सप्तभिर्दशगुणोत्तरैरण्डकोशः ।
यत्र पतत्यणुकल्पः
सहाण्डकोटिकोटिभिस्तदनन्तः ॥३७॥
ká¹£ity-Ädibhir eá¹£a kilÄvá¹›taḥ
saptabhir daÅ›a-guṇottarair aṇá¸a-koÅ›aḥ
yatra pataty aṇu-kalpaḥ
sahÄṇá¸a-koá¹i-koá¹ibhis tad anantaḥ
ká¹£iti-Ädibhiḥ - by the ingredients of the material world, headed by earth; eá¹£aḥ - this; kila - indeed; Ävá¹›taḥ - covered; saptabhiḥ - seven; daÅ›a-guṇa-uttaraiḥ - each ten times more than the previous one; aṇá¸a-koÅ›aḥ - egg-shaped universe; yatra - in whom; patati - falls; aṇu-kalpaḥ - like a minute atom; saha - with; aṇá¸a-koá¹i-koá¹ibhiḥ - millions of such universes; tat - therefore; anantaḥ - (You are called) unlimited.
Every universe is covered by seven layers — earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy and false ego — each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta].
The Brahma-saá¹hitÄ (5.48) says:
yasyaika-niÅ›vasita-kÄlam athÄvalambya
jÄ«vanti loma-vilajÄ jagad-aṇá¸a-nÄthÄḥ
viṣṇur mahÄn sa iha yasya kalÄ-viÅ›eá¹£o
govindam Ädi-puruá¹£aá¹ tam ahaá¹ bhajÄmi
The origin of the material creation is MahÄ-Viṣṇu, who lies in the Causal Ocean. While He sleeps in that ocean, millions of universes are generated as He exhales, and they are all annihilated when He inhales. This MahÄ-Viṣṇu is a plenary portion of a portion of Viṣṇu, Govinda (yasya kalÄ-viÅ›eá¹£aḥ). The word kalÄ refers to a plenary portion of a plenary portion. From Kṛṣṇa, or Govinda, comes BalarÄma; from BalarÄma comes Saá¹…kará¹£aṇa; from Saá¹…kará¹£aṇa, NÄrÄyaṇa; from NÄrÄyaṇa, the second Saá¹…kará¹£aṇa; from the second Saá¹…kará¹£aṇa, MahÄ-Viṣṇu; from MahÄ-Viṣṇu, GarbhodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu; and from GarbhodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu, KṣīrodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu. KṣīrodakaÅ›ÄyÄ« Viṣṇu controls every universe. This gives an idea of the meaning of ananta, unlimited. What is to be said of the unlimited potency and existence of the Lord? This verse describes the coverings of the universe (saptabhir daÅ›a-guṇottarair aṇá¸a-koÅ›aḥ). The first covering is earth, the second is water, the third is fire, the fourth is air, the fifth is sky, the sixth is the total material energy, and the seventh is the false ego. Beginning with the covering of earth, each covering is ten times greater than the previous one. Thus we can only imagine how great each universe is, and there are many millions of universes. As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (10.42):
athavÄ bahunaitena
kiá¹ jñÄtena tavÄrjuna
viá¹£á¹abhyÄham idaá¹ ká¹›tsnam
ekÄá¹Å›ena sthito jagat
“But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe.†The entire material world manifests only one fourth of the Supreme Lord’s energy. Therefore He is called ananta.
