SAHASARA NAMA OF VISHNU: 47/1,000

Hṛṣīkēśa (हृषीकेशः)

The master of the “senses” – That īśa (supreme master) of all the hṛṣīkas (senses). Also, he who turns the ‘senses’ of his devotees inwards (towards himself, i.e. the indwelling atman); while also turning away those who are not devoted to him. OR “He is the Keśas (meaning the rays in the sun and the moon) and responsible for waking up the world and all its beings everyday at dawn (as Agni/Tejas in the Sun) and putting everyone to sleep at night (as Somas’ in the moon) – again a reference to the ‘organizing’ function of Viṣṇu

It should be noted though that the first interpretation of this name as “The supreme master of the senses” is the more in vogue and the better accepted one than the second one which is more or less obsolete now.

The previous name in this string APRAMEYĀḤ talked about how the Supreme being is unbounded, immeasurable, infinite, unlimited, unfathomable, incomparable, inscrutable – who cannot be ‘proved’ or “demonstrated” through the normal means of measurements (know to the human mind) – for a moment it appears as if it is almost impossible to “realize” this Supreme being” but the very next name in the string, gives us the assurance that while he may be beyond the grasp of the ‘normal’ senses’ it is indeed possible to realize him by transcending the senses and to do that one has to turn inward and he will provide the required guidance – HṚṢĪKĒŚA – that master of all the senses, the holder of the reins of the body-chariot, controller of the horse-senses – the great Kṣetrajña (the knower of the ‘field’) in that kṣétra (Kurukṣétra – the field of transformation)

In the Bhagavad-gītā Arjuna uses about 42 different names to refer to Kṛṣṇa and each of the names are contextual and there is a definite and gradual progression, starting with ‘Acyutā’ – when Arjuna asks Kṛṣṇa to drive the chariot to the center of the battlefield…

It is not until the 36th verse of the 11th chapter that Arjuna calls Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkēśa and that is after he has been given the vision of the Viśvarūpā – the Virātarūpā of the Supreme being, when he has both “progressed enough” to be able to transcend the limitations of the ‘senses’ and contemplate on the sheer magnificence of that Supreme being.

As a side-note isn’t it interesting that Sanjaya calls Kṛṣṇa as Hṛṣīkēśa right in the first chapter itself – was his blindness an allegorical reference to him having already turned his gaze inward and hence ‘blind’ to the outward world in a sense?

As Arjuna says:

अर्जुन उवाच |
स्थाने हृषीकेश तव प्रकीर्त्या
जगत्प्रहृष्यत्यनुरज्यते च |
रक्षांसि भीतानि दिशो द्रवन्ति
सर्वे नमस्यन्ति च सिद्धसङ्घा: || 11-36||

arjuna uvācha
sthāne hṛiṣhīkeśha tava prakīrtyā
jagat prahṛiṣhyaty anurajyate cha
rakṣhānsi bhītāni diśho dravanti
sarve namasyanti cha siddha-saṅghāḥ

You are indeed (स्थाने) the master of the senses (hṛiṣhīkeśha) who the whole world praises and over which you have complete suzerainty (jagat prahṛiṣhyaty anurajyate cha). In your presence, the Rākṣasas in fear (bhītāni) run away in all directions (diśho dravanti). All the sidda-purushas bow down to you (as the supreme being)

click to read post #46

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