# केशिन् (keśin)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/keshin

केशिन् (keśin) is a Sanskrit word meaning having fine or long hair, having a mane, having tips as rays or flames, an epithet of Rudra, an epithet of Vishnu, a horse. Its 44 recorded definitions are grouped into 10 contexts, among them Proper Name: Keśin (Male Deities, Asuras, Humans), Comprehensive Entries (Multiple Meanings of Keśin/Keśinī), Proper Name: Keśinī (Female Figures).

- **Etymology:** E. केश hair, इनि aff — E. keśa hair, ini aff
- **SLP1:** `keSin`  **IAST:** keśin  **Devanagari:** केशिन्
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ke%C5%9Bin
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/keshin/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Proper Name: Keśin (Male Deities, Asuras, Humans) (12 definitions)
- an epithet of Rudra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > केशिन् (keśin) ( ई (ī) ), m. ‘ N. of Rudra’ (see before) [ ID=56076 ]
- an epithet of Vishnu  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of Viṣṇu, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=56077 ]
- Name of an Asura slain by Krishna  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of an Asura slain by Kṛṣṇa, Mahābhārata (Title); Harivaṃśa (Title) &c. [ ID=56080 ]
- a son of Vasudeva and Kaushalya  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a son of Vasu-deva and Kauśalyā, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) ix, 24, 47 [ ID=56081 ]
- The name of Darbhya or Dalbhya  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ( Pāṇini (Author) vi, 4, 165 ) N. of Dārbhya or Dālbhya [ ID=56082 ]
- name of a Rakshasa slain by Krishna  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0424-a ] केशिन् (keśin) m. [ केश - इनि (keśa-ini) ] 2 N. of a Rākṣasa slain by Kṛṣṇa
- the name of a demon slain by Indra  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0424-a ] केशिन् (keśin) m. [ केश - इनि (keśa-ini) ] 3 N. of another Rākṣasa who carried Devasenā and who was slain by Indra
- an epithet of Krishna  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0424-a ] केशिन् (keśin) m. [ केश - इनि (keśa-ini) ] 4 An epithet of Kṛṣṇa
- an Asura  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 403-2 ] Keśin 1, an Asura. § 92 (Aṃśāvat.): I, 65, 2531 (son of Danu).—§ 495 (Skandotpatti): III, 223, 14248, (14251), 14252, 14253, 14254; 224, 14257, 14259 ( mahāsuraḥ; K. had ravished Daityasenā, but was defeated by Indra when he tried to ravish Devasenā).—§ 785 (Anugītāp.): XIV, 69, 2031 (had been slain by Kṛṣṇa).—§ 793 (Mausalap.): XVI, 6 κ, 158 (do.). [ ID=5676 ]
- a son of Vasudeva and Kaushalya  
  *The Purana Index*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 1-460 ] Keśin (I) — a son of Vasudeva and Kauśalya; the family of. Bhā. IX. 24. 48. [ ID=3597 ]
- an asura friend of Kamsa who assumed the form of a horse and was killed by Krishna  
  *The Purana Index*
  > Keśin (II) — an asura friend of Kamsā. Set up by him, Keśin appeared in Vraja as a huge horse and attacked Kṛṣṇa with his feet. Being thrown off by Kṛṣṇa, he fell at a dis- tance. Recovering his consciousness, he once again attack- ed Kṛṣṇa when the latter thrust his arm into his mouth until he was suffocated to death. Bhā. X. 2. 1; 36. 20; 37. 1-8, 25; 43. 25; II. 7. 34; Vā. 98. 100; Vi. V. 1. 24; 4. 1-2; 12. 21. [ ID=3598 ]
- A Danava king  
  *The Purana Index*
  > [Printed book page 1-461 ] Keśin (III) — a Dānava king; 1 defeated and slain by Purūravas when he was forcibly taking away Citralekhā and Urvaśī. The latter was handed over to Indra. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Br. IV. 29. 124.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 24. 12, 23-5.] [ ID=3599 ]

