Keshava



Keshava (केशव, ) is an epithet of Vishnu in Hindu tradition. The name appears as the 23rd and 648th names in the Vishnu Sahasranama of the Mahabharata. Keshava is also venerated by those persons wanting to avert bad luck or ill-omens. His consort is Kirti (Lakshmi).

Keshava is an iconographical form of Vishnu.

Etymology
Keshava means "the one with beautiful long (unshorn) hair" or "killer of the Keshi demon". According to the Padma Purana, the name refers to Krishna's long, beautiful, looking unshorn hair. Referring to Sangraha Ramayana of Narayana Panditacharya, Authors Meenakshi Bharat and Madhu Grover says that "The name Keshava refers to Vishnu. The letter 'Ka' refers to Brahma and 'Isha' refers to Shiva. The word Keshava refers to one who animates both Brahma and Shiva".

Literature
A verse from the Vishnu Sahasranama mentions Keshava:

"आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथागच्छति सागरम् । 'सर्वदव नमस्कारः केशवं प्रतिगच्छति ॥'

ākāśāt patitaṃ toyaṃ yathāgacchati sāgaram sarvadeva namaskāraḥ keśavaṃ pratigacchati"

"Just as the rainwater falling on the earth reaches the ocean, in the same way, offerings (namaskara) made to various deities ultimately reach only one God Keshava (Vishnu)."

In Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna uses the name Keshava for Krishna a number of times, referring to him as the 'killer of the Keshi 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.'"

The demon Keshi, in the form of a horse, was sent by Kamsa to kill Krishna, but was overpowered and slain (Vishnu Purana 5.15-16).