Ananta Padmanabha vrata

By Smt.Meera Tadipatri

Art by Smt.Vani Rao,Baton Rouge,LA

Ananta vrata audio by Smt.Meera Tadipatri

Padmanabha in Shri Harikathamrutasara
ENG KAN DEV TEL TAM
Ananta vrata kathe - Audio
http://haridasaseva.com/2024/09/03/padmanabha-rupa/

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Anantavrata Rangoli by Smt.Lakshmi Tamraparni

Sri Ananta Padmanabha vrata is performed on Bhadrapada shukla chaturdashi. This vrata is mentioned in Bhavishyottara Purana and narrated to Shaunaka Rishhi by Suta in Naimishaaranya.

The form of Bhagavan is Ananta Padmanabha. This is the maha purushha rupa of Sri Hari that pervades the entire Brahmanda. From this Sheshashaayi rupa, all the 14 worlds emanated along with all the living and non-living beings. This rupa manifests as Virata Rupa supporting all the Universe. This Mahat rupa is present inside us in our hrudaya guha as suxma pradesha bimba rupa.

Dhyaana Rupa:

Dharaka of all lokas and protects them always. This He shows by holding padma in His top right hand, left top has chakra, left bottom gada and right bottom is Shankha. He adorns all abharanas, with wide dark brown eyes, He has pitambara in His waist and sports a beautiful manda haasa in His lips; with radiance and gentleness that of newly sprouted mango leaves.

Adhikaari:
Married couple who have received the sampradaaya from elders observe it as "vrata", aka, a pledge to follow rules and observing the vrata rules for atleast 14 years.
However, as puja, any Vaishnava can do it as per their ability and eligibility.
Those who have eligibility can do it for Salagrama while others can do it as puja to the picture of Sri Padmanabha.

Preparation:
1. kalasha with water one for yamuna and one for Ananta
2. darbha - make 7 headed snake to keep on kalasha
Special red nutana "dora" with 14 knots [available in puja stores] set for each couple.
3. coconut 2
4. Mangala vastus like kumkum, Haldi, Mantraaxata, flower, deepa

Vrata Vidaana:
1. Praanaayaama
2. Sankalpa: After chanting the traditional invocation of devatas of desha, all divisions of kaala, ... shri bharati ramana mukhyapraanantargata xiraabdhishaayi shri ananta padmanabha preranayaa
shri ananta padmanabha preetyartham dhyaana-avaahanaadi shhodashopachaara pujaam aham karishhye.
3. kalasha puja: Varuna aavaahanam and invoke all devatas as per tradition learnt from guru.
4. yamuna kalasha puja:
Dhyaana and avaahana followed by 16 upachaara puja including anga puja.
5. Anga puja:
1. chanchalaayai namah paadau pujayaami
2. chapalayai -- jaanune
3. kalayai -- kaTim
4. xamaayai -- udaram
5. yamunayai -- hrudayam
6. krishnavenyai -- sthanau
7. lalithayai -- bhujau
8. kambhukanTyai -- kanTam
9. neelavarnaayai -- skandau
10. ramaayai -- mukham
11. lokajananyai -- lalaaTam
12. bhagiratyai -- shira

Note: The yamuna puje is not just for yamuna and His antaryaami, but by yamuna, all nadi abhimaani devatas godavari, saraswati, ganga, krishnaveni, bhavani, tunga, bhadra, tamraparni, gomati
narmadha are worshiped.

6. Shesha-antargata-Sankarshana puja:
Dhyaana and avaahana followed by 16 upachaara puja including anga puja.
1. sahasraphanaayai namah paadau pujayaami
2. GuDa gulpaayai -- gulphau
3. hema jangaayai - janghe
4. mandagataye -- jaanuni
5. vaikuntha vaasine -- uru
6. pitambharadharaayai -- kaTim
7. gambhira naabhaaya -- nabhim
8. pavana-ashanaaya --udaram
9. ura-gaayaaya - hastau
10. kalimardanaaya - bhujau
11. kambukanthaaya -- kantham
12. vishhavaktraaya -- vaktram
13. phanaabhushhanaaya -- lalaatam
14. garudamitraaya -- shira
15. ananta priyaaya - sarvaangam

Mukhya puja to Ananta Kalasha:
1. Kalasha with all devatas avahana and invoking 101 kalas representing 101 nadis in deha.
2. 16 upachaara with peetha, avarana puja, dikpalaka puja.

Anga puja:
1. anantaaya namaha -- namah paadau pujayaami
2. sankarshanaayai -- gulphau
3. vishwarupaayai --janghe
4. vaikunthaayai -- jaanuni
5. purushhottamaayai --uru
6. devaaya -- katim
7. adhoxajaaya -- guhyam
8. padmanabhaaya --nabhi
9. damodaraaya -- udaram
10. vishvattmane --hrudayam
11. varahaaya -- sthanau
12. naarasimhaaya --baahun
13. bhaaskaraaya --hastaan
14. lokanathaaya -- skandhau
15. vishvatomukhaaya - mukham
16. govindaaya -- danDasthalam
17. achyutaa -- naasikaam
18. padmanetraaya -- netre
19. aparaajitaaya - shrotre
20. shridharaaya -- lalaatam
21 sahasrashirase - shiram
22. devakiputraaya -- sarvangam

