The Glories of Lord Ananta
VERSE 5.25.1
śrī-śuka uvāca
tasya mūla-deśe triṁśad-yojana-sahasrāntara āste yā vai kalā bhagavatas tāmasī samākhyātānanta iti sātvatīyā draṣṭṛ-dṛśyayoḥ saṅkarṣaṇam aham ity abhimāna-lakṣaṇaṁ yaṁ saṅkarṣaṇam ity ācakṣate.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tasya — of the planet Pātāla; mūla-deśe — in the region beneath the base; triṁśat — thirty; yojana — eight-mile units of measurement; sahasra-antare — at an interval of one thousand; āste — remains; yā — which; vai — indeed; kalā — an expansion of an expansion; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tāmasī — related to darkness; samākhyātā — called; anantaḥ — Ananta; iti — thus; sātvatīyāḥ — the devotees; draṣṭṛ-dṛśyayoḥ — of matter and spirit; saṅkarṣaṇam — the drawing together; aham — I; iti — thus; abhimāna — by self-conception; lakṣaṇam — symptomized; yam — whom; saṅkarṣaṇam — Saṅkarṣaṇa; iti — thus; ācakṣate — learned scholars describe.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: My dear King, approximately 240,000 miles beneath the planet Pātāla lives another incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the expansion of Lord Viṣṇu known as Lord Ananta or Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa. He is always in the transcendental position, but because He is worshiped by Lord Śiva, the deity of tamo-guṇa or darkness, He is sometimes called tāmasī. Lord Ananta is the predominating Deity of the material mode of ignorance as well as the false ego of all conditioned souls. When a conditioned living being thinks, “I am the enjoyer, and this world is meant to be enjoyed by me,” this conception of life is dictated to him by Saṅkarṣaṇa. Thus the mundane conditioned soul thinks himself the Supreme Lord.
VERSE 5.25.2
yasyedaṁ kṣiti-maṇḍalaṁ bhagavato ’nanta-mūrteḥ sahasra-śirasa ekasminn eva śīrṣaṇi dhriyamāṇaṁ siddhārtha iva lakṣyate.
SYNONYMS
yasya — of whom; idam — this; kṣiti-maṇḍalam — universe; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ananta-mūrteḥ — in the form of Anantadeva; sahasra-śirasaḥ — who has thousands of hoods; ekasmin — on one; eva — only; śīrṣaṇi — hood; dhriyamāṇam — is being sustained; siddhārthaḥ iva — and like a white mustard seed; lakṣyate — is seen.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: This great universe, situated on one of Lord Anantadeva’s thousands of hoods, appears just like a white mustard seed. It is infinitesimal compared to the hood of Lord Ananta.
VERSE 5.25.3
yasya ha vā idaṁ kālenopasañjihīrṣato ’marṣa-viracita-rucira-bhramad-bhruvor antareṇa sāṅkarṣaṇo nāma rudra ekādaśa-vyūhas try-akṣas tri-śikhaṁ śūlam uttambhayann udatiṣṭhat.
SYNONYMS
yasya — of whom; ha vā — indeed; idam — this (material world); kālena — in due course of time; upasañjihīrṣataḥ — desiring to destroy; amarṣa — by anger; viracita — formed; rucira — very beautiful; bhramat — moving; bhruvoḥ — the two eyebrows; antareṇa — from between; sāṅkarṣaṇaḥ nāma — named Sāṅkarṣaṇa; rudraḥ — an incarnation of Lord Śiva; ekādaśa-vyūhaḥ — who has eleven expansions; tri-akṣaḥ — three eyes; tri-śikham — having three points; śūlam — a trident; uttambhayan — raising; udatiṣṭhat — arose.
TRANSLATION
At the time of devastation, when Lord Anantadeva 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 Sāṅkarṣaṇa, is the embodiment of the eleven Rudras, or incarnations of Lord Śiva. He appears in order to devastate the entire creation.
VERSE 5.25.4
yasyāṅghri-kamala-yugalāruṇa-viśada-nakha-maṇi-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍaleṣv ahi-patayaḥ saha sātvatarṣabhair ekānta-bhakti-yogenāvanamantaḥ sva-vadanāni parisphurat-kuṇḍala-prabhā-maṇḍita-gaṇḍa-sthalāny ati-manoharāṇi pramudita-manasaḥ khalu vilokayanti.
