SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 5

S'rî S'uka said: 'At a distance of thirty-eight thousand yojanas beneath the base of Pâtâla [see footnote] remains He who is indeed the part of the Supreme Lord that relates to darkness and is called Ananta [the eternal one]; the truthful of vision and understanding derive the idea of the self-concept of having an ego, as a symptom [of that darkness] thus, from Him, Sankarshana, so the learned declare [see also 3.26: 25 and 4.24: 35].

S'rî S'uka said: 'At a distance of thirty-eight thousand yojanas beneath the base of Pâtâla [see footnote *] remains He who is indeed the part of the Supreme Lord that relates to darkness and is called Ananta [the eternal one]; the truthful of vision and understanding derive the idea of the self-concept of having an I, an ego, as a symptom [of that darkness] thus, from Him, Sankarshana, so the learned declare [see also 3.26: 25 and 4.24: 35]. (Vedabase)

Text 2

This universe is, as seen sustained on only one of the thousands of hoods of the Supreme Lord in the form of Anantadeva, just like a white mustard seed [like a single galaxy among many others in deep space].

This universe is, as seen sustained on only one of the thousands of hoods of the Supreme Lord in the form of Anantadeva, just like a white mustard seed [like a single galaxy among many others in deep space]. (Vedabase)

Text 3

Of His desire to, in due course of time, by anger destroy this so very beautiful spinning world, is indeed from between His eyebrows a Rudra [an incarnation of Lord S'iva] named Sânkarshana [born from Sankarshana] formed from which eleven three-eyed expansions upholding pointed tridents arose.

Of His desire to, in due course of time, by anger destroy this so very beautiful spinning world, is indeed from between His eyebrows a Rudra [an incarnation of Lord S'iva] named to Sankarshana formed from which eleven three-eyed expansions upholding pointed tridents arose. (Vedabase)

Text 4

On the round surfaces of the brilliant pink gemlike toenails of His lotus feet do the leaders of the snakelike, who with the best of the devotees in unalloyed devotion offer their prayers, see, to the effulgence of the glittering earrings decorating their cheeks, their own faces beautifully reflected and are their minds truly refreshed.

On the round surfaces of the brilliant pink gemlike toenails of His lotusfeet do the leaders of the snakelike with the best of the devotees in unalloyed devotion offering their prayers, see, to the effulgence of the glittering earrings decorating their cheeks, their own faces beautifully reflected and are their minds truly refreshed. (Vedabase)

Text 5

The marriageable princesses of the serpent kings hoping for the blessings of Him indeed, smear with an ointment of saffron, aloe, and sandalwood paste the gleaming roundings of His auspicious, beautiful, white, spotless arms that are like columns of silver; by the contact are due to the entrance of Cupid their hearts beating faster and see they, bashfully as lotusflowers, His appreciative, very attractive delicate, beautiful smiles that intoxicate them mad with delight about his rolling, pink and kindly glancing eyes and face.

The marriageable princesses of the serpent kings for certain hoping for the blessings of Him indeed, smear with an ointment of saffron, aloe, and sandalwood paste the gleaming roundings of His auspicious, beautiful, white, spotless arms that are like columns of silver; by the contact are due to the entrance of Cupid their hearts beating faster and see they, bashfully as lotusflowers, His appreciative, very attractive delicate, beautiful smiles that intoxicate them mad with delight about his rolling, pink and kindly glancing eyes and face. (Vedabase)

Text 6

That Ananta is for certain the Supreme Lord, the reservoir of all transcendental qualities and the original Godhead who in restraint of the force of His intolerance and wrath remains for the welfare of the humans of all worlds.

That Ananta is for certain the Supreme Lord, the reservoir of all transcendental qualities and the original Godhead who in restraint of the force of His intolerance and wrath remains for the welfare of the humans of all worlds. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Being constantly meditated upon by the scores of the enlightened and unenlightened, the semi-divine snakelike, the perfected, the heavenly singers and the ones founded in knowledge and the wise, does he, delighted under the influence roll His eyes to and fro. By the nectar of a fine choice of words and sweet song are His associates, the leaders of the different groups of intelligence, pleasing Him whose luster never fades, who is ever fresh with the fragrance of the tulsî blossoms that with their honey madden the bees about His thus even more beautiful Vaijayantî flowergarland. Clad in blue with only one earring and the beauty of His auspicious hands placed on the handle of His plow is He, wearing a golden belt and as invincible as Indra's elephant, engaged in transcendental pastimes being the Supreme Lord in person.