4. Dora puja: Invoking Ananta's rupa visheshha sannidaana
1. Anantaaya namah prathama granthim pujayaami
2. Narasimhaaya
3. Vishnave
4. Krishnaaya
5. Haraye
6. Shivaaya
7. Brahmane
8. Bhaskaraaya
9. Sheshaaya
10. Sarvavyaapine
11. Ishvaraaya
12. Vishvarupaaya
13. Mahaakaayaaya
14. Shrushhti-stithi-anta-kaaraaya

5. Prarthana: Seeking His anugraha
ananthaaya namastubhyam sahasrashirase namah
namostu padmanaabhaaya naagaanaam pataye namah
anantaH kaamadaH shrimaanananto me prayachchhatu
ananto doraruupeNa putra pautraan pravardhatu

6. Samarpanam: to Ananta
7. Offer it to elders/brahmanas.
8. Dora-grahana prarthana: Svikaara of the sacred dora
9. dora-bandhanam:
10. Visarjana of previous years dora by putting on a plate and sprinkle water by chanting:
visarjayaami deveshha purvasutram dhrutam param
sampurnam vratam-astu atra matkrutam tvad-anujnayaa
11. namaskaara:
" namaste devadevesha namasthe dharanidhara
namaste sarvanaagendra namaste purushottama
12. daana, daxina, ashirvaada
13. udvaasanam
14. samarpanam

Vrata katha:
During Vanavaasa, Dharmaraaja asks Sri Krishna as to which vrata he has to perform to remove the trouble and get mangala. Sri krishna tells him to Perform Ananta vrata. Then to answer the question as to who goes by the name of "Ananta", Krishna says that it is He who goes not only by the name of Ananta but also has ananta naama, rupa, guna kriya and antaryaami of everything including kaala and its divisions. He is ananta-preraka/instigator and controller. Not only that but the creator of Ananta brahmanda, and along with it, all 8 vyaapaara -- shrushti, stithi, laya, jnana, ajnaana, bandha, moxa, niyamana. He is called Ananta as He has no end/antya. In Him all Universe along with all gods, 14 lokas, its residents, rishhis constalations, nadi, mountains exist and function as per His wish.

Having heard as to whom to worship, Dharmaraja asks the details
1. The mahima and its procedure
2. what is the purpose and result of doing the vrata
3. what daana to be given
4. who did this first in this bhuloka

In kruta yuga, there was a brahmana by name Sumantu married Dixa and they had a beautiful daughter Shilavati. Soon, after the death of his wife, he married another woman by name Karkasi who was very cruel and bad. By His grace, Shilavati gets married to Kaundinya. Thus, she along with KaunDinya and his shishyas proceeded to another place unable to bear the ill treatment of Karkasi. On their way, they halted to do snana-sandhya and noticed women doing Ananta vrata with devotion and asked them the details. The ladies told Shilavati that on chaturdashi, she has to do puja to Sriman Naaraayana as Ananta and cook one big measure of rice and give half of it as daana to brahmana with daxina as per capacity. She has to bathe in river and make Shesha using darbhe/dry grass and place it on bamboo/vamsha.

Worship it along with Ananta with pushpa, gandha, dhupa, deepa and naivedya. In front of it, place red colored kumkuma stiff dora with 14 knots and do puja praying Ananta Vasudeva to lift us from samsaara miseries and give protection by staying in the dora and with namaskara, men should wear on right hand and women after touching left hand, wear it on right or around neck.Then hear the mahimas of Ananta and svikaara of naivedya and with smarana of Ananta Padmanabha return to ones' home. Thus, after learning all these Shilavati takes the prasada dora and gets back to her place.

With the grace of Ananta Padmanabha, they flourish with all kinds of wealth. Noticing "dora" on her, KaunDinya suspects her and refusing to believe Shilavati's words and puffed with arrogance, throws the prasada and dora in the fire. Shilavati immediately saves the dora from fire and puts in milk. Soon, they lost all wealth and people around them. Realizing his mistake with great regret goes in search of Ananta in forest. He sees a mango tree in full bloom and asks if it has seen Ananta. Getting a negative response, he proceeds and asks a cow with calf the same question. With no help, asks the same question to two ponds filled with lotus and birds. Proceeding fwd, asks the donkey,elephant etc. Giving up hope he tries to end his life. Taking pity on him, Ananta comes as an old man and takes him into a cave and shows His true form worshiped by Devatas. With Shankha Chakra Gada Padma and all abharana, He gives divya darshana. Immediately KaunDinya falls at the feet and asks for forgiveness.

Ananta, forgives all His sin and tells him to return back and continue vrata for 14 years. He blesses him with all the wealth and glory. Even those who hear read chant Ananta vrata katha get blessed.

Upon asking the strange beings in the forest, Ananta tells him that the pandita who never shares jnana was born as a mango tree in a forest where it is of no use to anyone. The bull was dharmadevata. The two ponds were sisters who never did daana and mutually exchanged gifts. Donkey represents anger while elephant represents haughtiness. The old man is Ananta Himself while the cave is samsaara. Saying this Ananta became invisible.

Following the upadesha of Ananta, KaunDinya does Ananta vrata with Shilavati and regained all their wealth and lead a very dharmika life with devotion.

Narrating this, Sri krishna tells Dharmaraja that everyone who lives in samsaara guha, has to do this puja so that their journey stays comfortable with all sampat to reach the destination.