SYNONYMS
yasya — of whom; aṅghri-kamala — of lotus feet; yugala — of the pair; aruṇa-viśada — brilliant pink; nakha — of the nails; maṇi-ṣaṇḍa — like gems; maṇḍaleṣu — on the round surfaces; ahi-patayaḥ — the leaders of the snakes; saha — with; sātvata-ṛṣabhaiḥ — the best devotees; ekānta-bhakti-yogena — with unalloyed devotional service; avanamantaḥ — offering obeisances; sva-vadanāni — their own faces; parisphurat — glittering; kuṇḍala — of the earrings; prabhā — by the effulgence; maṇḍita — decorated; gaṇḍa-sthalāni — whose cheeks; ati-manoharāṇi — very beautiful; pramudita-manasaḥ — their minds refreshed; khalu — indeed; vilokayanti — they see.
TRANSLATION
The pink, transparent toenails on the Lord’s lotus feet are exactly like valuable gems polished to a mirror finish. When the unalloyed devotees and the leaders of the snakes offer their obeisances to Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa with great devotion, they become very joyful upon seeing their own beautiful faces reflected in His toenails. Their cheeks are decorated with glittering earrings, and the beauty of their faces is extremely pleasing to see.
VERSE 5.25.5
yasyaiva hi nāga-rāja-kumārya āśiṣa āśāsānāś cārv-aṅga-valaya-vilasita-viśada-vipula-dhavala-subhaga-rucira-bhuja-rajata-stambheṣv aguru-candana-kuṅkuma-paṅkānulepenāvalimpamānās tad-abhimarśanonmathita-hṛdaya-makara-dhvajāveśa-rucira-lalita-smitās tad-anurāgamada-mudita-mada-vighūrṇitāruṇa-karuṇāvaloka-nayana-vadanāravindaṁ savrīḍaṁ kila vilokayanti.
SYNONYMS
yasya — of whom; eva — certainly; hi — indeed; nāga-rāja-kumāryaḥ — the unmarried princesses of the serpent kings; āśiṣaḥ — blessings; āśāsānāḥ — hoping for; cāru — beautiful; aṅga-valaya — on the sphere of His body; vilasita — gleaming; viśada — spotless; vipula — long; dhavala — white; subhaga — indicating good fortune; rucira — beautiful; bhuja — on His arms; rajata-stambheṣu — like columns of silver; aguru — of aloe; candana — of sandalwood; kuṅkuma — of saffron; paṅka — from the pulp; anulepena — with an ointment; avalimpamānāḥ — smearing; tat-abhimarśana — by contact with His limbs; unmathita — agitated; hṛdaya — in their hearts; makara-dhvaja — of Cupid; āveśa — due to the entrance; rucira — very beautiful; lalita — delicate; smitāḥ — whose smiling; tat — of Him; anurāga — of attachment; mada — by the intoxication; mudita — delighted; mada — due to intoxication with kindness; vighūrṇita — rolling; aruṇa — pink; karuṇa-avaloka — glancing with kindness; nayana — eyes; vadana — and face; aravindam — like lotus flowers; sa-vrīḍam — with bashfulness; kila — indeed; vilokayanti — they see.
TRANSLATION
Lord Ananta’s arms are attractively long, beautifully decorated with bangles and completely spiritual. They are white, and so they appear like silver columns. When the beautiful princesses of the serpent kings, hoping for the Lord’s auspicious blessing, smear His arms with aguru pulp, sandalwood pulp and kuṅkuma, 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, realizing that He knows their desires. Then they smile beautifully and look upon the Lord’s lotus face, which is beautified by reddish eyes rolling slightly from intoxication and delighted by love for His devotees.
VERSE 5.25.6
sa eva bhagavān ananto ’nanta-guṇārṇava ādi-deva upasaṁhṛtāmarṣa-roṣa-vego lokānāṁ svastaya āste.
SYNONYMS
saḥ — that; eva — certainly; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anantaḥ — Anantadeva; ananta-guṇa-arṇavaḥ — the reservoir of unlimited transcendental qualities; ādi-devaḥ — the original Lord, or nondifferent from the original Supreme Personality of Godhead; upasaṁhṛta — who has restrained; amarṣa — of His intolerance; roṣa — and wrath; vegaḥ — the force; lokānām — of all people on all planets; svastaye — for the welfare; āste — remains.
