Introduction

Soon after the creation, the demons Madhu and Kaitabha had stolen the Vedas and had wrought havoc on the life of others. During this period the supreme Lord Sriman Narayana incarnated as Lord Hayagreeva to kill these two demons and restore the stolen Vedas to the Creator, Lord Sri Brahma.
In 1267 AD a great saint, poet and logician by the name Sri Venkatanatha was born, who was later to be known as Sri Venkatadesika. During his times, he was considered to be “Vishnughantavatar” ( an incarnation of the famous bell of Lord Srinivasa (Tirupati Balaji). One might wonder how an inanimate object such as a bell could be born as an avatar, but the fact is, in Vaikunthaloka everything is animate. The objective of his incarnation was to re-establish ‘Sanathanadharma’.
The people, during this period, were highly influenced by the ‘Advaita’ philosophy of Sri Adi Shankara. People had misinterpreted the ‘Mayavada’ of Sri Adi Shankara and his ‘Mahavakya’ – “Aham Bramhasmi” meaning the ‘self-realized’ and all knowing. They started claiming their own bodies as that of the all-knowing ‘Brahman’ and started throwing away the idols from the temples into wells and had actually succeeded in doing so.
Sri Venkatadesika had composed hundreds of stotras and many other philosophical works such as a commentary on Vishishta Advaita, Brahmasutras, many natakas and kavyas of which, two of them viz., ‘Yadavabhudaya’ and ‘Paduka Sahasra’ are very popular and acclaimed works. Yadavabhudaya is a composition consisting of 2400 verses and it speaks of the entire life of Lord Sri Krishna. Paduka Sahasra, meaning one thousand slokas on the Padukas (wooden sandals), is a rendition on Lord Sri Ranganatha. This rendition was a spontaneous composition done in 3 hours during a competition and this work, to date, stands unparalleled.
He was also known by the titles “Sarvatantraswatantra” and “Vedanta Acharya” that were conferred to him by none other than the Divine Mother Goddess Ranganayaki of Sri Rangam (in Tamil Nadu). He lived up to 101 years and did a great service to Hinduism. He not only protected important scriptures from being destroyed by frequent invasion from Muslim kings but also consolidated the Hindu rule by bringing together the hitherto divided Hindu kings and succeeded in driving away invaders like Malik Gafur and the likes.
His Guru initiated him into Garuda Mantra at the age of 20. He went to a secluded place at Thiruvaheendrapuram (in Tamil Nadu) and did several lakhs of Japa in 6 months and had the grand vision of Sri Garuda appearing before him and initiated him into Hayagreeva Mantra. He performed the japa of this mantra also at the same spot and had the fortune of the vision of Lord Sriman Narayana in the form of Lakshmi Hayagreeva. Sri Desika went into raptures following this vision and the most popular and powerful hymn known as the “Hayagreeva Stotram” started flowing like nectar in praise of Lord Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva. The strength of this mantra is to enhance the learning faculty. If well imparted, it will be of immense help to the millions of little children who are burdened with heavy workloads in the schools and a stiff academic competition.
The recitation of this mantra is begun with salutations to Sri Venkatadesika to seek his blessings, which goes as follows:
śrīmān venkata nāthāryaħ kavitārkika kesarī|
vedāntācārya varyo me sannidhattām sadā hŕdi||
Translation: I pray to Sri Venkatanatha who is a lion among poets and logicians and who is a great teacher of vedanta and may he be ever present in our heart.

Hayagriva sthothram- Hymn on the Horse faced Lord

This is Hymn in thirty two slokas on Hayagriva, the Supreme God of learning in Vaishnava Sampradaya. About this incarnation of Bhagavan, the purana narrates that a demon took away all the Vedas from four-faced Brahma and Bhagavan as Hayagriva killed him and gave them back to Brahma. God Dakshina-murti, Saraswati and sages like Vyasa shine with the knowledge bestowed to them by Hayagriva and are worshipped by others for attaining knowledge. The tradition about Sri Vedanta Desika is that he meditated on Hayagriva on the Hill Oshadhadri on the banks of River Garuda repeating the Mantra. The Lord appeared before him and blessed him with all knowledge. Thus Sri Desika became the master of all sciences and arts-“Sarva-tantra-svatantra”. All words were before him so that he could choose and use them as he wanted. The devotion of Sri Desika to Hayagriva was so great that hayagriva-stotra is the first of his lyrics. His prayer to the Lord Hayagriva that He must always shine in his heart and take His sear on the throne of the tip of his tongue so that his words will always be graceful, successful and pleasing.

