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Sri Venkateswara Ashtotthram 

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97)  Hrisheekesaaya nama: SrI VenkatEsaaya nama:
 
Salutations to Lord VenkatEsaa , who is the Master of all Indhriyaas !
 
Sense organs or Indriyaas, are known as "Hrisheekaa:".  ("Harshayanti iti Hrisheekaa:--because they afford us pleasure, they are hrisheekas). One who is the Master of these senses is "Hrishikesa:"
 
We know from experience that our sense organs are the most difficult to control--despite our sincere efforts to point them in the right direction, it is they which lead us on to paths we do not want to traverse. The Gita and the Upanishads compare these unruly senses, internal and external, to wild horses which are extremely difficult to tame and harness. "Balavaan Indriya graama: vidvaamsamapi karshati" says an adage, telling us that the group of sense organs we have been blessed (!) with is indeed powerful and is capable of leading astray even the most erudite of men.
 
The Lord, however, is in total control of these sense organs, whether they be His own or others', which is what the Nirukti sloka of Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra means, when it says, "Indriyaanaam niyantrutvaat Hrishikesa: prakeertita:".
 
The Lord's role as Arjuna's chauffeur indicates this symbolically, with  Parthasarathy holding firmly the reins of the spirited horses (representing senses) and piloting the chariot in the appropriate directions as required, exhibiting His total control over the beasts (which description applies equally to horses and indriyaas).
 
"Tena vinaa triNamapi na chalati" is another saying which confirms that even if a blade of grass were to wave in the wind, it requires the will of the Paramatma to prompt the same. Thus the Lord is in total control of all the senses of all the beings in this Universe, making them dance to His tunes, very much like a puppetteer.
 
Swami Desikan provides an alternate interpretation to this Hrisheekesa nama in Tatparya Chandrika, by telling us that that the Lord's functions of Creation etc., and His auspicious attributes like Gnanam, Balam, Veeryam etc., would collectively make Him Hrisheekesa.
 
This Hrishikesa has the brilliant complexion of a lightning, we are told by Swami Desikan ("nal nilai min uruvaai"), and holds in His four hands an equal number of "Chammatti"(Hammers) .
 
Chatur mudgaram abhyemi Hrishikesam tatit prabham"
 



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