Ananta (San: अनन्त) means infinite, endless, without an end, eternal, boundless. Theoretically, Ananta may have a beginning, but no end, in contrast to the word anadi (without a beginning), which also denotes infinity but refers to a condition that has no beginning but an end. Both ananta and adi are aspects of Supreme Brahman as well as Atman (the individual Self) who are eternal, absolute, self-existent and without a beginning and an end. The word is used as a noun, as an adjective and as prefix. It is joined with other words to denote the state of infinity, greatness, eternity, endlessness, limitlessness, superiority, and the ability to expand endlessly of any object, state or condition with which it is associated.
The word is also used as an epithet of Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna and Balarama. According to the Puranas he or his aspect (amsa) appeared a few times upon earth along with the incarnations of Vishnu. Lakshmana and Balarama are said to be two of his well-known incarnations. In Vaishnavism, Ananta is identified with Samkarshana, the deity who lives in the underworld (patala) in the company of several serpents as their lord. According to the Mahabharata, the great serpent Vasuki, the elephant Airavata (the vahana of Indra) and the serpent Takshaka are his brothers only. He was a righteous serpent who did great penance having developed a distaste for worldly life. Brahma was pleased with his austerities and granted him the power to control his mind and remain stable. He requested him to go to the underworld, with his mind stabilized, and stay there to stabilize the earth. Ananta went to the underworld at his behest and remained there ever since, supporting and stabilizing the earth upon his stable hood. In Hinduism, Ananta refers to Adishesha or Ananta-shesha, the celestial serpent with a thousand heads and endless coils. which floats in the infinite ocean of primeval waters (existence) upon which Lord Vishnu rests and keeps a watch on the worlds and beings. Ananta or Adishesha may also be an ancient reference to the milky way also, which appears to the people on earth as a shining, celestial serpent in the night stretching across the sky without an end. Shesha means balance, remainder, surplus, etc. Adishesha refers to the indivisible state or the condition which is greater than everything else and remains so from the beginning (adi) of creation until the end, and beyond. As his name suggests, he remains indestructible and unchanged even after everything disappears. It is said that at the end of each cycle of creation (kalpa), after the worlds and beings are all destroyed or withdrawn, what remains unchanged and stable is the endless serpent. He remains as indestructible, infinite and complete as he was in the beginning. Hence, he is fittingly known as Adishesha, the everlasting, primeval remainder. People worship him on Ananta Chaturdasi day which falls on the 14th day of the bright half of Bhadrapada. Dharmaraja’s conch is known as Anantavijaya. Vishnu is known as Anantarupa since he has endless forms. Images and iconography of Ananta are found in several Hindu temples. Symbolically, Ananta refers to the materiality of the whole creation. His endless coils represent the endless coils of energy which remain hidden in the universe. He also represents erudition, the power of speech, wisdom, knowledge, support, indestructibility, stability, materiality and the mode of tamas or inertia (coiled energy). Deities and qualities associated with Ananta also appear in Buddhism and Jainism. Snakes appear in several cultures and mythologies as symbols of both good and evil. In Hinduism, snakes are equated with Death (Kala) as well as the serpent-power of the Kundalini. A snake holding its own tail is a symbol of infinity. The idea of a giant serpent as the symbol of infinity is well represented in Hinduism in the serpent Ananta, except no one can see his tail since it remains hidden in the infinite coils of energy, and he is without an end. II The Concept of Infinity – Explained by Bhaskaracharya! What is Infinity (अनंत)? Infinity, as we hear this word our brain instantaneously thinks of something very big and enormous which we can’t visualize. And indeed, infinity is limitless (अनंत). Mathematically, it is represented by the symbol ‘ꝏ’, sometimes