The scene of Šri Ranganãtha lying asleep on a coiled-up five-headed serpent called Šesha or Ananta on the surface of the shore-less Ocean of Milk, symbolizes the entire gamut of the philosophy of Sanãtana Dharma. 

It is impossible to describe in words the grandeur underlying the concept of the Milky Ocean. A glimpse of the vast expanse of the real Milky Ocean will be revealed to us only when we lose consciousness of our body, mind, vacant space and the worlds of sun, moon, stars etc. that fill the space and elevate our consciousness to the turiya state, the fourth state beyond the three planes of consciousness - waking, dreaming and sleeping - experienced by us. Those brave sages who have ascended to this supreme state of consciousness, tell us that the Milky Ocean will be found to be a sweet undisturbed nectar-like divine calmness that silently pervades all, devoid of all dualities. Indeed, this revelation will come to us only with God's infinite grace and the blessings of one's real Guru.

That which is left-over is called Šesha and therefore, the pure infinite (ananta) consciousness that is 'left-over' after all dualities have been removed, is represented by Šesha the five-headed serpent. Serpents have been an object of worship in all civilizations - perhaps because of the beauty of the reptile when its hood is outspread; or its fine ear for music; or its faculty of 'hearing' with its eyes; or its comparative innocence when not disturbed; or its reputed allegiance to mantras and oaths; or its intelligence. The coils of a serpent represent the infinite magnitude, omnipresence and eternity of that consciousness. Therefore, the pure consciousness that permeates everywhere and everything manifest and un-manifest, is symbolized by the five-headed serpent Šesha. 

Ranganãtha literally means the Lord of the stage - i. e. the stage represented by the physical Universe. The Lord of the Stage is indeed Vishnu, the all-pervading Supreme God, who "sleeps" on the smooth glossy bed formed of the coils of Šesha. Unlike our sleep, however, His sleep is not one of darkness and ignorance but of Light and Awareness.

His ornaments are: Kaustubha gem in His chest representing the pure and everlasting Soul of the Universe; Šrivatsa mark on His forehead symbolizing the unchanging principle behind the manifested Universe; and Vaijayanti garland around His neck composed of five precious gems, representing the five elements of which the Universe is made.

He carries five objects - Gada or mace; the bow Šarnga; the Conch Pãnchajanyam; the Discus Sudaršana; and the sword Nandaki. The discriminating faculty of intellect that separates the real from the un-real, is fittingly compared to Gada, the mace. The Šãrnga bow stands for the sense organs; for like the latter, the arrows released from a bow go in search of things and get embedded in them. Creation being due to vibration, the Conch Pãnchajanyam aptly represents the great function of Creation. The Discus Sudaršana Chakra symbolizes the mind, which shames the speed of lightning. And the sword Nandaki stands for the sword of detachment needed to sever one's ties to the ephemeral world.

                                                                         OM NAMO NÃRÃYANÃYA