Keshava (Sanskrit: केशव) is a name of Krishna from within Hindu tradition. (Keshav is the Hindi pronunciation). Keshava appears as the 23rd and 648th names in the Vishnu sahasranama. Lord Keshava is venerated by those persons wanting to avert bad luck, or ill omens. His consort is Keerti.[1]
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Scriptural References
Vishnu Sahasranama
According to Adi Sankara' s commentary on the Vishnu sahasranama, Keshava has three meanings:
- one whose Kesa or hair is long, uncut and beautiful
- The lord of creation, preservation, and dissolution.
- one who destroyed the asura or demon Kesi in the Krishna avatar.
It also means
- one who is endowed with the rays of light spreading within the orbit of the sun
- one who is endowed with divine powers of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva and who can make the lord of Generation , i.e. Brahma and lord of Distruction Shiva both happy. An operator who is perfect Generator and Distructor.
- child who is blessed with amazing ability
Padma Purana
- The one with beautiful long (unshorn) hair
According to the Padma Purana the name refers to Krishna's long, beautiful looking unshorn hair.
Bhagavad Gita
- Killer of the Keśī demon
In the Bhagavad Gita Arjuna uses the name Keshava[2] for Krishna a number of times, referring to him as the 'Killer of the Kesi demon' : I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I see only causes of misfortune, O Kesava, killer of the Keśī demon. (Bhagavad Gita 1.30). The demon Kesi, in the form of a horse, was sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna but was overpowered and slain (Vishnu Purana 5.15-16).
References
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola
See also
External links
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