HAMSA AVATARA

 HAMSA AVATARA 

 Lord ViShNu is in the form of Hamsa in the satya yuga. The Hamsa form is the embodiment of knowledge and discretion. There are many instances when the 'Hamsa' has imparted knowledge to BrahmA. Let us see a few of them.

HAMSA AVATARA - 1

PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 5.3.8

VISHNU IN HAMSA AVATARA EXPOUNDING THE VEDAS TO SANATKUMARAS

SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM-11.13.19

स मांचिन्तय देवः प्रश्नपारयतितीर्ष्या |

तस्य अहं हंसा रूपेण सकाशमगमं तदा ||

sa mAm chintaya dEvah prashna pArayatiteershyA|

tasya aham HamsA roopENa sakAshamagamaM tadA||

BhagavAn says,” BrahmA meditated upon me to know the answer to the question asked by sanaka muni. Then I appeared to him in the form of a swan and preached the vEdas”.

The sanakAdi rishis, namely sanaka, sanAtana, sanandana and sanatkumAra,  while doing upAsanas, questioned brahmA about how to overcome the materialistic pleasures hindering man's progress towards liberation.  BrahmA who was himself indulged in the karmA of creation, sought Lord nArAyaNA's help to clear the doubts. The Lord took the hamsa avatAra as the lustrous swan and expounded the vEda shAstras, imparting to the world the supreme knowledge that the only means to salvation is a focused contemplation on the Lord, which helps to overcome the desires of the mind. 

HAMSA AVATARA - 2

PERIYA TIRUMOZHI 5.7.3

During the process of creation, BrahmA first sprang from Lord VishNu’s lotus navel. He was then blessed with the vEdas, and instructed to create the universe. BrahmA was proud that He was the creator and basked on His esteemed status. Lord VishNu wanted to correct Him and bring balance in brahmA’s mind. Two demons Madhu of rajO guNa and KaiTabha of tamO guNa emerged from his ear wax. They stole the vEdas from the careless BrahmA. Consequently, the vast earth along with its mountains, oceans, skies and all the living beings including the dAnavas, vanished into darkness (mA iruLAy oLi churungi).  Ashamed of His folly, brahmA cried out to Lord nArAyaNa for help. 

Lord Hayagreeva then appeared in a huge resplendent form, with a horse face, shining like crystal, and seated on the white lotus. He fought with the strong demons for more than 1000 years and vanquished the demons. He then restored the vEdas back to BrahmA.  Then, taking the form of a lustrous swan, He imparted the knowledge of the vEdas to the Gods and sages, illuminating the world again. (annamAy anDru angu oru maRai payandAn).

In the kRuta yuga (satya yuga), the Lord is in the form of a swan depicting gyAna.

Hence, Hayagreeva is referred to by SwAmi Desikan as ‘rAja Hamsam’ in Hayagreeva StOtram 14.

मनॊगतं पश्यति य: सदा त्वाम् मनीषिनां मानस राजहंसम् ।
स्वयं पुरॊभाव विवाद भाज: किम्कुर्वतॆ तस्य गिरॊ यथार्हम् ||
manOgataM pashyati ya: sadA tvAm maneeshinAm mAnasa rAjahaMsam |
svayam purObhAva vivAda bhAja: kimkurvatE tasya girO yathArhaM ll

Learned scholars and sages who always contemplate on Lord Hayagreeva in the form of a ‘King Swan - rAja hamsam’ resting in their mind called the ‘mAnasa lake”, will experience proficiency in writing, speech, and debates.

HAMSA AVATARA - 3

PERIYAZHVAR TIRUMOZHI 1.9.10

MATSYA AVATARA

Long long ago, in one kalpa, when brahmA was sleeping, the four vEdas in his custody wandered around in the form of four beings (puruShas).  The powerful demon called 'Somukha" carried them away and hid them under the praLaya waters.  Seeing this, Lord VishNu incarnated as a fish, swam into the waters and restored all the four vEdas.  

He then awoke BrahmA and expounded the knowledge of the vedas to him, taking the form of a king swan.  (The four vedAs were once called 'taittireeyam (Yajur vEda), pauDiyam (Rig Veda), talavakAram (atharva vEda) and sAmam (sAma vEda or chAndOgya).