Ananta and Sesa

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The following is an exchange between myself and Ekanath Prabhu (NE-BBT)

concerning Ananta Sesa.

 

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(BVS)> Sometimes Ananta and Sesa appear to be listed as separate

>incarnations.

>

> E.g.s Examples of direct or saksad-avataras are the Sesa incarnation and

> the Ananta incarnation. In Ananta the power for sustaining all planets is

> invested, and in the Sesa incarnation the power for serving the Supreme

> Lord is invested. TLC Ch. 8

>

> Directly empowered incarnations are the Kumaras, Narada, Prthu, Sesa,

> Ananta, etc. SB 1.3.5 purport

>

> And sometimes Ananta and Sesa are described as the same person.

>

> E.g.s

> Even the Lord Himself in His incarnation as Ananta, or Sesa, cannot

> describe His own glories. SB 4.40.31 purport

>

> The incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead known as Sesa or

> Ananta... SB 5.17.21 purport

>

> What is the correct understanding?

 

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Ekanath Prabhu > Looking up the entry 'Sesa' in the Gaudiya Vaisnava >

Abhidhana, the first

> synonym given is 'Anantadeva', with reference to SB.5.25.13. In the

> summary to this chapter Srila Prabhupada explains that this Lord Ananta is

> also known as Sankarsana.

>

> What is really going on seems to be that Lord Sankarsana expands into many

> different forms to accomplish different tasks:

>

> (1) Sesa Naga in the Vaikuntha world, empowered for the personal service

> of the Supreme Lord (sva-sevana-sakti), (2) Anantadeva, empowered to bear

> all the planets within the universe (bhu-dharana-sakti), [CC.MAD.20.246]

>

> "Lord Sesa in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha and, in the material world,

> Lord Ananta, who carries innumerable planets on His hood, are two primary

> empowered incarnations. There is no need to count the others, for they are

> unlimited." [CC.MAD.20.370]

>

> "Srila Jiva Gosvami, in his Krsna-sandarbha, has described Sesa Naga as

> follows: "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 svarat, fully independent. He is

> therefore infinite and transcendental to all limits of time and space. He

> Himself appears as the thousand-headed Sesa." [CC.ADI.5.10]

>

> "There He [Lord Visnu], manifested Vaikuntha as His own abode and rested

> in the waters on the bed of Lord Sesa." [CC.ADI.5.99]

>

> Lord Sankarasana, who is always very eager to serve, takes on different

> forms to accomplish varieties of service to the Lord. He accepts the

> serpentine form and serves as a couch. It is said that this is happening

> in Vaikuntha, but from the last quoted verse it is clear that this also

> goes on in the Vaikuntha atmosphere that exists within this universe,

> wherever the Lord resides. He takes the form of Ananta, who is also

> described as serpent-like, personifying the adhara-sakti, supportive

> (gravitational) energy. He is also described as Anantadeva in SB.5.25,

> where He is depicted as having a human form--in some verses--or again

> serpent-like, in other verses.

>

> > What is the correct understanding?

>

> When He is called Ananta, that refers to the form of Sankarsana which

> supports the planets and universes.

>

> When He is called Sesa, that refers to the form of Sankarsana who serves

> as couch and so on.

>

> When He is called Ananta Sesa, that may refer to either of these two

> forms.

>

> There is not one single incarnation known as Ananta Sesa, but rather a

> variety of personalities in serpent or other bodies, who all expand from

> Sankarsana to serve the Lord in different ways.