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{{other uses|Ananta (disambiguation){{!}}Ananta}}
{{Hinduism}}

'''''Ananta''''' ({{Lang-sa|अनन्त}}), literally "not ending", means 'endless' or 'limitless', also means 'eternal' or '[[infinity]]',<ref>{{cite book|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|author=Roshen Dalal|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books|page=27|isbn=9780143414216|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC&q=ananta+meaning&pg=PA27 }}</ref> in other words, it also means infinitude or an unending expansion or without limit.

== Vaishnavism ==
[[File:Vishnu sleeps on the coils of Ananta (the World Snake). He will awake for the next cycle of creation which heralds the destruction of all things. Sculpture. From India, c. 14th century CE. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.jpg|thumb|Vishnu sleeps on the coils of Ananta (the World Snake). He will awake for the next cycle of creation which heralds the destruction of all things. Sculpture. From India, c. 14th century CE. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh]]
It is one of many of the [[Vishnu Sahasranāma|names of Lord Vishnu]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Shri Vishnu Sahasranamam| url=http://kirtimukha.com/chinnamma/sahasra/sloka95.htm}}</ref> Ananta is also a name of [[Shesha|Shesha-naga]], the celestial snake, on which Lord Vishnu reclines in the [[cosmic ocean]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Heart of Hinduism: The Eastern Path of Freedom, Empowerment and Illumination|author=Stephen Knapp|year=2005|publisher=iUniverse|page=159|isbn=9780595350759|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a2KPChj7lTwC&q=ananta+meaning&pg=PA159}}</ref>

In the [[Mahabharata]], Ananta or Adi-sesa, is the son of [[Kasyap]]a, one of the [[Prajapati]]s, 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 [[Naga Kingdom|Nagas]] in [[Patala]]. By the grace of Ananta, [[Garga (sage)|Garga]] was able to master the sciences of astronomy and causation.<ref name="PURENC">{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedic dictionary of the Puranas Vol.1|author=Parameshwaranand|year=2001|publisher=Sarup and Sons|page=65|isbn=9788176252263|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=6F0ZIBIL2ZAC&q=ananta&pg=PA65}}</ref>

It is said{{By whom|date=April 2021}} that [[Rudra]] will emanate from the face of Ananta and consume the [[Trailokya|three worlds]] at the end of a [[Kalpa (aeon)|kalpa]].<ref name="PURENC"/>

Ananta is also an epithet of [[Brahma]], [[Shiva]], [[Murugan|Skanda]], [[Krishna]], [[Balarama]], earth, and the letter [[A]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World|author=Ganga Ram Garg|year=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|pages=424–5|isbn=9788170223757|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WjDcd0cTFxQC&q=ananta&pg=PA425 }}</ref>

== Vedanta ==
''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.<ref>{{cite book|title=Happiness and the Art of Being|author=Michael James|year=2012|publisher=Arul Books|page=257|isbn=9781475111576|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NoqTUhnvyHAC&q=ananta+meaning+of&pg=PA257 }}</ref>

It denotes [[Brahman]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Upanishads: Gateways of Knowledge|author=M.P.Pandit|year=1988|publisher=Lotus Press|page=127|isbn=9780941524445|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dnh_qHPfe4IC&q=ananta+in+upanishads&pg=PA127}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Philosophy of the Upanishads|author=[[Paul Deussen]]|date=June 2010|publisher=Cosimo Inc.|page=90|isbn=9781616402402|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=e-a0RHpZw78C&q=ananta+in+upanishads&pg=PA90}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Vibrating Universe|author=Narsimhacarana Panda|year=1995|publisher=Motilal Banarsidas|page=21|isbn=9788120812918|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xzqMOXERpBYC&q=ananta+meaning+of&pg=PA21}}</ref> Ananta is the infinite space,<ref>{{cite book|title=Brownstudy of Heathenland|author=M.N.Behera|year=2003|publisher=University Press of America|page=14|isbn=9780761826521|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BftYCzpZevQC&q=ananta+meaning&pg=PA14}}</ref> the infinite space is Brahman.

== Yoga ==

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. On being apprehended Ananta was sentenced by Lord Shiva to impart that teaching to human beings for which purpose Ananta assumed the human form and was called [[Patanjali]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Ashtanga Yoga The Intermediate Series: Mythology, anatomy and Practice|author=Gregor Maehle|date=25 June 2012|publisher=New World Library|pages=41, 134|isbn=9781577319870|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OhYeGdNK0UoC&q=ananta+meaning+of&pg=PA41}}</ref> In his [[Yoga Sutras]], Patanjali stresses upon the use of breath to achieve perfection in posture which entails steadiness and comfort, by making an effort, the effort meant is the effort of breathing. The effort of breathing has been highlighted by the term, Ananta, in Sutra 2.47.<ref>{{cite book|title=Yoga for Three Stages of Life|year=2000|author=Srivatsa Ramaswami|publisher=Inner Traditions|page=[https://archive.org/details/yogaforthreestag00sriv/page/96 96]|url= https://archive.org/details/yogaforthreestag00sriv|url-access=registration|quote=ananta meaning of.}}</ref> Ananta was called Patanjali because he desired to teach Yoga to human beings, he fell from heaven to earth landing in the palm of a virtuous woman named Gonika.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Splendours and Dimensions of Yoga|author=R.S.Bajpai|year=2002|publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors|page=113|isbn=9788171569649|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zc8-ZyJz0rwC&q=ananta+in+Yoga&pg=PA113}}</ref>

== Jainism ==

According to [[Jainism]] the pure soul of each life form is:<ref>{{cite book|title=Faith and Philosophy of Jainism|author=Arun Kumar Jain|year=2009|publisher=Gyan Publishing House|page=6|isbn=9788178357232}}</ref>

* ''Ananta-gyana'' (Endless Knowledge)
* ''Ananta-darshana'' (Endless Perception)
* ''Ananta-caritra'' (Endless Consciousness)
* ''Ananta-sukha'' (Endless Bliss)


The 14th of the 24 [[Jain]] Tirathankaras is known as Ananta or Anant Nath.<ref>{{cite book|title=Pratiyogita Darpan: General Studies of Indian History|publisher=Upkar Prakashan|page=44|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TTcCKkY7NLMC&q=anant+nath&pg=PA44}}</ref>

== Buddhism ==
Ananta also appears in the [[Buddhist]] iconography as one of three female deities emanating from Dhyani Buddha Amitabha.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

{{Indian philosophy|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Forms of Vishnu]]
[[Category:Jain philosophy]]
[[Category:Buddhist deities]]