Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26
न रौद्रं न विरूपं च सुरैरपि च सेवितम् । जातोऽहं वरदो देवा हयाननेति तोषितः
na raudraṃ na virūpaṃ ca surairapi ca sevitam | jāto'haṃ varado devā hayānaneti toṣitaḥ
میں نہ تو ہیبت ناک ہوں، نہ بدصورت؛ اور نہ ہی ایسا کہ دیوتا بھی محض میری خدمت میں لگے رہیں۔ اے دیوو! ‘ہَیَانَن’ (گھوڑے چہرے والے) نام سے خوش ہو کر میں ور دینے والا بن کر ظاہر ہوا ہوں۔
Hayānana (Hayagrīva form of Hari/Viṣṇu), implied in context
Scene: A serene, boon-giving Viṣṇu manifestation identified as Hayānana: horse-faced yet auspicious, with gentle eyes, abhaya/varada mudrā, surrounded by devas offering praise; emphasis on benign radiance rather than ferocity.
FAQs
The divine may manifest in a distinctive form for protection and grace, and sincere invocation of the Lord’s name leads to divine favor.
The broader setting is Dharmāraṇya (a sacred forest-region) within the Skanda Purana’s Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa, emphasizing the sanctity of the locale through divine manifestation.
No explicit rite is prescribed here; the verse highlights the power of divine naming and the Lord’s boon-giving nature.