Ananta (infinite)

Ananta (अनन्त), is a Sanskrit term, and primarily an epithet of Vishnu. It is one of many of the names of Vishnu. Ananta is also a name of Shesha, the celestial snake, on which Vishnu reclines in the cosmic ocean. In the Mahabharata, Ananta, or Shesha, is the son of Kashyapa, one of the Prajapatis, through Kadru as her eldest son. Kadru had asked her sons to stay suspended in the hair of Uchchaihshravas’s tail who on refusing to do so were cursed to die at the serpent-yajna of Janamejaya. Ananta was saved by Brahma who directed him to go to the nether world and support the world on his hoods, and thus became the king of the Nagas in Patala. By the grace of Ananta, Garga was able to master the sciences of astronomy and causation. It is said that Rudra will emanate from the face of Ananta and consume the three worlds at the end of a kalpa. Ananta is also an epithet of Brahma, Shiva, Skanda, Krishna, Balarama, earth, and the letter A. Ananta is one of four types of objects or categories of being: Ananta has a beginning but no end Nitya has neither beginning nor an end Anitya has a beginning and an end Anadi has no beginning, but has an end According to the Vedanta School, the term Ananta used in the phrase “anadi (beginningless) ananta (endless) akhanda (unbroken) satcitananda (being-consciousness-bliss)” refers to the Infinite, the single non-dual reality. It denotes Brahman as one of six attributes which are prajna, priyam, satyam, ananta, ananda and stithi that are said to manifest themselves in space, which is common to all six bases. Brahman has no initial cause and is known as anadikarana, the uncreated who is not a product, which means Brahman has no material cause and is not the material cause of anything. Ananta is the infinite space, the infinite space is Brahman. According to the Yoga School, Ananta is the serpent of infinity who eavesdropped on the secret teaching that was being imparted to Goddess Parvati by Lord Shiva; the secret teaching was Yoga.