Çré Varuthini Ekadäsé Issue no:84 12th April 2018 Glories of Lord Anantadeva Features

The Glories Of Lord Ananta Srila Sukadeva Goswami

Qualities Of Lord Ananta Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura

How Can The Heart Of A Conditioned Soul Be Purified ? His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

In Which Ways Does The Absolute Truth Manifest? Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Sarasvati Thakura Issue no 84, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä creation. The transparent pinkish toe nails on the Lord’s lotus feet are like valuable gems polished to a mirror finish. When the unalloyed devotees and the leaders of the snake communities offer their devotional obeisance to Lord Sankarsana, they become joyous seeing their own beautiful faces reflected in His toenails. Their cheeks are embellished by glittering earrings, and their beautiful faces are extremely pleasing to see. Lord Ananta’s purely transcendental arms are attractively long and beautifully decorated with bangles. They are snow white, and so they resemble silver columns. When the beautiful princesses of the serpent kings who are always hoping for the Lord’s auspicious blessing, apply aguru pulp, sandalwood pulp and kuṅkuma, to those arms the The Glories Of Lord Ananta touch of His limbs awakens amourous desires Srila Sukadeva Goswami within their hearts. Understanding this, the Lord glances upon the princesses with a merciful smile, Another incarnation of the Supreme Personality and they become bashful, realizing that He knows of Godhead resides in a place approximately their desires. They then smile beautifully and look 240,000 miles beneath the planet Patala. He is the upon the Lord’s lotus face, which is beautified expansion of Lord known as Lord Ananta by reddish eyes rolling slightly from intoxication and the delight of love for His devotees. Lord or Lord Sankarsana. Although He is always Sankarsana is the ocean of unlimited (ananta) in the transcendental position, because He is spiritual qualities, and thus He is known as worshiped by the deity of tamo-guṇa or darkness, Anantadeva. He is non-different from the Lord , He is sometimes called tāmasī. Lord Supreme Personality of Godhead. For the welfare Ananta is the predominating Deity of both the of all living entities within this material world, He material mode of ignorance and the false ego of resides in His abode, and constantly restrains His the conditioned souls. When a conditioned living innate serpentine anger and intolerance. being thinks, “I am the enjoyer, and this world is The demigods, demons, Uragas [serpentine meant to for my enjoyment,” this conception of demigods], Siddhas, , Vidyadharas life is dictated to him by Sankarsana. Thus the and many highly elevated sages constantly offer mundane conditioned soul thinks of himself as the prayers to this Lord. Because He is intoxicated, Supreme Lord. the Lord appears bewildered, and His eyes which Lord Anantadeva has thousands of serpentine resemble flowers in full bloom, move to and fro. hoods, and this entire universe, situated on one He pleases the leaders of the demigods who are His of them appears like a single mustard seed. It is personal associates, by sweet vocal vibrations.. infinitesimal compared to the even the hood of Dressed in bluish garments and decorated with a Lord Ananta. At the time of devastation, when single earring, He holds a plow on His shoulder Lord Anantadeva desires to fulfill His duty with His two beautiful and well-constructed of destroying the entire creation, He becomes hands. He appears as white as the heavenly slightly angry. At that time the three-eyed Rudra King ; He wears a golden belt around His emanates n from between His two eyebrows waist and a vaijayanti of ever-fresh tulasī carrying a trident. This Rudra, who is also known blossoms around His neck. Bees intoxicated by as Sankarsana, is the embodiment of the eleven the honeylike fragrance of the tulasi flowers hum Rudras, who are also incarnations of Lord Shiva. very sweetly around that garland, which thus He appears in order to disintergate the entire becomes increasingly beautiful. In this way, the Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 84, Page—3 Lord relishes His most magnanimous pastimes. there anyone, even with thousands of tongues, Persons who are very serious about being