Hrisheekesan

8/14/2019 Hrisheekesan

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HrisheekesanPosted by: "sadagopan" [email protected] sadagopaniyengarDate: Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:45 pm ((PST))

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Hrisheekesan

All of us who perform Sandhyavandanam utter this holy name daily. And those whoperform Aachamanamon the numerous occasions it is required to be done daily, (other than duringSandhyavandanam),invariably have to pay obeisance to this Emperuman. There are fourteen names ofthe Lord, whichfigure in every Achamanam (excluding the Govinda naama, which is repeated). Of

these, the leastpopular appears to be "Hrisheekesa:". And how do you measure the popularity ofBhagavan naamas? Fromthe names people give their children, of course! We are not talking here aboutRishis, Azhwars orother Bhaktas, who have delighted in uttering all the names of the Lord, but ofordinary people likeyou and I, to whom certain of the Lord's holy names appeals much more thanothers. We thus haveamongst us any number of Achyuthans, Anantans and Kesavans. Children named afterGovindan,Narayanan, Madhavan, Sridharan, Vishnu and Padmanabhan are literally countless,while Damodarans are also

not scarce. People named after Trivikraman and Vaamanan appear to be slightlyless in number,though the variants of these names (like Vikram) abound.

It is the name Hrisheekesan which doesn't appear to have caught the fancy of manypeople, thoughof late it appears to be gaining in numbers. Still, in the name game,Hrisheekesan is definitelyfar behind the other naamas of the Lord. Tell me, can you think of one singleperson who is of anyconsequence in the Vaishnava Sampradaayam today, named Hrisheekesan? I personally

have not comeacross any Hrisheekesa Iyengar or Hrisheekesaacharya. Neither in the GuruParampara, nor in the listof Azhwars, nor even among the latter-day scholars of the Sampradaayam do youfind people namedafter Hrisheekesan. Even non-Vaishnavites appear not very enamoured of the nameand but for aHrisheekesh Mukherjee, you are unable to recollect any popular figure with thename. Why should this beso-is the name any the less holy or less significant in purport or less effectivein rewarding its


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votaries? Leaving aside commoners like us, we find that even Azhwars, who arethrilled to utterthe names of the Lord, have resorted to Hrisheekesan only sparingly, preferringHis other names.All this made me do some research and I came up with quite a few surprisingresults.

What exactly does the name Hrisheekesa: mean?

We find a definition of this tirunaamam in Harivamsam. Rudra, while showeringpraise on SriKrishna, offers us an explanation of this holy name-

"Hrisheekaani indriyaani aahu: teshaam Eeso yato bhavaan

Hrisheekesa: tato Vishnu: khyaato deveshu Kesava:"

Hrisheekam denotes senses-senses which have a propensity to lead us astray andmake us indulge inall sorts of excesses. It is these senses which lead to our downfall. However,even these errantsenses find themselves completely cowed down by the Lord, who is therefore calledthe Lord of theHrisheekaas -- Hrisheekaanaam eesa: or Hrisheekesa:

Hrisheekesa is thus the Master of the Senses. This is no mean feat, for our sensesalways get thebetter of us, even if we do have a strong will and resist being pulled down bythem. Says aSanskrit adage, "Balavaan Indriya graama: Vidvaamsam api karshati". The sensesare indeed extremelypowerful: even if one knows well their destructive power and is always on guardagainst them, it isultimately they which win hands down and make the individual succumb to hissenses. It is theseall-powerful senses which face abject defeat at the hands of the Lord, who keepsthem in tight check

and control, thereby earning the sobriquet, Hrisheekesa:. Keeping the aforesaidHarivamsa sloka inmind, Sri Sankaracharya says in his Vishnu Sahasranaama Bhaashyam-"HrisheekaaniIndriyaani,teshaam Eesa: Khetragya roopa bhaak". The Supreme Soul in whose control allsenses subsist is known asHrisheekesa:--"Indriyaani yasya vase varttante, sa Paramaatma Hrisheekesa:".

We thus find that the Lord is in control of not only His own senses, but also of


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all beings in Hisvast creation, ranging from the exalted four-headed Brahmaa charged with thefunction ofcreation, to the lowliest worm languishing in the gutters-"Tat karanaanaam apiniyaamakatvaatHrisheekesa:". He is the controller and director of all sense organs, internaland external, of all beings, inevery way. This is how Sri Ramanuja views the Hrisheekesa naama's purport-"

Paraavara nikhilajana antara baahya karanaanaam sarva prakaara niyamane avastthitham" (GitaBhaashyam). However, theLord is entirely beyond the sense organs of mortals, including those of loftydeities.

Are there any other purports of this holy name? Yes indeed, and the following area few:

Sri Paraasara Bhattar offers another beautiful explanation of this tirunaamam-

"Harshaat soukhyaat sukha aiswaryaat Hrisheekesatvam asnute"

The Lord is the embodiment of bliss and happiness and rules over His boundlessdomaineffortlessly. His overlordship is absolutely without the strains normallyassociated with administering vastterritories and peoples. Thus, due to Harsham (happiness), Sukha Aiswayram(effortless rulership),He is known as Hrisheekesa:.