TRANSLATION
Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa is the ocean of unlimited spiritual qualities, and thus He is known as Anantadeva. He is nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For the welfare of all living entities within this material world, He resides in His abode, restraining His anger and intolerance.
VERSE 5.25.7
dhyāyamānaḥ surāsuroraga-siddha-gandharva-vidyādhara-muni-gaṇair anavarata-mada-mudita-vikṛta-vihvala-locanaḥ sulalita-mukharikāmṛtenāpyāyamānaḥ sva-pārṣada-vibudha-yūtha-patīn aparimlāna-rāga-nava-tulasikāmoda-madhv-āsavena mādyan madhukara-vrāta-madhura-gīta-śriyaṁ vaijayantīṁ svāṁ vanamālāṁ nīla-vāsā eka-kuṇḍalo hala-kakudi kṛta-subhaga-sundara-bhujo bhagavān mahendro vāraṇendra iva kāñcanīṁ kakṣām udāra-līlo bibharti.
SYNONYMS
dhyāyamānaḥ — being meditated upon; sura — of demigods; asura — demons; uraga — snakes; siddha — inhabitants of Siddhaloka; gandharva — inhabitants of Gandharvaloka; vidyādhara — Vidyādharas; muni — and of great sages; gaṇaiḥ — by groups; anavarata — constantly; mada-mudita — delighted by intoxication; vikṛta — moving to and fro; vihvala — rolling; locanaḥ — whose eyes; su-lalita — excellently composed; mukharika — of speech; amṛtena — by the nectar; āpyāyamānaḥ — pleasing; sva-pārṣada — His own associates; vibudha-yūtha-patīn — the heads of the different groups of demigods; aparimlāna — never faded; rāga — whose luster; nava — ever fresh; tulasikā — of the tulasī blossoms; āmoda — by the fragrance; madhu-āsavena — and the honey; mādyan — being intoxicated; madhukara-vrāta — of the bees; madhura-gīta — by the sweet singing; śrīyam — which is made more beautiful; vaijayantīm — the garland named vaijayantī; svām — His own; vanamālām — garland; nīla-vāsāḥ — covered with blue garments; eka-kuṇḍalaḥ — wearing only one earring; hala-kakudi — on the handle of a plow; kṛta — placed; subhaga — auspicious; sundara — beautiful; bhujaḥ — hands; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mahā-indraḥ — the King of heaven; vāraṇa-indraḥ — the elephant; iva — like; kāñcanīm — golden; kakṣām — belt; udāra-līlaḥ — engaged in transcendental pastimes; bibharti — wears.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: The demigods, the demons, the Uragas [serpentine demigods], the Siddhas, the Gandharvas, the Vidyādharas and many highly elevated sages constantly offer prayers to the Lord. Because He is intoxicated, the Lord looks bewildered, and His eyes, appearing like flowers in full bloom, move to and fro. He pleases His personal associates, the heads of the demigods, by the sweet vibrations emanating from His mouth. Dressed in bluish garments and wearing a single earring, He holds a plow on His back with His two beautiful and well-constructed hands. Appearing as white as the heavenly King Indra, He wears a golden belt around His waist and a vaijayantī garland of ever-fresh tulasī blossoms around His neck. Bees intoxicated by the honeylike fragrance of the tulasī flowers hum very sweetly around the garland, which thus becomes more and more beautiful. In this way, the Lord enjoys His very magnanimous pastimes.
VERSE 5.25.8
ya eṣa evam anuśruto dhyāyamāno mumukṣūṇām anādi-kāla-karma-vāsanā-grathitam avidyāmayaṁ hṛdaya-granthiṁ sattva-rajas-tamomayam antar-hṛdayaṁ gata āśu nirbhinatti tasyānubhāvān bhagavān svāyambhuvo nāradaḥ saha tumburuṇā sabhāyāṁ brahmaṇaḥ saṁślokayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
yaḥ — who; eṣaḥ — this one; evam — thus; anuśrutaḥ — being heard from a bona fide spiritual master; dhyāyamānaḥ — being meditated upon; mumukṣūṇām — of persons desiring liberation from conditioned life; anādi — from immemorial; kāla — time; karma-vāsanā — by the desire for fruitive activities; grathitam — tied tightly; avidyā-mayam — consisting of the illusory energy; hṛdaya-granthim — the knot within the heart; sattva-rajaḥ-tamaḥ-mayam — made of the three modes of material nature; antaḥ-hṛdayam — in the core of the heart; gataḥ — situated; āśu — very soon; nirbhinatti — cuts; tasya — of Saṅkarṣaṇa; anubhāvān — the glories; bhagavān — the greatly powerful; svāyambhuvaḥ — the son of Lord Brahmā; nāradaḥ — the sage Nārada; saha — along with; tumburuṇā — the stringed instrument called a Tumburu; sabhāyām — in the assembly; brahmaṇaḥ — of Lord Brahmā; saṁślokayām āsa — described in verses.
