Hayagriva Jayanthi, Sravana Purnima, The Day of Knowledge

People these days are celebrating Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Siblings Day and others. Sra:vana Pu:rnima, this day must be celebrated as the Day of Knowledge. Because it is the Appearance Day of God as Hayagri:va Swami who protected and preserved Ve:das.

The Lord in the form of Hayagri:va Swami bestowed the four-headed Bramha with the knowledge of Ve:das when he couldn’t recollect/regain it.

As he didn’t know how to recollect the lost Vedic knowledge, he was advised by the wise to pray to Varadaraja Swami and perform havan. The Lord then appeared in the havan kund as the horse headed deity, Hayagri:va Swami.

Haya means horse, gri:va means neck. The sound of a horse is called he:sha and is the quintessence of Sama Veda. The Lord is pleased with Sama Veda. So, He took the form of Hayagri:va. In Sanskrit, ka means Bramha, anch means to bless. In that place where he performed the havan praying to Varadaraja Swami, Lord Srimannaryana blessed the four headed Brahma with lost Vedic knowledge and thus the place came to be known as Kanchipuram.

Sages said…

ve:da sabde:bhya ey va:dow de:va:di:nam chaka:ra saha

The one who creates the entire Universe does that activity taking Vedas as the means and the source.

There were many times when Bramha couldn’t recollect the Vedic knowledge. Every time he lost it, God bestowed him with it so he could perform the divine task of creation. However, it was only after this day, Sra:vana Pu:rnima when the four-headed Bramha was blessed by God in the form of Hayagri:va Swami that he never forgot/lost it again.

Why should anyone want knowledge?

The ultimate purpose of any knowledge must be to give divine joy to its seeker. Such knowledge can only result from divine sources. Knowledge is not for the sake of exhibiting, but for a:nanda, divine bliss from the Lord and His omni-presence form.

If knowledge is not leading to bliss/divine joy, it’s of no use.
If the joy is not from the divine sources, that joy becomes mundane, tampering with the soul’s innate nature and the purpose of this life.