The Lord Himself explains to Arjuna why He is called Hrisheekesa:. The rays of theSun and theMoon, known as "Kesa", gladden the hearts of people by waking them up to a newday and lulling themto sleep after a hard day's toil, respectively. It is due to this generation ofHarsha or happinessin His subjects through the "Kesa" or rays of the Sun and the Moon, that the Lordis acclaimed asHrisheekesa:. Here is the relative sloka from the Santi Parva of Mahabharatam-

"Sooryaa Chandramasou sasvat amsubhi: kesa sanjitai:

bodhayan svaapayanschaiva jagat uttishttate prithak

bodhanaat svaapanaat chaiva jagata: harshanam bhavet

Agneeshoma kritai: ebhi: karmabhi: Paandu Nandana!

Hrisheekesoham eesaana: Varado loka bhaavana:"


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Sri Sankaracharya quotes the Taittireeya Samhita in support of thisexplanation-"Soorya rasmi:Harikesa: purastaat".

Swami Desikan, expanding on the ideas of Sri Ramanuja, refers to the Ahirbudhnya

Samhita, quotingcopiously to drive home alternate purports. Emperuman, while being the SupremeOverlord, delightsfrom the sport of Creation. This delight or Harsham gives Him the nameHrisheeksesa:, apart fromestablishing His supremacy-

"Kreedayaa hrishyati vyaktam Eesa: san srishti roopayaa

Hrisheekesatvam Eesasya devatvam cha asya tat sphutam".

The Ahirbudhnya Samhita says further that Hrisheekesa is one who has the qualityof Veeryam (theattribute of being unchanged and unaltered, despite being the sole material causeof Creation)-

"Avikaaritayaa jushta: Hrisheeka: veerya roopayaa

Eesa: svaatantrya yogena nityam srishtyaadi karmani

Isvarya Veerya roopatvam Hrisheekesatvam uchyate"

Thus the overlordship of all worlds (Isvaryam) and immutability (Veeryam) give theLord the nameHrisheekesa:

We have another beautiful comment on the origin and meaning of Hrisheekesa:--thisis from SriMadhwaacharya, who splits the word into four parts-Harsha, ee, ka and eesa:. Ee

refers to SriMahalakshmi, Ka to the four-headed Brahmaa and Eesa to Rudra. Harsham meanshappiness. Thus, Hrisheekesarefers to one who confers bliss on Sri, Brahmaa and Rudra. One is reminded hereof the Tiruvaimozipaasuram-"Eraalum Irayonum Disai mukhanum Tirumagalum kooraalum tani udamban".The Lord hasallotted space on His divine body to His beloved Consort (on His broad chest), toBrahma (on the lotusrising from His navel) and to Rudra, thereby affording them boundless bliss.Could Sri Madhwacharya


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be referring to this paasuram while commenting on the tirunaamam?

Having seen the purport of this divine name, shall we go on to the characteristicsof thisHrisheekesa?

According to Agamas, each individual form of the Lord is endowed with distincttraits, colour,weapons, etc. We learn from Swami Desikan that Hrisheekesa has the complexion oflightning. He sportsfour beautiful hands and in each of them is held a Hammer/Mallet or Mudgaram.When we weartiruman and sree choornam at the twelve appointed places, the place belonging toHrisheekesan is theleft neck.

Here is the relative slokam from Panniru Naamam-

"En Ideekesan irai keezh idakkazhutthu endru ivattril

nannilai minnuruvaai naalu murkaram kondu alikkum"

While this is the popularly accepted form of Hrisheekesa, in agreement with thedescription in the

Panchaayudha Stotram, another version has Him holding the Chakra, Padma, Shankhaand Gada andnaming His Consort as Mangala or Harsha (a form of Mahalakshmi).

The twelve Emperumans represented by the Dvaadaasa Naamas are said to emanate fromthe four VyoohaMoorties-Vasudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Sankarshana. Of these, ourHrisheekesa is said toemanate from Aniruddha. According to the Gayatri Saara Sangraha, each of thetwenty-four letters inthe Gayatri Mantram represents one of the twenty-four moorties of the Lord. As

such, Hrisheekesa isrepresented by the letter "Rga:" (from the word Bharga:), whose presiding deityis Saavitri.

