Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.696

c7.696

Hayagrīva, who became haughty and overconfident on receiving such a boon, went about the three worlds troubling good people, and at last he clashed with the Devas. As he could be killed only by one with the head of a horse the combined attack of Mahāviṣṇu and the Devas did not succeed in defeating him and Mahāviṣṇu decided to rest for some time to recoup himself from weariness. During his rest his head was hit by the end of his own bow and the head was severed from the trunk. Mahāviṣṇu replaced the head thus lost with that of a horse and killed Hayagrīva in fight. (For details see Cital).