What is Keshav (Keshava) name meaning
Namaste Sajjanas, how are you doing today? Bhagavan Keshava blessings to you and your family!
Keshava is one of the famous names of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu.
This name Keshava is considered as ‘Moola Roopa’ (Original form) of the ‘aadi swaroopa’ (Divinely primordial) of Sarvottama / Supreme Bhagavan Sri Vishnu.
Now, let us break the name Keshava and let us understand it’s meaning:
1. Keshava = Ka + Isha + Va = This name is the origin and governing Bhagavan / Ishwar of Sri Brahma Deva + Rudra Deva (Lord Shiva) and all the Devatas / Demigods.
Bhagavan Sri Keshava
(Sri Brahma Deva takes birth from the ‘nabhi’ / navel of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu and Lord Shiva takes birth from ‘manasa’ / mind of Sri Brahma Deva).
2. Kesa (Kes) is a Sanskrit word which means hair (Even in many Indian languages we use this word for hair).
3. Also Kesa (Kes) means a ray of light.
4. Keshava also has the meaning someone who has got a long and beautiful golden color hair, whose hair is very charming, filled with ultimate sugandha / fragrance.
5. Keshava also means, he is someone who completely destroys his and his devotees’ enemies.
6. Also Keshava means, someone who’s continuous chanting removes sorrows and sufferings from his devotees (remover of all the klesha).
Without chanting of the word Keshava, that is, ‘Sri Keshavaaya Namaha’, none of the Vedic rituals begins as per the Sanatana Dharma Shastras.
7. Keshava means, he is the one who is the slayer of asura / demon Keshi and hence is referred as Keshiha in Vishnu Sahasranama.
Channa Keshava Devalaya, Karnataka beautiful carvings
8. Keshiha has been given in the Sri Vishnu Sahasramana Shloka no. 69.
कालनेमिनिहा वीरः शौरिः शूरजनेश्वरः |
त्रिलोकात्म त्रिलोकेशः केशवः केशिहा हरिः || 69 ||
ಕಾಲನೇಮಿನಿಹಾ ವೀರಃ ಶೌರಿಃ ಶೂರಜನೇಶ್ವರಃ |
ತ್ರಿಲೋಕಾತ್ಮಾ ತ್ರಿಲೋಕೇಶಃ ಕೇಶವಃ ಕೇಶಿಹಾ ಹರಿಃ || 69 ||
kālanēminihā vīraḥ śauriḥ śūrajanēśvaraḥ।
trilōkātmā trilōkēśaḥ kēśavaḥ kēśihā hariḥ || 69 ||
Bhagavan Sri Krishna is prominently known as Keshava all over the world, not only by Hindus, but also by non-Hindus too.
9. We find a reference to the word Keshava is shloka no. 3 and no. 69 (See above) of Sri Vishnu Sahasranaama Stotram.
योगो योगविदां नेता प्रदान पुरुषेश्वरः |
नारसिंहवपुः श्रीमान् केशवः पुरुषोत्तमः || 3 ||
ಯೋಗೋ ಯೋಗವಿದಾಂ ನೇತಾ ಪ್ರಧಾನ ಪುರುಷೇಶ್ವರಃ |
ನಾರಸಿಂಹವಪುಃ ಶ್ರೀಮಾನ್ ಕೇಶವಃ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮಃ || 3 ||
yōgō yōgavidāṁ nētā pradhāna puruṣēśvaraḥ।
nārasinhavapuḥ śrīmān kēśavaḥ puruṣōttamaḥ॥ 3॥
10. In the symbolism of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, generally we see Bhagavan Sri Vishnu holding the divine Shankha (Panchajanya) in the left hand and Chakra (Sudarshana) in the right, whereas in the Keshava form, the ‘Aadi Chaturvimshati Roopas’ (Original 24 forms) it has interchanging Shanka and Chakra.