### Comprehensive Entries (Multiple Meanings of Keśin/Keśinī) (8 definitions)
- 1. Long-haired or maned. 2. The name of an asura.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 074-3 ] केशिन् (keśin) keś-ín, a. long-haired; maned; m. N. of an Asura and of severed men : -ī, f. N.. [ ID=6306 ]
- 1. Having fine hair. 2. An epithet of Vishnu or Krishna. 3. A demon killed by Krishna. 4. A lion. 5. A kind of grass. 6. Spikenard.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केश (keśa) िन् (keśin) [Printed book page 249 ] केश (keśa) िन् (keśin) mfn. ( - शी (-śī)- शिनी (-śinī)- शि (-śī-śinī-śi) ) Having fine hair. m. ( - शी (-śī) ) 1 A name of VIṢṆU or KṚṢṆA. 2 The name of a Daitya or demon killed by KṚṢṆA. 3 A lion. f. ( - शिनी (-śinī) ) 1 A kind of grass, ( Andropogon aculeatum.) 2 Spikenard, ( Valeriana jatamansi.) E. केश (keśa) hair, इनि (ini) aff. [ ID=11660 ]
- 1. Having fine hair. 2. Vishnu. 3. A lion. 4. A demon. 5. A kind of grass or spikenard.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 213-b ] केशिन् (keśin) ( शी - शिनी - शि ) ((śī-śinī-śi)) a. Having fine hair. m. Vishnu; a lion; a demon. f. A kind of grass; spikenard. [ ID=11107 ]
- 1. A lion. 2. A demon slain by Krishna. 3. An epithet of Krishna. 4. One having fine hair.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 209-03 ] केशिन् (keśin) m. 1. A lion; 2. name of a Rākshasa slain by Kṛishṇa; 3. an epithet of Kṛishṇa; 4. one having fine hair. [ ID=10394 ]
- 1. Having fine hair. 2. An epithet of Vishnu or Krishna. 3. A demon killed by Krishna. 4. A lion. 5. A kind of grass. 6. Spikenard.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केश (keśa) िन् (keśin) [Printed book page 205-a ] केश (keśa) िन् (keśin) mfn. ( - शी (-śī)- शिनी (-śinī)- शि (-śī-śinī-śi) ) Having fine hair. m. ( - शी (-śī) ) 1. A name of VISHNU or KṚṢṆA. 2. The name of a Daitya or demon killed by KṚṢṆA. 3. A lion. f. ( - शिनी (-śinī) ) 1. A kind of grass, (Andropogon aculeatum.) 2. Spikenard, (Valeriana jatamansi.) E. केश (keśa) hair, इनि (ini) aff. [ ID=11654 ]
- 1. The name of a demon. 2. The name of an Apsaras.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0219-a ] केशिन् (keśin) keśin, i. e. keśa + in, I. m. The name of an Asura or demon, etc., MBh. 1, 2531; Bhāg. P. 9, 24, 47. II. f. inī, The name of an Apsaras, etc., MBh. 1, 2558; Rām. 1, 39, 3. — Comp. Dhāmakeśin, i. e. dhāman-keśa + in, adj. having rays instead of hair, MBh. 3, 193. Muñja-, m. Viṣṇu. [ ID=3789 ]
- having fine hair; an epithet of Durga  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 133 ] केशिन् (keśin) a. = केशवन्त् (keśavant); m. N. of an Asura & sev. men. f. केशिनी (keśinī) E. of Durgā etc., a woman's name; pl. cert. mythical beings. [ ID=8459 ]
- 1. Having fine hair or a mane. 2. A lion.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0253-c ] Keśin, ī, inī, i, having fine or long hair, having a mane; epithet of Indra's and Agni's horses; epithet of Rudra; ( ī ), m. a lion; N. of a race; N. of an Asura slain by Kṛṣṇa; an epithet of Kṛṣṇa; N. of a son of Vasu-deva and Kauśalyā; ( inī ), f. the plant Chrysopogon Aciculatus; another plant, Nar- dostachys Jaṭāmāṃsī; an epithet of the goddess Durgā; N. of an Apsaras; N. of a daughter of the king of Vidarbha, wife of Sagara and mother of Asamañja; N. of the wife of Ājamīḍha (Suhotra) and mother of Jahnu; N. of the wife of Viśravas and mother of Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa; N. of a Rākṣasī; N. of a servant of Damayantī. —Keśi- nisūdana or keśi-mathana or keśi-sūdana, as, m. or keśi-han, ā, m. &c. epithet of Kṛṣṇa the slayer of the Asura Keśin. [ ID=15787 ]

