Anantha Chaturdasi - Anantha Padmanabha Vratha

• Who is ANANTHA?

• What does the divine term Anantha indicates?

Anantha is not only a name but also one of the most important attributes (ANANTATA) of
ANANTHA KALYANA GUNA PARIPOORNA
Lord Vishnu;
the one who has countless number of auspicious/meritorious qualities/attributes which even Goddess Lakshmi Devi cannot count.

Anantha means the one...

• who is all pervasive,
• who is eternal,
• who is beyond all boundaries and
• for whom there is no limit either by space, time or location

He is the one who has;

• infinite number of forms and
• who dwells in the entire Universe.
• who is invincible and omnipresent.
• His glory is infinite.
• He is highly meritorious among the meritorious.
• No one can describe or define Him precisely.

He is also popularly called as PadmaNabHa the one who has a Lotus like navel or the one who has Lotus in the navel. AnantHa PadManabHa is none other than Lord Vishnu the Supreme God.

The lotus stalk that emerged from His navel/naabhi at the time of universal dawn, unfurled into a magnificient lotus (Padma/Kamala) in the midst of which appeared Lord Brahma that marks the beginning of Padma Kalpa.

As PadmanaAbha, Bhagawan Vishnu is the primordial and supreme Prajapathi (the one who procreates) the one who has given birth to Srushtikartha Brahma.

He is Damodara the one whose abdomen is the abode for the entire universe or the one in whose belly rests the entire universe; the one on whose support the entire Universe is rested.

He is Creator of the Universe, whose womb is the source of origin of the Universe, Brahmaadi Devatas and Jeevas. He is the cause of the universe, directly responsible for creation of everything in the universe.

There cannot be any other cause other than Vishnu for creation of the universe. He manifests himself first before creation of the universe.

jaṅgamājaṅgamaṁ cedaṁ jagannārāyaṇōdbhavam
(जङ्गमाजङ्गमं चेदं जगन्नारायणोद्भवम्)

Sages (Rushis), Pitrus, Devatas, Pancha Bhootas, great elements, livings things, non-living things, movable, immovable have all originated from the Supreme God, Hari Sarvottama - SriManNaAraAyana;

Like featus gets nourishment through the umbilical chord when it is in Mother’s womb, similarly Padmanabha is the great nourisher supporter (Dhatu) of the universe, the vital force and sustaining power of all beings. He is the subtlest (Dhatu) without which no existence is ever possible.

He is the substratum for the world, the one who is the support to the universe and the one who is the ultimate support (DhaAturUttama)

He is the PUSHTI the vital force and sustaining power of all beings - DhaAta - VidHaAta - DhaAturUttama.

He is called AnantHa PadManabHa, Vishnu the Hari Sarvottama in reclining posture the one who rests on the mighty Aadisesha.

Namostvananthaya Sahasramuurthaye!
SahasraPaadaakshi Sirorubaahave!
Sahasranaamne Purushaya Saswathe!
SahasraKoti Yugadhaarine Namah!!
(Brahma Uvaacha)

• Salutations to the Infinite (Anantha)

• one who has manifested as innumerable number of forms,

• who has innumerable feet, eyes, heads, arms,

• one who has innumerable number of names,

• who is an eternal person, and

• who holds thousands of crores of Yugas which are uncountable.

For more reflection on the concept of ANANTHA (Anantata) please read an exclusive script...

Ananthaya Namah - Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Bhashya (sloka # 70-95) from my dedicated Blog - Vishnu Sahasranama Tattva© - Philosophical commentary & Research by bhargavasarma (nirikhi krishna bhagavan) 

https://vishnusahasranamatattva.blogspot.com/2026/09/ananthaya-namah-sri-vishnu-sahasranama.html

He resides not only in the lotus called universe or brahmanda kamala, but also in our hrudaya-kamala. That’s why in the worship of Lord Vishnu, He is installed/meditated upon as being seated on a Lotus.