The ‘Chaturvimshati Roopas’ (24 forms) of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu with his divine consort (wives) names are as given below:
Bhagavan Sri Vishnu + Sri Maha Lakshmi Names:
Keshava + Sri
Narayana + Lakshmi
Madhava + Kamala
Govinda + Padma
Vishnu + Padmini
Madhusudana + Kamalaalaya
Trivikrama + ramaa (रमा)
Vamana + Vrushaakapi
Sridhara + Dhanya
Rishikesha + Buddhi
Padmanabha + Yagna
Damodara + Indira
Sankarshana + Hiranya
Vasudeva + Harini
Pradyumna + Satya
Aniruddha + Nitya
Purushottama + Ananda
Adhokshaja + Trayee
Narasimha + Sudha
Achyuta + Sugandha
Janardhana + Sundarii
Upendra + Vidyaa
Hari + Susheela
Krishna + Sulakshana
In the Margasira Maasam (month), Keshava is its ‘abhimani devata’ (Controlling God), also called as ‘Maasa Niyaamaka Devata’.
Channa Keshava Devalaya, Karnataka outside view
Let’s consider one shloka of Bhagavan Keshava:
आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथा गच्छति सागरम् ।
सर्वदेव नमस्कारं केशवं प्रतिगच्छति ॥
ಆಕಾಶಾತ್ ಪತಿತಂ ತೋಯಂ ಯಥಾ ಗಚ್ಛತಿ ಸಾಗರಮ್ ।
ಸರ್ವದೇವ ನಮಸ್ಕಾರಂ ಕೇಶವಂ ಪ್ರತಿಗಚ್ಛತಿ ।।
ākāśāt patitaṃ toyaṃ yathā gacchati sāgaram ।
sarvadeva namaskāraṃ keśavaṃ pratigacchati ॥
Meaning of this shloka:
As the rain water that falls down from the sky finally reaches the Ocean, similarly doing the regular and continuous worship of any Devatas / Demigods ultimately reaches the Sarvottama / Supreme Bhagavan Keshava (Bhagavan Sri Vishnu / Krishna).
Channa Keshava Devalaya, Karnataka inside view
Thus, whatever the divine work we do, we need to do ‘samarpana‘ to Bhagavan Keshava (Bhagavan Sri Vishnu / Krishna) by saying the following shloka from Sri Vishnu Sahasranama (From Phala Shruti):
कायेन वाचा मनसेन्द्रियैर्वा बुद्ध्यात्मना वा प्रकृतिस्वभावात् ।
करोमि यद्यत्सकलं परस्मै नारायणयेति समर्पयामि || 33 ||
ಕಾಯೇನ ವಾಚಾ ಮನಸೇಂದ್ರಿಯೈರ್ವಾ ಬುದ್ಧ್ಯಾತ್ಮನಾ ವಾ ಪ್ರಕೃತೇಃ ಸ್ವಭಾವಾತ್ ।
ಕರೋಮಿ ಯದ್ಯತ್ಸಕಲಂ ಪರಸ್ಮೈ ನಾರಾಯಣಾಯೇತಿ ಸಮರ್ಪಯಾಮಿ || 33 ||
kāyēna vācā manasēndriyairvā bud’dhyātmanā vā prakr̥tēḥ svabhāvāt।
karōmi yadyatsakalaṁ parasmai nārāyaṇāyēti samarpayāmi || 33 ||
After telling the above shloka we should always end any divine work by saying the below:
|| श्री कृष्णार्पणमस्तु ||
|| ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣಾರ್ಪಣಮಸ್ತು ||
|| Śrī kr̥ṣṇārpaṇamastu ||
Only after saying the above, all the divine works which has been done by us will reach Bhagavan Sri Vishnu / Keshava / Krishna.
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To know stotras of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, Rama, Krishna and other Devatas, please visit the below link:
Stotras of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, Rama, Krishna and other Devatas
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To know “Goddess Lakshmi Shlokas (stotras) with meaning in Sanskrit, Kannada and English”, visit the below link:
Goddess Lakshmi Shlokas (stotras) with meaning in Sanskrit, Kannada and English
To know “What are Goddess Lakshmi names in different avatars along with Lord Hari’s names”, visit the below link:
What are Goddess Lakshmi names in different avatars along with Lord Hari’s names
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