Faith in Sadhu Sanga

Once Visvamitra Muni went to the ashram of Vasistha Rishi intent upon receiving illumination on a specific aspect of spiritual science. After respectfully receiving the sage and hearing his request, Vasistha declined to give that particular instruction, humbly deferring Visvamitra to AnantaDeva, the thousand-hooded Serpent clone of Divinity. In the Super Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadeva Goswami describes AnantaDeva and his abode to the king of ancient India, Parikit Maharaja:

My dear King, near the bottom of the universe, deep below the planet Patal, lives the expansion of Vishnu, AnantaDeva (Sankarshan). He oversees the death of the universe, generating the robot-like Rudra from the divine anger in his brow. Although he is always transcendentally situated… he presides over the mode of ignorance as well as the false ego of all embodied beings. When one thinks, "I am the enjoyer, this world is meant for me," such delusion is inspired by him.

The universe rests upon one of AnantaDeva's thousand hoods and appears atomic in size, like a tiny white mustard seed.… The Lord's beauty is incomparable. The translucent pink toenails on his lotus feet are like gems polished to mirror finish. When devotees with the leaders of celestial snakes fall at those feet in great devotion, they taste ecstasy astonished by the beautiful image of their faces; their very souls reflected from the center of the Infinite.

AnantaDeva has long, slender, silver-white arms like columns decorated with bangles. When the beautiful princesses of serpent kings, hoping for the blessing of his assent, anoint his arms with fragrant aguru, sandalwood and kunkum, his touch awakens desire. Understanding their minds, the Lord glances upon them with a delicate flirtatious smile, making them blush. This makes them smile sweetly looking with increased intensity upon his lotus face, which is beautified by sunrise colored eyes rolling in the intoxicated delight of love for his devotees.

Gods and goddesses across the spectrum, from demonic to divine, mediate upon him. Intoxicated with visions of Krishna-katha, his eyes blow to and fro like lotus flowers in bloom. He pleases all with an endless stream of nectar flowing from his lotus lips (Hari-katha). Dressed in royal blue, adorned with a lone elegant earring, he holds a plow with his exquisitely shaped hands. Purer than the white of the king of heaven, he wears a gold belt and a rainbow colored garland of flowers laced with ever-fresh tulasi blossoms. Bumblebees, intoxicated by the honey fragrance of tulasi, sing sweetly, humming around the garland, making its beauty increase. This is but an isolated aspect of the sublime play of God.

Lord Sankarshan is an ocean of spiritual qualities, and thus he is known as AnantaDeva — Lord Infinite. He is an expansion of God who resides within this world, with restrained anger and extreme tolerance for the welfare of all beings.
— Srimad Bhagavatam

Visvamitra Muni was astonished to see the beauty of AnantaDeva. He bowed respectfully, offered appropriate prayers and humbly submitted his plea. Lord AnantaDeva knew everything but concealed his ire favoring tolerance and mystical instruction. He was happy to see the rishi but feigned difficulty in concentrating on what he was saying, due to the weight of the planets upon his heads. He asked Visvamitra to share some of the burden, insisting that would allow him to focus clearly on the sage's request.

Visvamitra mustered all his accumulated mystic power by dint of his vast, severe austerities (tapasya). But the planets wobbled and he was unable to sustain balance, like a weightlifter outmatched by his load. Pitying the sage's struggle (literal as well as conceptual) AnantaDeva suggested, "Have you got any sadhu sanga?" Visvamitra responded thoughtfully, "I was just at the ashram of Vasistha, but it was only for a moment, would that qualify? AnantaDeva nodded his thousands of heads in approval. Magically, the planets upon Visvamitra's head came into perfect balance and he sustained their weight with ease. AnantaDeva sighed in appreciation and relief, "Ah! What can I do for you?"

Visvamitra explained the particular knowledge he sought and begged for AnantaDeva's kind instruction. AnantaDeva became pensive and after awhile suggested, "The expert for that kind of knowledge is the great sage Vasistha Rishi. I recommend you approach him."

Stunned, Visvamitra's astonishment turned to fury. The intensity of his anger psyche transferred him immediately to the ashram of Vasistha where he demanded an explanation. "Why did you send me to AnantaDeva, if you are the known expert in this field!" Vasistha Rishi replied calmly, "Because you had no faith in me."

Now that Visvamitra Muni had heard AnantaDeva intimate the glories of Vasistha Rishi he had faith enough to begin hearing in earnest (adau sraddha tatah sadhu sanga)…