Shesha
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In Hindu mythology, Shesha (Śeṣa in IAST transliteration) is a naga, one of the serpent beings.
He is often depicted with a massive form that floats coiled in space, or on the universal ocean, to form the bed on which Lord Vishnu lies. Sometimes he is shown as a five headed, or a thousand-headed snake, each head wearing a crown.
He is one of the primal beings of creation, and is closely associated with Vishnu. His name means "that which remains", from the Sanskrit root shiş, because when the world is destroyed at the end of the kalpa, Shesha remains.
He is said to have loosened Mount Mandara, to enable it to be used in the churning of the ocean by the devas and asuras.
Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna, and Lakshmana, the younger brother of Rama, are sometimes considered Avataras of Shesha.
According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), his father was Kashyapa and his mother Kadru.
Other names
Sheshanaga (Sesha the serpent), Adisesha (the first Sesha), Anantasesha (Endless Sesha), Ananta (endless). Alternative spelling: Sesa, Sesha.
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