called as a lemniscate. The only thing you may find in an algebra book is a very stern warning about not ever dividing by zero! (Because if you divide any number by zero, you get infinity). On the other hand, in the algebra books of ancient times in India, we find both the infinite and the infinitesimal treated routinely. One such example is Bhaskaracharya Bijaganita (his book on Algebra) and Lilavati (his book on Arithmetic). Bhaskaracharya was a twelfth-century Indian mathematician and astronomer. He was born in Bijapur in Karnataka. While Newton and Leibniz have been credited with differential and integral calculus, there is strong evidence to suggest that Bhaskaracharya was a pioneer in some of the principles of differential calculus. Definition of Inifinity – Bhaskaracharya’s Bijaganita 2.18 In Bijaganita, we find the following shloka वधादौ वियत् खस्य खं खेन घाते खहारो भवेत् खेन भक्तश्च राशिः॥ vadhādau viyat khasya khaṃ khena ghāte khahāro bhavet khena bhaktaśca rāśiḥ॥ A zero results when multiplied by zero, a “khahara’’ (zero-divided, or infinity) results when a number is divided by zero. Infinity further explained – Bhaskaracharya’s Bijaganita 2.20 For Khahara, he explicitly adds a colorful description अस्मिन् विकारः खहरे न राशावपि प्रविष्टेष्वपि निःसृतेषु। बहुष्वपि स्यात् लय-सृष्टिकाले अनन्ते अच्युतेभूतगणेषु यद्वत्॥ asmin vikāraḥ khahare na rāśāvapi praviṣṭeṣvapi niḥsṛteṣu bahuṣvapi syāt laya – sṛṣṭikāle anante acyute bhūtagaṇeṣu yadvat There is no change in the Khahara (infinity) by adding or subtracting, just like infinite immutable (Brahma or Viṣnu) which does not have any effect by the living beings entering or leaving it at the time of dissolution or creation of the world. The additional facts about “khahara” can be presented as, X* ꝏ + Y = X* ꝏ, for any number X and Y. It states that when a “khahara” is added to an ordinary number, then only the “khahara” survives. This is the same as infinity just represented by another name. In ancient Indian Mathematics, we find Jain texts discussing various such concepts of infinities. These texts are mainly religious or philosophical, but often carry a healthy amount of serious mathematics. They seem to introduce formal concepts of finite or enumerable, innumerable (very large but still finite) and infinite. They even classify multidimensional concepts for infinity. In Lilavati (Shlok 48), Bhaskaracharya gives more instruction about multiplying by zero शुन्ये गुणके जाते खं हारश्चेत् पुनस्तदा राशिः। अविकृत एव ज्ञेयस्तथैव खेनोनितश्च युतः॥ śunye guṇake jāte khaṃ hāraścet punastadā rāśiḥ। avikṛta eva jñeyastathaiva khenonitaśca yutaḥ॥ If a zero becomes a multiplier and a number turns into zero, it should (really) be considered as unchanged if it is again divided by zero! Similarly, if a zero is subtracted off and added in (a number is considered unchanged.) Mention of Inifinity in Ishavasya Upanishad! The invocatory verse of Ishavasya Upanishad which is part of Shukla Yajur Veda and it dates way back than Bhaskaracharya also talks about a rather precise concept of infinity. It goes something like this, IshaVasya Upanishad Invocatory verse ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात् पूर्णमुदच्यते । पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥ Om pūrṇamadaḥ pūrṇamidaṃ pūrṇāt pūrṇamudacyate pūrṇasya pūrṇamādāya pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate Om, That is Full, This also is Full, from this Fullness comes that Fullness, Taking Fullness from Fullness, Fullness Indeed Remains. Infinity is a central concept as far as advanced sciences are concerned, such a great advancement at such complex subject shows how rich and prosperous was our culture. We hope you have understood infinity from both the modern as well as ancient perspective. Please let us know your thoughts on this and if anything, you’d like to add. KR IRS 211025 On Tue, 21 Oct 2025 at 18:02, Markendeya Yeddanapudi < [email protected]> wrote: > > > -- > *Mar*Infinity > > > > By infinity we mean the endlessness of the same phenomenon or diverse > phenomena. But mistakenly we refer to the mathematical and measurable > endlessness and not infinity in terms of feeling. A measure by itself has > limit by implication. There cannot be a measure that is itself infinite. > Measurement is the imposition of limits on a