who can adequately describe His glories? There is liberated from material life should hear the glories no end to the great and glorious qualities of that of Anantadeva from the mouth of a spiritual master powerful Lord Anantadeva. Indeed, His prowess in the chain of disciplic succession. They should is unlimited. Though self-sufficient, He Himself is also always meditate upon Lord Sankarsana, for the support of everything. He resides beneath the then He enters the cores of their hearts, completely lower planetary systems and very easily sustains dissipates all the contamination of the material the entire universe. modes of nature, and cuts to pieces the hard knot My dear King, I have fully described to you the of material attachment there. This knot has creation of this material world according to the been strongly formed since time immemorial by fruitive activities and desires of the conditioned the desire to dominate material nature through souls, as I heard of it from my spiritual master. fruitive activities. Narada Muni, the son of Lord Those conditioned souls, who are full of material , thus always glorifies Anantadeva in his desires, end up in various conditions in different father’s assembly. He sings blissful verses of his planetary systems, and in this way they live within own composition, accompanied by his stringed this material creation. I have thus described how instrument [or sometimes a celestial singer] known people in general act according to their different as Tumburu. desires and, as a result, are awarded different types By His glance, the Supreme Personality of of bodies in higher or lower planets. You inquired Godhead enables the modes of material nature to of these things from me, and I have explained to act as the causes of universal creation, maintenance you all that I have heard from spiritual authorities. and destruction. The Supreme Soul is unlimited Of what shall I speak now? and without beginning, and although He is one, He — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam » Canto 5 » Chapter 25: The Glories of Lord Ananta manifest Himself in many forms. How can mortal »Verses 1-15. human beings possibly understand the ways of the Supreme? This entire manifestation of subtle and Qualities Of Lord Ananta gross matter exists within the Supreme Personality Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura of Godhead. Out of causeless mercy toward His devotees, He exhibits various forms, all of which are completely transcendental. ki brahmā, ki śiva, ki sanakādi 'kumāra' The Supreme Lord is most liberal, and possesses vyāsa, śuka, nāradādi, 'bhakta' nāma yāṅra all mystic power. To capture the minds of His loving devotees and give pleasure to their hearts, "Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, the four Kumāras He appears in various incarnations and manifests [Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumara], varieties of pastimes. Even if he is distressed or Vyasadeva, Sukadeva Goswami and Narada are degraded, any person who chants the holy name of all pure devotees, eternal servants of the Lord. the Lord, having heard it from a bona fide spiritual master, is immediately internally purified. Even if sabāra pūjita śrī-ananta-mahāśaya he chants the Lord’s name jokingly or by chance, sahasra-vadana prabhu—bhakti-rasamaya he and anyone who hears him are freed from all kinds of sins. Therefore how can anyone seeking "All of the above mentioned uncontaminated disentanglement from the material clutches avoid devotees worship Lord Sri Ananta. He has chanting the name of Lord Sesha? thousands of serpentine hoods and is the reservoir From whom else should one seek shelter? of all mellows of devotional service. Because the Lord is unlimited, no one can estimate His immeasurable power. This entire universe, filled with its many great mountains, rivers, ādideva, mahā-yogī, 'īśvara', 'vaiṣṇava' oceans, trees and living entities, is resting like an mahimāra anta iṅhā nā jānaye saba atom on one of His many thousands of hoods. Is "Lord Ananta is the original person, the greatest www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 84, Page — 4 Top left 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä "The Lord is glorified as one without an equal and as the Supreme Truth who has no beginning. Therefore He is called Anantadeva [unlimited]. Who can understand Him?