TRANSLATION
If persons who are very serious about being liberated from material life hear the glories of Anantadeva from the mouth of a spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession, and if they always meditate upon Saṅkarṣaṇa, the Lord enters the cores of their hearts, vanquishes all the dirty contamination of the material modes of nature, and cuts to pieces the hard knot within the heart, which has been tied tightly since time immemorial by the desire to dominate material nature through fruitive activities. Nārada Muni, the son of Lord Brahmā, always glorifies Anantadeva in his father’s assembly. There he sings blissful verses of his own composition, accompanied by his stringed instrument [or a celestial singer] known as Tumburu.
VERSE 5.25.9
utpatti-sthiti-laya-hetavo ’sya kalpāḥ
sattvādyāḥ prakṛti-guṇā yad-īkṣayāsan
yad-rūpaṁ dhruvam akṛtaṁ yad ekam ātman
nānādhāt katham u ha veda tasya vartma
SYNONYMS
utpatti — of creation; sthiti — maintenance; laya — and dissolution; hetavaḥ — the original causes; asya — of this material world; kalpāḥ — capable of acting; sattva-ādyāḥ — headed by the sattva-guṇa; prakṛti-guṇāḥ — the modes of material nature; yat — of whom; īkṣayā — by the glance; āsan — became; yat-rūpam — the form of whom; dhruvam — unlimited; akṛtam — uncreated; yat — who; ekam — one; ātman — in Himself; nānā — variously; adhāt — has manifested; katham — how; u ha — certainly; veda — can understand; tasya — His; vartma — path.
TRANSLATION
By His glance, the Supreme Personality of Godhead enables the modes of material nature to act as the causes of universal creation, maintenance and destruction. The Supreme Soul is unlimited and beginningless, and although He is one, He has manifested Himself in many forms. How can human society understand the ways of the Supreme?
VERSE 5.25.10
mūrtiṁ naḥ puru-kṛpayā babhāra sattvaṁ
saṁśuddhaṁ sad-asad idaṁ vibhāti tatra
yal-līlāṁ mṛga-patir ādade ’navadyām
ādātuṁ svajana-manāṁsy udāra-vīryaḥ
SYNONYMS
mūrtim — different forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; naḥ — unto us; puru-kṛpayā — because of great mercy; babhāra — exhibited; sattvam — existence; saṁśuddham — completely transcendental; sat-asat idam — this material manifestation of cause and effect; vibhāti — shines; tatra — in whom; yat-līlām — the pastimes of whom; mṛga-patiḥ — the master of all living beings, who is exactly like a lion (the master of all other animals); ādade — taught; anavadyām — without material contamination; ādātum — to conquer; sva-jana-manāṁsi — the minds of His devotees; udāra-vīryaḥ — who is most liberal and powerful.
TRANSLATION
This manifestation of subtle and gross matter exists within the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Out of causeless mercy toward His devotees, He exhibits various forms, which are all transcendental. The Supreme Lord is most liberal, and He possesses all mystic power. To conquer the minds of His devotees and give pleasure to their hearts, He appears in different incarnations and manifests many pastimes.
VERSE 5.25.11
yan-nāma śrutam anukīrtayed akasmād
ārto vā yadi patitaḥ pralambhanād vā
hanty aṁhaḥ sapadi nṛṇām aśeṣam anyaṁ
kaṁ śeṣād bhagavata āśrayen mumukṣuḥ
SYNONYMS
yat — of whom; nāma — the holy name; śrutam — heard; anukīrtayet — may chant or repeat; akasmāt — by accident; ārtaḥ — a distressed person; vā — or; yadi — if; patitaḥ — a fallen person; pralambhanāt — out of joking; vā — or; hanti — destroys; aṁhaḥ — sinful; sapadi — that instant; nṛṇām — of human society; aśeṣam — unlimited; anyam — of other; kam — what; śeṣāt — than Lord Śeṣa; bhagavataḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; āśrayet — should take shelter of; mumukṣuḥ — anyone desiring liberation.