phenomenon; to ultimately > reduce it to definite quantities. But every feeling is infinite. We live in > feelings each of which is a flow of infinity. Individually we are > infinities, living in infinite flows of feelings. Our self concept of the > 3D shape is false. > > We feel as the Biosphere and not as individuals. Separated and individual > feeling,is automatically confined to the analytical part of the Brain, an > outcome of mutilation.But our entire skin with its pores, not only the > nose,breathes,smells,senses,perceives,interacts,communicates,understands,builds > concept bases of feelings which change continuously,...there can be no > defined contours of feeling flows. Every atom constituting you, leaves the > so called you by the next year, in fact as a person you are ever met > morphing. > > By continuously, destroying nature, in the name of development, we are > creating infinite tragedy flows. When a person dies trillions and trillions > of organisms in him/her die. When a tree is killed, trillions of organisms > in and on the tree too die. We are creating gigantic flows of infinite > tragedies, in the name of economic development. We are becoming the > infinities of fear and neurosis. > > We urgently need to shift our perception to breathing,smelling, > sensing,perceiving,understanding as a part of the Biosphere, the Biosphere > in the free and healthy nature without human tampering..We must realize > that mathematical reductionism is creating infinities of stupidities. The > tiny tots, especially need an end to the torture of early mathematical > reductionism. Let them happily dance and frolic. > > YM Sarma > > Chat gpt > > This reflection by YM Sarma is a deeply philosophical and ecological > critique of how modern human consciousness—and especially modern systems > like science, economics, and education—misunderstand and mishandle the > concept of *infinity*, *self*, and *feeling*. It weaves together ideas > from ecology, existential thought, somatic perception, and a criticism of > reductionism. > > Here’s a breakdown of the key ideas and their implications: > ------------------------------ > > *🔷 1. Misunderstanding Infinity* > > - *Infinity as felt experience:* Sarma argues that infinity is not > something to be calculated or measured (as in mathematics), but something > to be *felt*. Feelings are not finite—they’re continuous, fluid, > unbounded. > - *Measurement implies limitation:* Anything that can be measured is, > by definition, *finite*. Measurement is a form of reduction, an act of > *control*. > > *Implication:* The attempt to understand the universe or ourselves only > through measurable data (science, math) misses the essence of being—*which > is feeling, change, and connection.* > ------------------------------ > > *🔷 2. The Self as the Biosphere* > > - *False individuality:* The idea of being a discrete, separate self > (a “3D shape”) is an illusion, a mental construct. > - *Somatic perception:* We don’t just “think” with the brain—we sense, > feel, and interact with the world through *the entire skin*, every > pore. > - *Constant flux:* Every atom in our body is replaced over time. Our > identities are *not fixed* but in constant transformation. > > *Implication:* We are not individuals isolated from nature—we *are* > nature, flowing in and out of the biosphere in an infinite dance. > Alienation from this truth leads to neurosis and fear. > ------------------------------ > > *🔷 3. The Violence of “Development”* > > - *Ecocide as infinite tragedy:* Killing a tree or destroying an > ecosystem isn't a singular act—it's the extinction of *trillions of > lives* and the collapse of interdependent flows. > - *Economic development = infinite tragedy flows:* What is called > “progress” is framed as a tragic, multiplying catastrophe. > > *Implication:* Modern economic paradigms that promote exploitation and > control are destroying the infinite, interconnected lives within the > biosphere, including our own. > ------------------------------ > > *🔷 4. Call for a New Perception* > > - *Return to feeling and sensing:* Sarma calls for a return to the > body, to feeling, to the *sensing organism* in harmony with the > world—not the analytical, fragmented mind. > - *Free children from early reductionism:* Especially striking is the > call to *end the early