śuddha-sattva-mūrti prabhu dharena karuṇāya ye-vigrahe sabāra prakāśa sulīlāya

"He manifests His purely spiritual only by His mercy. All the activities in this material world are conducted only on the basis ofthis form.

yāṅhāra taraṅga śikhi' siṁha mahāvalī nija-jana-mano raṣje haṣā kutūhalī

"He is very powerful like a lion and is always prepared to please His personal associates and yogi and the supreme controller. Yet , He is also a devotees. servant of God, a Vaishnava. Since there is no end to His glories, no one can understand Him fully. ye ananta-nāmera śravaṇa-saṅkīrtane ye-te mate kene nāhi bole ye-te jane sevana śunilā, ebe śuna ṭhākurāla aśeṣa-janmera bandha chiṇḍe sei-kṣaṇe ātma-tantre yena-mate vaisena pātāla ataeva vaiṣṇava nā chāḍe kabhu tāne

"I have already spoken to you of some of His "If one simply tries to participate in the service to the Lord. Now hear how the self- congregational chanting of the glories of sufficient Anantadeva exists in the lower planetary Lord Anantadeva, the impurities in the hearts, system of Patala. accumulated for many births, will immediately be washed away. Therefore a Vaishnava never misses an opportunity to glorify Anantadeva. śrī-nārada-gosāṣi 'tumburu' kari' saṅge se yaśa gāyena brahmā-sthāne śloka-vandhe 'śeṣa' ba-i saṁsārera gati nāhi āra anantera nāme sarva-jīvera uddhāra "Bearing his stringed instrument named tumburu on his shoulders, the great sage Narada Muni always glorifies Lord Ananta. He has composed "Lord Anantadeva is known as Sesha [the end] many transcendental verses in praise of the Lord." because He ends our sojourn in this material world. Simply by reciting His glories, all people can be liberated. sṛṣṭi, sthiti, pralaya, sattvādi yata guṇa yāṅra dṛṣṭi-pāte haya, yāya punaḥ punaḥ ananta pṛthivī-giri samudra-sahite ye-prabhu dharena gire pālana karite "By the mere glance of Lord Ananta, the three material modes of nature interact to produce creation, maintenance and annihilation. These " Anantadeva sustains the entire universe, with its modes of nature manifest again and again. millions of planets containing enormous oceans and mountains, on His head. advitīya-rūpa, satya anādi mahattva tathāpi 'ananta' haya, ke bujhe se tattva? Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 84, Page—5 sahasra phaṇāra eka-phaṇe 'bindu' yena ananta vikrama, nā jānena, 'āche' hena

"He is so huge and powerful that this entire universe rests on one of His hoods just like a drop of water. He does not even know where it is.

sahasra-vadane kṛṣṇa-yaśa nirantara gāite āchena ādi- mahī-dhara

"While bearing the universe on one of His hoods, Anantadeva chants the glories of with each of His thousands of mouths.

gāyena ananta, śrī-yaśera nāhi anta jaya-bhaṅga nāhi kāru, doṅhe—balavanta destroy the entire material world. Yet, because He "Although He has been chanting the glories of is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is kind Lord Krishna since time immemorial, He has still toward us and checks His anger and intolerance. not come to their end. He express His anger and destroys the material world only at specific times.

