Śeṣa
Sign in to saveAlso known as Śeṣanāga, Ādiśeṣa, Ananta, Ananta Śeṣa, Anantadeva, Phanīndra, Bhujagendra, Saṅkarṣaṇa
Shesha (), also known by his epithets Sheshanaga () and Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod (naga) and king of the serpents (Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta () or Ananta Shesha ().
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Hindu
- Deity.name
- Shesha
- Deity.image
- Nag Devta or Nag Sthan Sesh Narayan Dachhinkali Kathmandu Nepal Rajesh Dhungana (3).jpg
- Deity.alt
- Shesha
- Deity.caption
- Idol of Shesha, Kathmandu
- Deity.affiliation
- Vaishnavism Devotee of Vishnu
- Deity.mantra
- om śeṣanāgāya vidmaheanantāya ca dhīmahitanno nāgaḥ pracodayāt
- Deity.father
- Kashyapa
- Deity.mother
- Kadru
- Deity.abode
- Vaikuntha Kshira SagaraPatala
- Deity.deity_of
- King of the Serpents
- Deity.other_names
- Sheshanaga, Adishesha, SankarshanaAnanta
- Deity.spouse
- Nagalakshmi, Tushti and Vasanti
- Deity.siblings
- Many including Manasa, Vasuki, and Takshaka
- Deity.children
- Sulochana
- Deity.consort
- Nagalakshmi
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Ekambareswarar-256.jpg
Show 3 more facts
- Commons category
- Shesha
- name in kana
- なんだ
- transliteration or transcription
- Nanda
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0
~9 min read
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Form
- Origin and legends
- Vishnu and Shesha
- Marriage
- Avatars
- Literature
- In culture
- Beyond the Indian subcontinent and Hinduism
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Shesha (), also known by his epithets Sheshanaga () and Adishesha (), is a serpentine demigod (naga) and king of the serpents (Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta () or Ananta Shesha ().
The Narayana form of Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha, accompanied by his consort Lakshmi, who is considered as one of the two mounts of Vishnu alongside Garuda. Shesha is said to have descended upon Earth in the following human forms or incarnations: Lakshmana, brother of Vishnu's incarnation Rama during the Treta Yuga, and according to some traditions, as Balarama, brother of Vishnu's incarnation Krishna during the Dwapar Yuga. According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), his father was Kashyapa and his mother Kadru, though in other accounts, he is usually a primordial being created by Vishnu.