➡️ Anantha Padmanabha Vratha (Tit-bits) - Significance of # 14 in Ananta Padmanabha Vratha.

• It is performed on the 14th Lunar day Chaturdasi during Bhadrapada Maasa.

• This vratha is performed for 14 years before it is concluded with Udyaapana.

• Lord Vishnu is worshiped with 14 varieties of flowers, fruits and dishes.

• Another significant feature in this vratha is worshiping Lord Anantha with a red coloured silk thread having 14 knots known as Thora.

• A special sweet dish made with wheat flour and jaggery is prepared in 28 # and half of it is given to a Brahmana after Nivedana to Lord Anantha.

• In the universe we have 14 worlds (Chaturdasa bhuvanas); seven above including earth and seven below the earth. Lord Vishnu (Anantha) is the Supreme God of this universe.

• In the concept of kAlaGanana (Time element) we have 14 Manvantharas in one Kalpa and KaAlaPurusha Lord Vishnu (Anantha) is the presiding Deity who holds all these Manvantharas;

• Chaturdasi thithi should be UdayaVyapni and if it is associated with Pournami thithi it is to be preferred and considered as auspicious,sacred for performing Anantha Padmanabha Vratha.

• Donating a Cow (Gau-dana) on this day is considered as highly sacred and meritorious.

• Details of Anantha Padmanabha Vratha Kalpa are mentioned in Bhavishyottara Purana.

• Lord Sri Krishna narrated the significance of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Vratha to Dharmaraja. On the advice and direction of Lord Sri Krishna, Dharmaraja performed this Vratha during their exile in forests.

• In this vratha, Lord Vishnu is worshiped in the posture of Anantha (reclining on Aadisesha) with shodasa upachaara pooja.

• Seven # Dharbha (Kusa grass) are tied together representing Lord Anantha with seven hoods.

Those who perform this austerity as per norms with total devotion and sincerity will be bestowed with multiple merits viz. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

ಅನಂತಾಯ ನಮಸ್ತುಭ್ಯಂ ಸಹಸ್ರಶಿರಸೇ ನಮಃ
ನಮೋಸ್ತು ಪದ್ಮನಾಭಾಯ ನಾಗಾನಾಂ ಪತಯೇ ನಮಃ

AnanthaAya namasTubhyam saHasraSirase Namah
Namostu PadmaNaABhaaya NaaGanaAm.Pathaye Namah;

Anantha is also the name of Sesha Devaru (AadiSesha);
the thousand headed Serpent God the seat on which Anantha Padmanabha (Lord Vishnu) rests in his abode Sri Vaikunta.

ANANTHA is vibhooti roopa of Lord Sri Krishna who says in Bhagawadgita (Vibhoothi Yoga) that He is the Anantha among the Naga Sect.

➡️ Ancient temples of Lord Anantha-Padmanabha

There is an ancient temple dedicated to Lord Sri Anantha Padmanabha at Sri Kshethra KUDUPU near Mangalore which is said to be in existence since Krita Yuga.

ANANTHA-SAYANAM at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) in Kerala;

Dedicated to Lord Anantha at Ananthagiri about 75 km from Hyderabad city. Here the Lord is said to have manifested as a Salagrama Shila who appears in Trimurthi Swaroopa of Anantha-Narasimha-Srinivasa. It is said that Sage Markandeya had performed penance at this place.

RANGANATHA kshetras on the banks of the holy river Kaveri at....

• Sri Rangam (near Trichy),

• Srirangapatna (near Mysore) and

• Shivana Samudra (about 100 km from Bangalore near Mandya on the way to Mysore);

All the three temples have Lord Vishnu in reclining form resting on Anantha (Bhujaga sayana). Posture of the Deity at the three temples is more or less same.

(List is not exhaustive...)

Ananthananthadevesha Anantha Phaladayaka!
Anantharoopi Viswathman Ananthaya Namo Namaha!!

🙏🙏🙏

Hari Sarvottama - Vaayu Jeevottama
Sri GuruRaajo Vijayate