Shesha

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Shesha

Vishnu resting on Ananta-Shesha, with his holy

wife Lakshmi, who is massaging his feet

In Hinduism, Shesha (Sanskrit: esa), also known as Sheshanaga (esanga) orAdishesha (di
esa), is the nagaraja or king of all ngas and one of the primal beings of creation. In the Puranas,
Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories
of the God Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta Shesha, which
translates as endless-Shesha or Adishesha "first Shesha". It is said that when Adishesa uncoils,
time moves forward and creation takes place; when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist.

Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha. Shesha is considered a servant as well as a

manifestation of Vishnu. He is said to have descended to Earth in two human forms or
avatars: Lakshmana, brother of Rama; Balarama, brother of Krishna.

"Shesha" in Sanskrit texts, especially those relating to mathematical calculation, implies the
"remainder" that which remains when all else ceases to exist. But in Sanskrit it also means 6
shesham as the sheshanaga has been depicted to have many heads (5 to 7).

Contents

[hide]

1Form

o 1.1Maha Vishnu and sankarshana

2Other details
 3Quotations

4Other names

5See also

6Footnotes

7External links

Form[edit]

Vishnu resting on Ananta-Shesha, with his consort Lakshmi massaging his feet

Shesha is generally depicted with a massive form that floats coiled in space, or on the ocean of
bliss, to form the bed on which Vishnu lies. Sometimes he is shown as five-headed or seven-
headed, but more commonly as a many thousand-headed serpent, sometimes with each head
wearing an ornate crown.

His name means "that which remains", from the Sanskrit root i , because when the world is
destroyed at the end of the kalpa, Shesha remains as he is.

In the Bhagavadgita of Chapter 10, verse 29, Shri Krishna while describing 75 of his common
manifestations, declares, "ananta ca asmi ngn": Of the nagas, I am Ananta.
Ananta Vishnu

As per the Mahabharata, Shesha was born to sage Kashyap and his wife Kadru. Kadru gave birth to
a thousand snakes, of which Shesha was the eldest. After
Shesha, Vasuki, Airavataand Takshaka were born, in order. A lot of Shesha's brothers were cruel
and were bent upon inflicting harm on others. They were even unkind to Garuda, who was
Kashyapas son through Vinatha, sister of Kadru. (Kadru and Vinatha were daughters of Daksha).

Shesha, disgusted by the cruel acts of his brothers, left his mother and kin, and took to austere
penances. He lived on air and meditated in places including Gandhamadhana, Badrikashrama,
Gokarna, Pushkara and Himalayas. His penances were so severe that his flesh, skin and muscles
dried up and merged with his frame. Brahma, convinced of his Shesha's will, asked Shesha to
request a boon. Shesha asked that he be able to keep his mind under control so that he could
continue to perform ascetic penances. Brahma gladly accepted the request. Brahma then asked a
favour of Shesha: to go beneath the unstable earth and stabilize it. Shesha agreed and went to the
netherworld and stabilized her with his hood. He is known to support her even today, thus making
Patala his perennial residence.[1]

Maha Vishnu and sankarshana[edit]

Shesha is also depicted as floating in the ocean of the changing world, forming the bed of Maha
Vishnu. Since he is known as Adishesha (the foremost of snakes) and because he is Anantashesha
or simply Ananta (endless, as he is known to remain in existence even after the end of the Kalpa,
when the whole universe is destroyed).

In the Bhagavata shesha is named Sankarshana, the tamasic energy of Lord Narayana Himself and
is said to live deep within the inner layers of patala, where there are many serpents with gems on
their head, where Sankarshana is the ruler. He is said to live before the creation of the universe.
When the universe is towards its end he creates 11 rudras from him to destroy the universe for a
new one to be created.

He expands himself as garbhodakshayi-vishnu in the beginning of the universe to create Brahma. In

other words, Lord Sankarshana is Lord Narayana himself.

Other details[edit]

Sheshanarayana by Raja Ravi Varma.

Lakshmana and Balarama are considered avatara of Sheshanaga (or vice versa).

In a story from the Puranas, Shesha's younger brother Vasuki loosens Mount Mandara, to enable it
to be used in the churning of the ocean by the devas and asuras.

According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), his father was Kashyapa and his mother Kadru.

The city of Thiruvananthapuram is named after him as the "City of Lord Ananta."

Quotations[edit]
"The foremost manifestation of Lord Vishnu is Sankars ana, who is known as Ananta. He is
the origin of all incarnations within this material world. Previous to the appearance of Lord
Shri Krishna, this original Sankarsana will appear as Baladeva, just to please the Supreme Lord
Shri Krishna in His transcendental pastimes." Bhgavata Purna 10.1.24
 "Sri Anantadeva has thousands of faces and is fully independent. Always ready to serve the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, He waits upon him constantly. Sankarsana is the first
expansion of Vasudeva and because he appears by his own will, He is called varat, fully
independent. He is therefore infinite and transcendental to all limits of time andspace. He
Himself appears as the thousand-headed Shesha." Srila Jiva Gosvami, in his Krishna-
Sandarbha

"Sankarsana of the quadruple form descends with Lord Shri Rama as Lakshmana. When
Lord Shri Rama disappears, Shesha again separates himself from the personality of
Lakshmana. Shesha then returns to his own abode in the Patala regions and Lakshmana
returns to His abode in Vaikuntha." A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

In the Bhagavad-Gita, when in the middle of the battlefield Kurukshetra, Shri Krishna
explaining his omnipresence, says: "Of Ngas, I am Ananta" indicating the importance of Ananta
Shesha.

Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu seated on the coils of Shesha, with seven heads of
Shesha forming a canopy. statue atVijayanagara.


Maha Vishnu sheltered by the five-headed Shesha, Parsurameswar Temple,Bhubaneswar.

Brahma give boon to Shesha and order to bear the Prithvi or Earth

Other names[edit]
Sheshanaga (Sesha the serpent)

Adishesha (the first Sesha)

Anantashesha (Endless Sesha)

Ananta (endless/infinite)

Alternative spellings: Sesa, Sesha, esa

 Shesha Sayana or Nagar Syana means Vishnu who sleeps (Sayana) on Sheshanaga

Naga-Abharana means Shiva who has the Nagas worn as Ornaments

See also[edit]
Nga

Snake worship

Vishnu

Footnotes[edit]
1. Jump up^ Mbh, Adi Parva

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons
has media related
to Shesha.

The Glories of Lord Ananta (from rimad Bhagavatam)

Ananta Sesha - The Legendary Serpent

Maha-Vishnu & Ananta Sesha

Image of ancient Vishnu and Sesha deity form

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This page was last modified on 22 August 2016, at 13:59.

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