For those interested in the Mantra incorporating the Hrisheekesa naamam, it can befound in the18th sloka of the 18th Chapter of the Fifth Skandam of Srimad Bhagavatam. WhenSri Krishna escapesPootana's murderous attempt, the frightened Gopas and Gopis invoke the blessings


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of various formsof Vishnu for the protection of the divine child. And one of the principaldeities called upon isHrisheekesa, whose benediction is sought for guarding the Indriyas or senseorgans of Sri Krishna-

" Indriyaani Hrisheekesa: praanaan Narayana: avatu

Sveta dveepa Pati: chittam mano Yogeswara: avatu" (Srimad Bhagavatam)

If you want to be rid of fear, it is Hrisheekesa you must apply to. This is theprescription givento Dhritaraashtra, who fears for the life of his sons and their kingdom-

"Jaanati esha Hrisheekesam puraanam yaccha vai navam

Susrooshamaanam ekaagram mokshyate mahato bhayaat"

In turn, Dhritaraashtra urges Duryodhana to surrender to Hrisheekesa, before it istoo late-

"Duryodhana! Hrisheekesam prapadyasva Janaardanam

Aapto n: Sanjaya: taata! Sharanam gaccha Kesavam"

Buoyed by significant victories on the battle field, Yudhishttira extols the gloryof Hrisheekesa,praising Him as the Creator of all worlds, the Supreme Power without a beginningand an end,declaring that those who surrender to Hrisheekesa would have no grief, fear ortroubles. Though SriKrishna has any number of names which are commonly used by the Pandavas toaddress Him, it issignificant that Yudhishttira repeatedly mentions Hrisheekesa in the context ofgranting relief fromfear and trouble-

"Srashtaaram sarva lokaanaam Paramaatmaanam Achyutam

Ye prapanaa Hrisheekesam n te muhyanti karhichit

"Anaadi nidhanam devam loka kartaaram avyayam

Tvaam bhaktaa ye Hrisheekesa! Durgaani atitaranti te"


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It is interesting to find the all-knowing Bheeshma too uttering the Hrisheekesanaama in delightand attributing Creation, Protection and Destruction to Him-

"Namaste Bhagavan! Vishno! Lokaanaam nidhana udbhava!

Tvam hi kartaa Hrisheekesa! Samhartaa cha aparaajita:"

The haloed residents of the Sveta Dveepam pay obeisance to the Lord, addressingHim asHrisheekesan--'Jitante Pundareekaaksha! Namaste Visva Bhaavana!

Namastestu Hrisheekesa! Maha Purusha Poorvaja!"

When requested by Rishis to recount the tales of Mahabharata as propounded byVyaasa, the SootaPouraanika commences his recitation with a salute to Hrisheekesa, holding Him tobe the mostauspicious and as the Preceptor to the whole world-

"Maangalyam mangalam Vishnum varenyam anagham suchim

Namaskritya Hrisheekesam charaachara Gurum Harim"

In his commentary to the Tiruvaimozhi paasuram devoted to Hrisheekesan, SriNampillai has somebeautiful things to say. Though all the sense organs have been provided to humanbeings to enablethem to realize, appreciate and delight at the sight of the Lord, normally theyare quite immune toHis attractions and insist on indulging in sensual pleasures and leading us farfrom the path ofthe scripture. However, in the case of His devotees, Emperuman, beingHrisheekesan (the controllerof senses), ensures that the devotees' sense organs focus solely on Him and are

prevented fromgoing astray. And how does He achieve this? To the devotee, He shows Himself inall His splendour,lavishes all His affection on the bhakta and enslaves the latter by Hisinnumerable auspiciousattributes. This ensures that the devotee is totally ensnared in the Lord's netof love, with all hissenses focused on the Lord, with no chance at all of their being misdirectedtowards materialpleasures, says Sri Nampillai-"Tannai arigaikku parikaram aaga tandaindriyangalai kondu sabdaadi


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vishayangalai virumbi naan anarttha padaame, tannaiye arigaikku parikaram aampadipanni upakarittamahopakaarakan".

Is Hrisheekesan a common, generic name which can refer to any entity having sensecontrol? After

all, most of the Maharshis were adept at keeping their senses under tight leash.Or does it denoteonly Sriman Narayana? This question is easily resolved, if one refers toArunagirinathar'sTiruppugazh, where he adulates Hrisheekesan with choice phrases that can referonly to Narayana. Here isthe Tiruppugazh in question-

"Upasaantha chittha kurukulaBava Paandavarkku Varadhan maiUruvon prasiddha nediyavan Rishikesan

Ulageendra pacchai Umai anan

Vada Venkatattil uraibavanUyar Saarnga Chakra karatalan marugone"

The unmistakable adjectives like Paandavarkku Varadan, Nediyavan, VadaVenkatatthil Uraibavan,Saarnga Chakra kara talan, etc. indicate that the Hrishikesan referred to in thepoem and elsewheretoo, is Sriman Narayana and none other.Hrisheekesa's holy name would surely save us from the deadly spears of Yama'sminions and we wouldbe spared the ignominy of dogs biting off and chewing on our limbs at thecrematorium, if only weutter the tirunaamam of Hrisheekesan, says Periyazhwar-

"Tudai vazhi ummai naaikal kavaraaSoolatthaalum ummai paaivadum seyyaarIdai vazhiyil neer koorayum izhaveerIrudeekesan endru ettha valleere".Well, from all the aforesaid, we find that Hrisheekesan is not as unknown as wethought initially.People may not be much enamoured of calling their children by this name, but aswe have seenabove, that is hardly a yardstick of Hrisheekesa's boundless greatness and glory.Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri NarayanaYatindra Mahadesikayanama:

dasan, sadagopan

Hrisheekesan

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