adyāpiha 'śeṣa'-deva sahasra-śrī-mukhe None of the above descriptions of Lord Anantadeva are imaginary. They are all gāyena caitanya-yaśa anta nāhi dekhe transcendentally blissful and full of spiritual truth. However, unless one hears directly from a bona fide "To this very day, Lord Ananta similarly continues spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession, to chant the glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one cannot understand them. This knowledge is and yet He finds no end to them." imparted to Narada by Lord Brahma; and the great saint Narada, along with his companion, Tumburu, — Caitanya-bhāgavata » Ādi-khaṇḍa » Chapter 1 » Verse: 48-52 & 58- distributes it to people all over the universe. 69 Translated by Bhumipati Dāsa » Edited and Published by Pundarika Sometimes the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vidyanidhi dasa. is described as Uttamaśloka- one who is praised by beautiful poetry. Narada himself composes various How Can The Heart Of poems to glorify Lord Ananta, and therefore the A Conditioned Soul Be Purified ? word saṁ ślokayām āsa (praised by selected His Divine Grace poetry) is used in this verse. A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada The Vaishnavas in the Gaudiya sampradāya ( spiritual lineage ) belong to the disciplic succession stemming from Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma is the Lord Anantadeva's primary purpose here is to spiritual master of Narada; Narada is the spiritual dissolve this material creation.However He checks master of Vyasadeva; and Vyasadeva wrote the generally His anger and intolerance. This material Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the natural commentary world is created to give the conditioned souls a on the Vedānta-sūtra. Therefore, all devotees in second chance to go back home, back to Godhead; the Gaudiya sampradāya automatically accept though most of them do not take advantage of the activities of Lord Ananta related in the this facility. After creation, they again exercise Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as authentic, and are thus their previous propensity for lording it over the benefited by eventually going back home, back material world. These activities of the conditioned to Godhead. The contamination in the heart of a souls anger Anantadeva, and thus He desires to www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 84, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä conditioned soul is like a huge accumulation of previously worshiped Vasudeva perfectly for rubbish spurned from the three modes of material hundreds of lifetimes can properly chant the holy nature; especially the modes of rajas (passion) and names of Lord Vishnu. tamas (ignorance). This contamination of the heart Transcendent, pure, unalloyed conscience is becomes manifest in the form of material desire called antaryāmī or caitya-guru, the Supersoul. and greed for accumulating wordly possessions. The antaryāmī is an resides internally. Because of As confirmed above, unless one receives forgotting Krishna, we have come to this material transcendental knowledge through the disciplic world, far from our eternal home. However,we succession ( spiritual lineage ), there is no question are certainly meant to return. The first step on of his being purified of this contamination. that journey is Deity worship. It is followed by — Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam » Canto 5 » Chapter 25: The Glories of Lord Ananta: awareness of and focus on the antaryāmī, then Purports to verses 6 & 8 worship of the vaibhava incarnations, worship of the vyūha forms, and finally, full consciousness of In Which Ways Does the parā-tattva Sri Krishna. The Absolute Truth Manifest? Even by worshiping the Supreme Lord for many Srila Bhaktisiddhnata Sarasvati Thakura births a materialist cannot make the same kind of advancement as those who associate directly with The Absolute Truth manifests in five ways: as guru and the Vaishnavas by hearing hari-kathā parā tattva, vyūha, vaibhava, antaryāmī, and arcā. from them. The fortune attained by faithfully Each of these is the same worshippable Lord. hearing about Krishna from the naturally merciful Apart from these 5 manifestations, everything and spiritual master and the Vaishnavas cannot be everyone else is in the category of servant. The achieved even if the Deity form benevolently Lord accepts offerings from His servants; similarly manifests Himself to us. these five manifestations of the Lord reciprocate The Supersoul does not always speak to us with Their own servants. There is no meaning to directly. Śāstra advises: predominance if there is no servant to dominate. Therefore each manifestation of the Absolute Truth śikṣā-guruke ta’ jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa, has His personal servants. antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha ei dui rūpa When one begins Deity worship, one uses specified material ingredients. Then one worships One should know the instructing spiritual master the Supersoul by the mind. Next, one worships the to be a manifestation of the Personality of Krishna. Lord’s vaibhava incarnations such as Lord . Lord Krishna manifests Himself as both the Sri Rama appeared with His servants, especially Supersoul and the greatest devotee of the Lord. and Sugriva. One should worship such (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi līla, Chapter 1, text 47) vaibhava incarnations only as They appear before Their servants. After worshiping the vaibhava jīve sākśāt nāhi tāte guru caitya-rūpe, manifestation, one worships the expansions. śikśā-guru haya kṛṣṇa-mahānta-svarūpe These are four, namely Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha. Ultimately one comes to the worship of the Supreme truth (parā-tattva) Since one cannot directly experience the Sri Krishna. To climb to the top of hill from the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us bottom, we must ascend step by step. In our journey as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is toward parā-tattva Sri Krishna, we will realize find none other than Sri Krishna Himself. (Caitanya- that worshiping the deity (arcā) helps us. Therefore caritāmṛta Ādi 1.58) śāstra states: yena janma-śataiḥ pūrvaṁ,vāsudevaḥ samārcita antaryāmī īśvarera ei rīti haye, tan-mukhe hari-nāmāni, sadā tiśṭhanti bhārata bāhire nā kahe, vastu prakāśe hṛdaye

O descendant of Bharata, only one who has The Supersoul within everyone’s heart speaks Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 84, Page—7

