Why Krishna is called Yogeshwar

Yogeshwar is a highly fitting title given to Lord Krishna. The purport of this term is the master of senses. Krishna, the Supreme Consciousness chose to descend on the earth to redeem humankind from its slumber and ignorance. Krishna achieved several superhuman feats in his life. As Poornavatar (complete incarnation), he always remained in a blissful state of existence far removed from any bondage to the material world. This is one of the reasons why Krishna is called Yogeshwar.

A Yogi is a superhuman being who sacrifices the lower inclinations for the sake of achieving the higher and more worthy ends of life. A Yogi must stick to his vrata or vow in a steadfast manner to prove his level of maturity and superior capabilities. Krishna went a step higher in this regard to even sacrifice his own vow for the sake of fulfilling the vow of his devotee. By doing this, he proved he is a superior Yogi or Yogeshwar, the Lord of Yogis. The incident that highlighted this aspect of Krishna is interesting and worth noting here.

The incident

Before the Mahabharat war, both Arjuna and Duryodhana went forth gathering the support they could. Krishna was the center of attraction for both of them. One day, Arjuna and Duryodhana went to Krishna asking for his support. Krishna was lying on his couch. Arjuna stood at Krishna’s feet while Duryodhana stayed near his head. When Krishna pretended to open his eyes after a nap, his eyes first fell on Arjuna waiting humbly at his feet. It was then he noticed and greeted Duryodhana. Krishna said on first come first priority basis Arjuna and Duryuodana could ask what they wanted from him. Krishna also added that he chose to remain on one side and would give away his army to the other side. Arjuna sought Krishna while Duryodhana sought Krishna’s army. Krishna further said he would never carry a weapon in his hand in the battlefield when he sided with Arjuna.

When it was Bhishma’s turn to lead the Kaurava army, Duryodhana expected him to vanquish Pandavas and their army in one day. He chided and insulted Bhishma for not fighting properly. In his anger, Bhishma vowed that with his fierce fight, he will make even Krishna lift a weapon in his hands.

On the battlefield, Bhishma roared and swung forward like a lion. Krishna found Bhishma uncontrollable. He knew the heart of his devotee. He never wanted Bhishma to fail his vow. Therefore, Krishna chose to carry a chariot wheel on his hands and whirled it in the battlefield. Thus, in order to pass his devotee, Krishna was ready to fail himself. Here we find Krishna surging several steps higher to prove he is Yogeshwar, the one who sacrifices the lower concerns for a higher concern – yes, for Supreme God, supporting his devotee is a major concern more important than his personal vow.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna championed divine wisdom in three streams namely Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Gnana Yoga. The supreme enlightenment flowed from the fountainhead of Yogeshwar in the form of these three Yogas to educate men for eternity