Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.3037

c4.3037

This loss of Viṣṇu’s head proved to be useful in another way. Now, Hayagrīva, after securing the boon from Brahmā that he would be killed only by one with horse’s head, was running rough-shod over the whole earth. The devas cut off the head of a horse and attached it to the trunk of Viṣṇu. Thus Viṣṇu came to life again, and according to his orders the citals gnawed away the cord of Hayagrīva’s bow as a result of which he was killed. (Devīmāhāt̄mya, Prathma Skandha).