Hayagreeva Stotram [excerpts – full stotram is given below]

jñānānanda mayam devam nirmalasphatikākŕtim |
ādhāram sarva vidyānām hayagrīvam upāsmahe || 1 ||
Translation: We worship Lord Hayagreeva who is the very embodiment of jnana (knowledge) and aanandha (bliss) whose figure is spotless and lustrous like the crystal and who is the sole source and storehouse of all fields of knowledge.
svatassiddham śuddhasphatika maňibhūbhŕt pratibhatam
sudhā sadhrīcībhir dhutibhir avadāta tribhuvanam |
anantaistrayyantair anuvihita heśā halahalam
hatā śeśā vadyam hayavadana mīdī mahi mahaħ || 2 ||
Translation: We praise the Lord who has the Horse face, who is effulgence manifested in a material form, who is like a spotless crystal mountain that has spontaneously risen to this shape, who spreads nectar like radiation brightening all the worlds, whose neighing sounding ‘Hala’ ‘Hala’ is rightly regarded as the voice of the infinite world (the Veda) and whose voice is capable of wiping away all our grief.
samāhārassāmnām pratipadamŕcām dhāma yajuśām
layaħ pratyūhānām laharivitatirvedhajaladheħ |
kathā darpakśubhyat kathakakula kolāha labhavam
haratvantar dhvāntam hayavadana heśā halahalaħ || 3 ||
He may be described as the complete cluster of all Sama Veda, an exact solid equivalent of Rig Veda, a reservoir of the Yajur Veda Mantras, the sure annihilator of all obstacles that beset our studies. His neighing with “hala-hala” sound looks like the wave sequence of the ocean of “Jnana”. May His neighing remove the darkness of our nescience that results from the uproar of the vain talking wranglers churned in praise of participation in fights.
prācī sandhyā kācidantar niśāyāħ
prajñādŕśter añjana śrīrapūrvā |
vaktrī vedān bhātu me vāji vaktrā
vāgī śākhyā vāsudevasya mūrtiħ || 4 ||
Translation: May I be enabled to envision the horse faced form of ParaVasudeva which form is the wonderful eastern sunrise to the internal darkness of Ignorance, the matchless Anjana (kaajal – the black paste used to colour the eyes) that can enable all things to be revealed to one’s intellect as the competent Instructor of the Vedhas and the God of learning.
viśuddha vijñāna ghana svarūpam
vijñāna viśrāňana baddha dīkśam |
dayānidhim dehabhŕtām śaraňyam
devam hayagrīvam aham prapadye || 5 ||

Translation: I surrender myself to Lord Hayagreeva who is totally pure knowledge in solid material form who has taken the vow to grant supreme wisdom to the world and who is the sure refuge to all beings.
apauruśeyair api vākprapañcaiħ
adyāpi te bhūti madŕśta pārām |
stuvannaham mugdha iti tvayaiva
kāruňyato nātha katākśaňīyaħ || 6 ||
Translation: Oh Lord! The extent of your greatness cannot be comprehended till this moment by the veda’s vastness which are without a begining and which were not composed by anyone. And yet I venture to sing of this subject. You alone have to kindly show me everything for the simple reason that I am an Immature novice.
dākśiňya ramyā giriśasya mūrtiħ
devī sarojāsana dharmapatnī |
vyāsādayo’pi vyapadeśca vācaħ
sphuranti sarve tava śakti leśaiħ || 7 ||
Translation: Shiva’s south faced moorthi (Dakshinamoorthi) or the wife of Brahma deva (Saraswati) born in a lotus or Vyasa of great fame praised by all. All these and others (worshipped as Gods of learning who will grant wisdom) have reached a worthy name and position only by receiving a few droplets of your great power.
mando’bhaviśyan niyatam viriñco
vācām nidhe vañcita bhāga dheyaħ |
daityā panītān dayayaiva bhūyo’pi
adhyāpayiśyo nigamān na cet tvam || 8 ||
Oh Lord! Who is the veritable source of variegated knowledge? What would have happened to Brahma if you had not mercifully restored to him the Vedas stolen away from him by the Asura? He would have merely sat as a simpleton having been deprived of all halo and fortune.
vitarka dolām vyavadhūya satve
bŕhaspatim vartayase yatastvam |
tenaiva deva tridaśeśvarāňām
aspŕśta dolāyitamādhi rājyam || 9 ||
Oh Lord! You conferred on Brihaspati a stead fastness in wisdom, devoid of doubt and delusion. Only because of this help of Yours the holity of devas proceeds on even keels without dislocation.
agnou samiddhārciśi saptatantoħ
ātasthivān mantramayam śarīram |
akhaňda sārair haviśām pradānaiħ
āpyāyanam vyoma sadām vidhatse || 10 ||
When Samidha is consigned into fire which burns with flame You remain the very soul to the Mantras. The taste of havis is pleasing to devas. It is all because of You.
yanmūlamīdŕk pratibhāti tatvam
yā mūlamāmnāya mahādrumāňām |
tatvena jānanti viśuddha satvāħ
tvām akśarām akśara mātŕkām te || 11 ||
Sathrikas (Sadhus) rightly recognize You as the essential truth of pranava which is indeed the mother of alphabets which is root of the large trees that the Vedas are and these Vedas are the basic book of creation. You thus remain the cause of all.

||śrī hayagrīva stotram||