॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Thursday, 22 December 2022 V.25 - Description of Lord Sankarshana, or Adishesha, also called Ananta, and a prayer to him.
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Far below Paataala, the bottom of the netherworld we described, is the thousand-hooded Adishesha. he is also called Lord Sankarshana because he is so attractive. He is also called Ananta, and we read early on how Lord Brahma found his way about through his guidance. Lord Sankarshana is also a manifestation of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu alone, and he resides in the heart of Lord Shiva. Often, the Jiva can mistake Ananta for Bhagavan Himself.
Adishesha supports the entire creation of this earth on one of his heads, and he is so huge that the earth appears like a mustard seed in relation to his thousand hoods!
At the time of devastation, when Lord Ananta desires to destroy the entire creation, he becomes slightly angry. Then from between his two eyebrows appears three-eyed Rudra, carrying a trident. This Rudra, who is known as Sankarshana, is the embodiment of the eleven Rudras, or incarnations of Lord Shiva. He appears in order to devastate the entire creation. That is the dissolution.
There is a description of Ananta as a most attractive being, with hands and mirror-like shiny nails in which all his devotees see their beautiful reflections! When the beautiful princesses of the serpent kings, hoping for the Lord’s auspicious blessing, smear his arms with aguru pulp, sandalwood pulp and vermilion, the touch of his limbs awakens lusty desires within them. Understanding their minds, the Lord looks at the princesses with a merciful smile, and they become bashful.
There are more descriptions of his beauty, and that he holds the plough on his back, a reference to his incarnation as Balarama later.
Ananta is also another way of saying that the Lord is constantly, uninterruptedly established in Brahman consciousness.
The gods and other celestials and sages offer fervent prayers to Ananta. One of them is:
मूर्धन्यर्पितमणुवत्सहस्रमूर्ध्नो भूगोलं सगिरिसरित्समुद्रसत्त्वम् ।
आनन्त्यादनिमितविक्रमस्य भूम्न: को वीर्याण्यधिगणयेत्सहस्रजिह्व: ॥
T: This is the Lord of unlimited powers! He bears the world with all its great mountains, rivers, oceans, trees and living entities on his hood. Look at it, it is resting just like an atom on one of his many thousands of hoods. Is there anyone, even with thousands of tongues, who can describe his glories?
Sage Shuka now concludes this description of creation and various beings born in different bodies to work out their Karmas. He now asks, what would King Parikshit want to hear, next?
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