- Keshava
:::"Kesava" redirects here. For
Kannada grammarian and poet, seeKesiraja .Keshava (Sanskrit : केशव) is a name ofKrishna from withinHindu tradition. (Keshav is the Hindi pronunciation). Keshava appears as the 23rd and 648th names in theVishnu sahasranama . Lord Keshava is venerated by those persons wanting to avert bad luck, or ill omens. His consort is Keerti. [The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography by Margaret Stutley p.71 73]Scriptural References
Vishnu Sahasranama
According to Adi Sankara' s commentary on the
Vishnu sahasranama , Keshava has three meanings:
* one whose Kesa or locks are beautiful
* The lord of creation, preservation, and dissolution.
*one who destroyed theasura 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.
*child who is blessed with amazing abilityPadma Purana
*The one with beautiful long hairAccording to the
Padma Purana the name refers to Krishna's long, beautiful looking hair.Bhagavad Gita
*Killer of the Keśī demonIn the
Bhagavad Gita Arjuna uses the name 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
*
Krishna
*Govinda
*Madhava
*Gopala
*Chaitanya External links
* [http://www.krishna.com Krishna.com]
* [http://srimadbhagavatam.com/10/37/en1 The Killing of the Kesi Demon]
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