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
เทพผู้ถูกสาธยายว่า “อนันตะ” คือชนาَرทนะในรูปพญานาค จักรวาลทั้งปวงตั้งอยู่บนพระองค์ พระองค์สถิตในไฟแห่งกาลและยังทรงเหนือกว่านั้น เป็นฐานสูงสุดของสรรพสิ่ง
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic teaching on Vishnu-Ananta as cosmic support
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
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.