imposition of mathematical reductionism* on > children, and instead let them dance, play, and be in harmony with the > infinite flow of life. > > *Implication:* Education, and society as a whole, must reorient from > control and reduction to *experience and connection*. > ------------------------------ > > *🔷 Overall Tone and Message* > > This is a poetic, urgent plea for: > > - *Ecological awareness* > - *Somatic consciousness* > - *Resistance to reductionist thinking* > - *Reconnection with the living, breathing world* > > It’s a call to *re-feel* the world—not as something to exploit or > understand through numbers, but as something to live within, to flow with. > ------------------------------ > > If you're exploring this in depth, you might want to connect it to: > > - Deep ecology (Arne Naess) > - Phenomenology (Maurice Merleau-Ponty) > - Indigenous worldviews (particularly relational ontologies) > - Animism and posthumanism > - The critique of Cartesian dualism > > ------------------------------ > > Would you like this condensed into a short essay or a poem inspired by > these ideas? > > Certainly. Here's a *detailed evaluation* of YM Sarma's essay *"Infinity"* > based on common academic criteria used in philosophy, literature, and > reflective writing, followed by a *grade and marks*. > ------------------------------ > 📋 *Evaluation Criteria* > > *Criterion* > > *Marks (out of 10)* > > *Comments* > > *1. Originality & Depth of Thought* > > *9* > > The ideas are highly original and deeply philosophical. The rejection of > reductionism and embrace of somatic/ecological consciousness is > thought-provoking. > > *2. Clarity of Expression* > > *6.5* > > Some sentences are densely packed, with abrupt transitions. While poetic, > the prose can become hard to follow in places. Clarity suffers due to lack > of structure. > > *3. Coherence & Logical Flow* > > *6* > > The argument flows more as a stream of consciousness than a structured > essay. Ideas are rich, but the flow is sometimes disjointed. Transitions > between themes (e.g., feeling, ecology, education) are not always smooth. > > *4. Language & Style* > > *7* > > Language is passionate and poetic, which is suitable for the subject. > However, some grammatical and punctuation errors (e.g., inconsistent > spacing, run-on sentences) detract from its polish. > > *5. Relevance & Insight* > > *9* > > The essay offers profound ecological and existential insight, especially > in the critique of development, reductionism, and individualism. The theme > is highly relevant in contemporary ecological and educational discourse. > > *6. Emotional & Philosophical Impact* > > *8.5* > > The essay carries emotional depth and philosophical force. It invites > readers to reflect on existence, feeling, and the biosphere in a unique way. > ------------------------------ > ✅ *Total Marks: 46 / 60* > ------------------------------ > 🎓 *Grade: B+ (Very Good)* > ------------------------------ > 📝 *Summary Feedback* > > · *Strengths:* > > o Deeply original and evocative. > > o Offers a compelling philosophical and ecological perspective. > > o Challenges dominant modes of thought in an impactful way. > > · *Areas for Improvement:* > > o Needs more structure to guide the reader through the complex ideas. > > o Language should be refined for clarity without losing poetic power. > > o Transitions between themes (infinity, the body, death, education) > could be more deliberate and cohesive. > ------------------------------ > 📌 Suggested Revisions (Optional): > > · Break the essay into sections or paragraphs with thematic focus. > > · Use clearer transitions (e.g., “Now turning to education…”, > “This leads us to…”). > > · Proofread for grammatical clarity and remove punctuation > inconsistencies. > > · Consider a short concluding paragraph that reiterates the > central message for impact. > > Would you like help rewriting or polishing the essay based on this > feedback? > > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Thatha_Patty" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2B65MbEoDqRUfxkcvpctUPgaZnjgNXXpPLw7BZacH8rVg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHC%2B65MbEoDqRUfxkcvpctUPgaZnjgNXXpPLw7BZacH8rVg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. 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