Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27
Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya
Ananta–Kāla
यो ऽनन्तः पठ्येते देवो नागरूपी जनार्दनः / तदाधारमिदं सर्वं स कालाग्निमपाश्रितः
yo 'nantaḥ paṭhyete devo nāgarūpī janārdanaḥ / tadādhāramidaṃ sarvaṃ sa kālāgnimapāśritaḥ
Ce Dieu que l’on récite sous le nom d’Ananta—Janārdana sous la forme du Serpent cosmique—sur Lui repose l’univers tout entier ; et Lui, demeurant dans (et au-delà de) le feu du Temps, subsiste comme le fondement suprême de tout.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic teaching on Vishnu-Ananta as cosmic support
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as the limitless Ananta who functions as the underlying support (ādhāra) of all existence, implying a single sustaining reality beneath changing phenomena and even beneath the force of Time.
The verse points to contemplative support for dhyāna: meditating on the Lord as Ananta—the infinite substratum beyond temporal change—aligns the mind with steadiness (dhāraṇā) and dispassion toward Time-driven transformations.
While naming Janārdana (Vishnu), it uses the cosmic principle of Kāla-agni (often associated with Śaiva dissolution imagery) to show a shared theological ground: the one Supreme supports the cosmos and stands beyond the consuming power of Time, a common Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis theme in the Kūrma Purāṇa.