 

Noose, goad & modaka

Ganapati is shown holding a goad in one hand and a noose in the

other and loves the modaka (or sweet). The noose represents desire

or the fact that desires are traps much like the noose, the goad

represents anger, anger which results from not getting what one wants

The sweet represents the reward and wanting rewards, produces the

trap and anger.

 

Bhur-Bhuvah-Swaha

The head represents - Swaha, the human body - Bhuva and the mouse Bhur.

 

Ganapati's mount is the mouse.

The mouse is symbolic of how to act, i.e. the mouse accomplishes its tasks

by nibbling away and moving with agility.

 

A Puranic wrapper on the mouse and action

Ganesha on his mouse mount & his brother Muruga on his peacock mount

were both competing with each other, when Parvati & Shiva

came in with a platter of fruit. There were apples, oranges and one

mango. Both of them wanted the mango. So, Parvati said whoever

goes around the world first will get the mango. Murugan laughed

and went bounding away on his peacock. Ganesha thought and than

circled his parents and said, I am first! Please give me the

mango. Murugan huffing and puffing came over the horizon and

got upset, to which Ganesha replied:- My parents are the whole

world and when I went around them I went around the whole

world so I am first.

 

The metaphor

Besides the aforementioned combination of 4 factors being

chit/achit i.e. the universe, and the knowledge that I am he

or Aham Brahmasmi.

The Karma-Yoga aspect is that one needs to only take simple and

easy actions (i.e. a mouse as the transport) with knowledge (jnana)

and love(bhakti), not elaborate and hard actions with pride and

desire for the reward to accomplish one's goals.

 

Asuras, Avatars and Metaphors

Mada, Matsarya - Avatar Ekadanta Metaphor - Reality

Reason and reality help us to send these asuras to Patala, thereby

allowing us to "act well"

Lobha, Moha - Avatar Mahodara Metaphor - Massive Belly, Distance

Staying away from temptation, helps us to send these asuras to Patala.

Kama, Krodha - Avatar Lambodhara Metaphor - Long Belly, Time

These are the hardest asuras and time is needed to deal with the

effectively.

 

 

Metaphorically Praying to Ganapati before taking any action

G - Greed, Desire & Anger should not be the motivators of action

A - Actions must be motivated by one's Duty

N - Namo Not mine, the results of the action are not yours

E - Easy

S - Small

H - No Hurry

 

The striking image of Ganesha provides a comprehensive metaphorical

representation of the appropriate means to take an action, thereby

facilitating the pathway from karma to jnana and bhakti.

 

Time and Insecurity

Inherent to Time is insecurity or not knowing what will happen

tomorrow and the samsaric cycle of birth&death.

Ganesha does not offer insight into how to deal with them,

this is offerred by Narayana and by placing one's insecurity

at his lotus feet.

 

Which brings us right back to:

O my Dark effulgent Lord, here is all I

ask for at all times.

Grant me the hands of knowledge, that I

may grasp your precious lotus feet.

 

Another prayer which makes a similar request is the Gayatri-mantra

(Pranava) Bhur-Bhuvah-Swaha

Tat Savitur Vareniyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi

Dhiyo yo na prachodyat.

 

-----------

My rudimentary understanding is book&web based without the privilege of

tutelage under a qualified acharya, so may be filled with

subjective & conceptual inaccuracies.

 

Thanks

Srinivasan Sriram

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