Being constantly meditated upon by the scores of the enlightened and unenlightened, the semi-divine snakelike, the perfected, the heavenly singers and the ones founded in knowledge and the wise, does he, delighted under the influence roll His eyes to and fro. By the nectar of a fine choice of words and sweet song are His associates, the leaders of the different groups of intelligence, pleasing Him whose luster never fades, who is ever fresh with the fragrance of the tulsî blossoms that with their honey madden the bees about His thus even more beautiful vaijayantî flowergarland. Clad in blue with only one earring and the beauty of His auspicious hands placed on the handle of His plow is He, wearing a golden belt, engaged in transcendental pastimes being the Supreme Lord in person, as invincible as Indra's elephant. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Those after liberation who by mouth of the tradition hear about the glories of this one Lord, find the knot that since time immemorial of the illusory energy, consisting of passion, goodness and slowness, in the unconscious of fruitive action was tied in the core of their hearts, very soon cut. The greatly powerful son of Brahmâ, Nârada, along with his instrument the Tumburu, describes Him in the brahman assembly in selected verses:

Those after liberation who by mouth of the tradition hear about the glories of this one Lord, find the knot that since time immemorial of the illusory energy, consisting of passion, goodness and slowness, in the unconscious of fruitive action was tied in the core of their hearts, very soon cut. The greatly powerful son of Brahmâ, Nârada, along with his instrument the tumburu, describes him in the brahman assembly in select poetry: (Vedabase)

Text 9

'By whose form unlimited and beginningless and by whose glance, with goodness leading, the modes of material nature were enabled to act as the primal causes for creation, maintenance and destruction; He who is one of Soul and diverse in manifestation, how can His path with certainty be understood?

'By whose form unlimited and beginningless and by whose glance, with goodness leading, the modes of material nature were enabled to act as the primal causes for creation, maintenance and destruction; He who is one of Soul and diverse in manifestation, how can His path with certainty be understood? (Vedabase)

Text 10

Out of His mercy for us He exhibited His existence in different forms as being completely transcendental to this manifestation of cause and effect; He who in His pastimes, to the minds of His devotees, shines as the most liberal and powerful master of all beings, taught us to conquer free from material concerns.

Out of His mercy for us He exhibited His existence in different forms as being completely transcendental to this manifestation of cause and effect; He who in His pastimes, to the minds of His devotees, shines as the most liberal and powerful master of all beings, taught us to conquer free from material concerns. (Vedabase)

Text 11

Any person in distress who accidentally heard of, or whatever fallen soul who just for fun could chant or repeat His name, will instantly see the endless sinful of human association vanquished; with whom else but Lord Ananta S'esha should any seeker of salvation take shelter?

Any person in distress who accidentally heard of, or whatever fallen soul who just for fun could chant or repeat His name, will instantly see the endless sinful of human association vanquished; of whom else but Lord Ananta S'esha should any seeker of salvation take shelter? (Vedabase)

Text 12

This universe with its mountains, trees, oceans and beings is like an atom fixed on the crest of Ananta, the thousand headed one; whomever, however many his tongues, is, due to His inscrutable power, able to enumerate His potencies?

This universe with its mountains, trees, oceans and beings is like an atom fixed on the crest of Ananta, the thousand headed one; whomever, however many his tongues, is, due to His inscrutable power, able to enumerate His potencies? (Vedabase)

Text 13

Existing completely self-sufficient at the base of the nether worlds is Ananta the so very powerful Supreme Lord of insurmountable prowess and the great one of all transcendental qualities and glory, who playfully for its maintenance keeps the earth from falling.'

Existing completely self-sufficient at the base of the nether worlds is Ananta the so very powerful Supreme Lord of insurmountable prowess and the great of all transcendental qualities and glory, who playfully for its maintenance keeps the earth from falling.' (Vedabase)

Text 14

All the destinations that those desiring after material enjoyment, according their karma, in this thereof fashioned universe can achieve, have thus for true, as it was received, been described.

All the destinations that those desiring after material enjoyment, according their karma, in this thereof fashioned universe can achieve, have thus for true as was received been described. (Vedabase)

Text 15

As you inquired, have I shown you, o King, what, to the people their inclinations and nature, are the inevitably resultant different higher and lower kinds of destinations; what more should I tell you about?

As you inquired, have I shown you, o King, what, to the people their inclinations and nature, are the inevitably resultant different higher and lower kinds of destinations; what else should I tell you about?' (Vedabase)

*: The mentioning of distance in connection with the transcendental reality of Ananta suggests a physical correlate in the universe that compares to the darkness of the intergalactic space that as an organic existence of eternity, purity and divinity or void of self envelops all the galaxies in the cosmos, giving each his own 'snake'-foundation in the darkness of an awareness of 'I'. The actual shortest distance between the center of our stellar system and the outerspace of darkness below it is about 3500 lightyears.