CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

The Glories of Lord Ananta

In this chapter, Sukadeva Gosvami describes Ananta, the source of Lord
Siva. Lord Ananta, whose body is completely spiritual, resides at the root
of the planet Patala. He always lives in the core of Lord Siva’ s heart, and
He helps him destroy the universe. Ananta instructs Lord Siva how to
destroy the cosmos, and thus He is sometimes called tdmasi, or “‘one who
is in the mode of darkness.” He is the original Deity of material con-
sciousness, and because He attracts all living entities, He is sometimes
known as Sankarsana. The entire material world is situated on the hoods
of Lord Sankarsana. From His forehead He transmits to Lord Siva the
power to destroy this material world. Because Lord Sankarsana is an ex-
pansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, many devotees offer
Him prayers, and in the planetary system of Patala, all the suras, asuras,
Gandharvas, Vidyadharas and learned sages offer Him their respectful
obeisances. The Lord talks with them in a sweet voice. His bodily con-
struction is completely spiritual and very, very beautiful. Anyone who
hears about Him from a proper spiritual master becomes free from all
material conceptions of life. The entire material energy is working ac-
cording to the plans of Anantadeva. Therefore we should regard Him as
the root cause of the material creation. There is no end to His strength,
and no one can fully describe Him, even with countless mouths.
Therefore He is called Ananta (unlimited). Being very merciful coward
all living entities, He has exhibited His spiritual body. Sukadeva
Gosvami describes the glories of Anantadeva to Maharaja Pariksit in
this way.
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