TRANSLATION
Even if he be distressed or degraded, any person who chants the holy name of the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide spiritual master, is immediately purified. Even if he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, he and anyone who hears him are freed from all sins. Therefore how can anyone seeking disentanglement from the material clutches avoid chanting the name of Lord Śeṣa? Of whom else should one take shelter?
VERSE 5.25.12
mūrdhany arpitam aṇuvat sahasra-mūrdhno
bhū-golaṁ sagiri-sarit-samudra-sattvam
ānantyād animita-vikramasya bhūmnaḥ
ko vīryāṇy adhi gaṇayet sahasra-jihvaḥ
SYNONYMS
mūrdhani — on a hood or head; arpitam — fixed; aṇu-vat — just like an atom; sahasra-mūrdhnaḥ — of Ananta, who has thousands of hoods; bhū-golam — this universe; sa-giri-sarit-samudra-sattvam — with many mountains, trees, oceans and living entities; ānantyāt — due to being unlimited; animita-vikramasya — whose power is immeasurable; bhūmnaḥ — the Supreme Lord; kaḥ — who; vīryāṇi — potencies; adhi — indeed; gaṇayet — can count; sahasra-jihvaḥ — although having thousands of tongues.
TRANSLATION
Because the Lord is unlimited, no one can estimate His power. This entire universe, filled with its many great mountains, rivers, oceans, trees and living entities, 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?
VERSE 5.25.13
evam-prabhāvo bhagavān ananto
duranta-vīryoru-guṇānubhāvaḥ
mūle rasāyāḥ sthita ātma-tantro
yo līlayā kṣmāṁ sthitaye bibharti
SYNONYMS
evam-prabhāvaḥ — who is so powerful; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anantaḥ — Ananta; duranta-vīrya — insurmountable prowess; uru — great; guṇa-anubhāvaḥ — possessing transcendental qualities and glories; mūle — at the base; rasāyāḥ — of the lower planetary systems; sthitaḥ — existing; ātma-tantraḥ — completely self-sufficient; yaḥ — who; līlayā — easily; kṣmām — the universe; sthitaye — for its maintenance; bibharti — sustains.
TRANSLATION
There is no end to the great and glorious qualities of that powerful Lord Anantadeva. Indeed, His prowess is unlimited. Though self-sufficient, He Himself is the support of everything. He resides beneath the lower planetary systems and easily sustains the entire universe.
VERSE 5.25.14
etā hy eveha nṛbhir upagantavyā gatayo yathā-karma-vinirmitā yathopadeśam anuvarṇitāḥ kāmān kāmayamānaiḥ.
SYNONYMS
etāḥ — all these; hi — indeed; eva — certainly; iha — in this universe; nṛbhiḥ — by all living entities; upagantavyāḥ — achievable; gatayaḥ — destinations; yathā-karma — according to one’s past activities; vinirmitāḥ — created; yathā-upadeśam — as instructed; anuvarṇitāḥ — described accordingly; kāmān — material enjoyment; kāmayamānaiḥ — by those who are desiring.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, as I heard of it from my spiritual master, I have fully described to you the creation of this material world according to the fruitive activities and desires of the conditioned souls. Those conditioned souls, who are full of material desires, achieve various situations in different planetary systems, and in this way they live within this material creation.
VERSE 5.25.15
etāvatīr hi rājan puṁsaḥ pravṛtti-lakṣaṇasya dharmasya vipāka-gataya uccāvacā visadṛśā yathā-praśnaṁ vyācakhye kim anyat kathayāma iti.
SYNONYMS
etāvatīḥ — of such a kind; hi — certainly; rājan — O King; puṁsaḥ — of the human being; pravṛtti-lakṣaṇasya — symptomized by inclinations; dharmasya — of the execution of duties; vipāka-gatayaḥ — the resultant destinations; ucca-avacāḥ — high and low; visadṛśāḥ — different; yathā-praśnam — as you inquired; vyācakhye — I have described; kim anyat — what else; kathayāma — shall I speak; iti — thus.
TRANSLATION
My dear King, I have thus described how people generally act according to their different desires and, as a result, get different types of bodies in higher or lower planets. You inquired of these things from me, and I have explained to you whatever I have heard from authorities. What shall I speak of now?