Keśin
Ascetic wanderer with mystical powers described in the Vedic Sanskrit hymns
The Keśin were ascetic wanderers with mystical powers described in the Keśin Hymn (RV 10, 136) of the Rigveda (an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns). The Keśin are described as homeless, traveling with the wind, clad only in dust or yellow tatters, and being equally at home in the physical and the spiritual worlds. They are on friendly terms with the natural elements, the gods, enlightened beings, wild beasts, and all people. The Keśin Hymn also relates that the Keśin drink from the same magic cup as Rudra, which is poisonous to mortals.
The Kesin hymn of the Rigveda is the earliest evidence of yogis and their spiritual tradition, states Karel Werner. This concise hymn, depicting a long-haired ascetic, is considered a precursor to extreme ascetic practices and the Rudra-Siva tradition. The Hindu scripture Rigveda uses words of admiration for Kesins.
Description
The Keśin were lone ascetics, living a life of renunciation and wandering mendicants. The Keśin hymn appears as a precursor to extreme ascetic practices and the Rudra-Siva tradition, primarily due to its mention of Rudra and the ascetic drink in the final verse. The munis are depicted as experiencing heightened, altered states of consciousness and possessing the mystical power to soar on the wind, which presents an early evidence for yogic practices.
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This entry incorporates text from “Keśin” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.