not from outside but from within. He instructs The transcendental form of the Supreme the devotees in all respects, as that is His way of Personality of Godhead is complete in eternity, instruction. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 6.83) cognisance, and bliss. However, you foolishly The vaibhava incarnations like Sri Rama directly describe this transcendental form as a product of speak to, instruct, and guide the jivas, ascertaining material goodness. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya what is beneficial for them and what is not. The 6.166) vyūhas’ activities however, are of a different nature. The supreme Absolute Truth, parā-tattva, śrī-vigraha ye nā māne, sei ta’ pāśaṇḍī, manifests in four ways. One can only understand adāśya aspāśya, sei haya -daṇḍī this spiritual science by the Lord’s mercy. Śāstra states: One who does not accept the transcendental form īśvarera kṛpā-leśa haya ta’ yāhāre of the Lord is certainly an atheist. Such a person sei ta’ īśvara-tattva jānibāre pare should be neither seen nor approached. Indeed, he is subject to be punished by Yamaraja. (Caitanya- If one receives but a tiny fraction of the Lord’s favor caritāmṛta, Madhya 6.167) by dint of devotional service, he can understand Elsewhere in Śāstra it is stated: the actual nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 6.83) pratimā naha tumi sākśāt vrajendra-nandana We think that the Lord’s Deity is inanimate; but vipra lāgi’ kara tumi akārya-karaṇa He is not a product of matter. He is eternal and completely cognisant and blissful (sat-cit-ānanda). My dear Lord, You are not a statue; You are directly Sri Gaurangadeva has said: the son of Maharaja Nanda. Now, for the sake of the old brāhmaṇa, please do something You have īśvarera śrī-vigraha sac-cid-ānandākāra, never done before. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya se-vigrahe kaha sattva-guṇera vikāra 5.96) The spiritual master helps us as a guide and e www.nbsmag.com Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 84, Page — 8 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä intermediary between the Deity, the worship, and I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my the worshiper. Otherwise, if the worshiper is not spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of self-realized or if he lacks proper knowledge of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisance unto the Deity form, his worship will become the idol him. worship of children. We do not need idol worship; When the cataracts of our spiritual eyes are rather we have a great need to properly worship removed, we will be free from false conceptions. the Lord. Don’t think that pretentiously approaching a The Deity is defined as that form which is spiritual master alone will give perfection. It offered worship. The Deity is non-different to the would be foolish to think that you have obtained Lord. For our benefit the Supreme Lord manifests a coconut just because you are standing under a Himself as the Deity. Ordinary people think the coconut tree. You have to climb the tree, pick the Deity merely an idol because He cannot walk and coconut from its heaights, and break its hard shell. cannot take initiative. This is their illusion. If they Then only can you take advantage of the coconut learn to associate with pure devotees, that illusion and drink its nourishing and sweet water. can be progressively removed. Similarly one should not think that performing Cultivation of the Absolute Truth is very much bhajana under the guidance of guru and the dependent on hearing and chanting. That is why Vaishnavas and practicing mystic yoga are the śāstra states: synonymous. If devotion is absent from any spiritual process, it is valueless. If, while studying brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva, Vedānta and logic, we simply live comfortably then guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja we will not make spiritual progress. Even if we mālī haṣā kare sei bīja āropaṇa, become very adept in logic and Vedānta, we will still not go to . The only path to spiritual śravaṇa-kīrtana-jale karaye secana fortune is to perform hari-bhajana ( worship of Sri Krishna ) under the shelter of a bona fide guru. Out of many millions of wandering living — Amṛta Vāṇī: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality Srila Bhaktisiddhānta entities, by the grace of Krishna one who is very Sarasvatī Thākura. Published by Touchstone Media. fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master. By the combined mercy of Krishna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service. When a person receives the seed of devotional service, he should take care of it by first sowing the seed in his heart. As he waters it gradually by the process of śravaṇa and kīrtana [hearing and chanting], the seed will begin to sprout. (Caitanya- !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !! caritāmṛta Madhya 19.151-2) Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Formerly when a qualified spiritual master is a branch of glorified Krishna everyone listened. Nowadays it International Society for Krishna Consciousness Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace is very different. Professional reciters occupy the A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda guru’s āsanas and glorify Krishna without having For our various projecs on Çrémad-Bhägavatam please ever become disciples themselves. A real disciple visit our website: www.nbsmag.com will first completely learn what understanding his Our heart felt thanks to Isha Prakash Das for helping as Copy spiritual master has and how he worships Krishna. Editor, Vrajsevika Dasi for her Sanskrit and Bengali Translations, It is stated: Rasa Manjari Devi Dasi for her assistance. oà ajïäna-timirändhasya Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of jïänäïjana-çaläkayä His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. cakñur unmélitaà yena ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists. tasmai çré-gurave namaù Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.nbsmag.com