Ananta

[Madhav Deshpande]

Thanks for the reference to Yoga-suutra II 47 which refers to Ananta.  
Though it is doubtful that the word refers to the snake divinity in the 
original suutra, one can see how a later commentator could take it as a 
proper name referring to the snake divinity.  However, it is not clear 
how even this reference could have led to the identification of Patanjali 
as an incarnation of Shesha.
	Madhav Deshpande

On Mon, 20 Mar 1995, Enrica Garzilli wrote:

> 
> 
> On Mon, 20 Mar 1995, L.S.Cousins wrote:
> 
> > Madhav Deshpande asks:
> > 
> > Somewhat tentatively, could this be related to exegesis of Yoga-suutra II
> > 47 ? If I remember correctly, some of the later writers understand this as
> > referring to Ananta.
> > 
> > Lance Cousins.
> > 
> > MANCHESTER, UK
> > Telephone (UK): 0161 434 3646
> > 
> 
> Even though is likely that Patanjali of the YS is not the Patanjali
> of the Mahabhasya, (See e.g. A.B. Keith, Jacobi, onwards), the YS II, 47 
> explicitely mentions Ananta. 
> It was interpreted by Vacaspatimisra (IX cent. A.D.) as Vasuki, teh 
> mithological snake (brother of Sesa). (However Ananta is also the name of 
> Sesa himself, the snake-god) .
> King Bhoja (IX cent.) read it as 'endeless', 'eternal'.
> (In this case Patanjali's sutra would refer to a buddhist meditation: see 
> De La Vallee Poussin, "Le bouddhisme et le Yoga de Patanjali", in Melanges 
> chinois et bouddhiques, 1937, pp. 223-242).
> 
> Dott. Enrica Garzilli 
> 
>  
>