### Proper Name: Keśinī (Female Figures) (8 definitions)
- an epithet of Durga  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 310,3] केशिनी (keśinī) ( इनी (inī) ), f. N. of Durgā [ ID=56083 ]
- Name of an Apsaras  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (gaṇa कुर्व् - आदि (kurv-ādi) ) N. of an Apsaras, Mahābhārata (Title) i, 2558; iii, 14562 [ ID=56084 ]
- a Rakshasi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a Rākṣasī, Buddhist literature (Literary category) [ ID=56085 ]
- the daughter of the king of Vidarbha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of the daughter of the king of Vidarbha (wife of Sagara and mother of A-samañjas), Harivaṃśa (Title) 797 ff.; Rāmāyaṇa (Title) [ ID=56086 ]
- the wife of Ajamidha and mother of Jahnu  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of the wife of Ājamīḍha (Suhotra) and mother of Jahnu, Mahābhārata (Title) i, 3722; Harivaṃśa (Title) 1416 and 1756 [ ID=56087 ]
- the wife of Vishravas and mother of Ravana and Kumbha-karna  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of the wife of Viśravas and mother of Rāvaṇa and Kumbha-karṇa, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) vii, 1, 43 [ ID=56088 ]
- a servant of Damayanti  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of a servant of Damayantī, Nalopākhyāna (subtitle) xxii, 1 [ ID=56089 ]
- of the daughter of a Brahman  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > of the daughter of a Brāhman, Buddhist literature (Literary category) [ ID=56090 ]

### Having hair, mane, or rays/flames (5 definitions)
- having fine or long hair  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 310,3] केशिन् (keśin) mfn. ( Pāṇini (Author) v, 2, 109 ) having fine or long hair (said of Rudra [ cf. कपर्दिन् (kapardin) ], of his female attendants, of female demons, and of men), Atharva-veda (Title) xi, 2, 18 ( cf. Ṛg-veda (Title) x, 136, 1 ff. ), and 31; xii, 5, 48; xiv, 2, 59 [ ID=56073 ]
- having a mane  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > having a mane (as Indra's and Agni's horses), Ṛg-veda (Title) [ ID=56074 ]
- having tips as rays or flames  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > having tips (as rays or flames), Ṛg-veda (Title) i, 140, 8 and 151, 6 [ ID=56075 ]
- having fine hair  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0424-a ] केशिन् (keśin) m. [ केश - इनि (keśa-ini) ] 5 One having fine hair
- maned, with flowing mane  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 145-a ] keśín, a. maned, with flowing mane. [ keśa. ] [ ID=1217 ]

### Animals: Lion or Horse (3 definitions)
- a horse  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘a horse’ (see before) [ ID=56078 ]
- a lion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > a lion, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=56079 ]
- A lion  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 0424-a ] केशिन् (keśin) m. [ केश - इनि (keśa-ini) ] 1 A lion

### Groups of Mythical Beings (Keśinī/Keśinaḥ) (3 definitions)
- the attendants of Rudra  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > केशिनी (keśinī) ( इनीस् (inīs) ) f. pl. Ved. ‘the attendants of Rudra’ (see before) [ ID=56094 ]
- certain female demons  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > ‘ N. of certain female demons’ (see before). [ ID=56095 ]
- Proper name  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Keśin 2, § 412 (Aṣṭāvakrīya): III, 134, 10670 ( ?, trayo- daśāhāni sasāra Keśī; agnir vāyuḥ sūryaś ca keśinaḥ iti vaidikaprasiddheḥ, Nīl.). [ ID=5677 ]

### Plants named Keśinī (2 definitions)
- Chrysopogon aciculatus  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Chrysopogon aciculatus, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=56091 ]
- Jata-mamsi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > Nardostachys Jaṭā-māṃsī, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=56092 ]

### A People or Race named Keśin (1 definition)
- an ancient people mentioned in the Shatapatha Brahmana  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > केशिन् (keśin) [Printed book page 1-186 ] 1. Keśin is the name of a people occurring in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, 1 where their king is mentioned as learning from Khaṇḍika the atonement for a bad omen at the sacrifice. [ Footnote: 1) xi. 8, 4, 6. Cf. Pānini, vi. 4, 165; Eggeling, Sacred Books of the East, 44, 131, 134.] [ ID=715 ]

### Epithets of Kṛṣṇa as 'Slayer of Keśin' (1 definition)
- epithets of Krishna  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — निपूदनः, - मथनः (nipūdanaḥ, -mathanaḥ) epithets of Kṛṣṇa; Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 18. 1. [ ID=11500 ]

### Lexicographical Note / Cross-reference (1 definition)
- See kaishina  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > केशिनी (keśinī) ( इनी (inī) ), f. See कैशिन (kaiśina) [ ID=56093 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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