'First Shesha'), is a serpentine demigod (naga) and king of the serpents (Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism.

In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths.

The Narayana form of Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha, accompanied by his consort Lakshmi.

According to the Mahabharata (Adi Parva), his father was Kashyapa and his mother Kadru, though in other accounts, he is usually a primordial being created by Vishnu.

Shesha, disgusted by the cruel acts of his brothers, left his mother and kin, and took on austere penances.

He lived on air and meditated in places including Gandhamadhana, Badrikashrama, Gokarna, Pushkara, and the Himalayas.

In the Bhagavata Purana, Shesha is named Sankarshana, the tamasic energy of Narayana himself, and is said to live deep within the inner layers of Patala, where there are many serpents with gems on their heads and where he reigns as its ruler.

In Gaudiya accounts, Sankarshana expands himself as Garbhodakshayi-Vishnu in the beginning of the universe to create Brahma.

In the first few chapters of the Puranas, it is also said that Sankarshana preached the Bhagavata to the Four Kumaras, who in turn passed on this message.

As per the Garga Samhita, she is considered to be the personification of the divine ocean called the Kshira Sagara.

[11][12] During the Kali Yuga, according to Sri Vaishnava tradition, he was born as Patanjali, Ramanuja, and Manavala Mamunigal.

In the Bhagavad Gita, in the middle of the battlefield Kurukshetra, Krishna, explaining his omnipresence, says: "Of Nāgas, I am Ananta" indicating the importance of Shesha.

According to the texts and scriptures of the Gaudiya Sampradaya, the appearance of Nityananda Prabhu was very similar to Balarama (incarnation of Shesha).

[citation needed] The Brahma Purana describes the attributes of Ananta:[14] Daityas and Dānavas are not capable of recounting his good qualities.

At the end of the Kalpa, Rudra in the form of Saṅkarṣaṇa comes out of his mouth, blazing like the flame of poisonous fire and devours the three worlds.

In the Bhagavad Gita chapter 10, verse 29, Krishna describes 75 of his common manifestations, and declares, "anantaś ca asmi nāgānāṁ": Among Nāgas (a special class of serpents), I am the serpent-god Ananta.The Palliyodam, a type of large snake boat built and used by Aranmula Parthasarathy Temple in Kerala for the annual water processions of Uthrattathi Jalamela and Valla Sadhya has the legend that it was designed by Krishna and were made to look like Shesha.