Ananta Dasa, medieval Odia poet and mystic, was the youngest and least known among the five associates of Jasobanta Dasa. He belonged to the Mehapur Village and his father, Kapila Mohanty, received the designation of Mahapatra and was a Karana by caste. Ananta settled at Valipatana, Perganaha, Kothdesa, in the district of Puri, Odisha.
He is generally addressed as Shishu (child). The reason for this appellation is to be found in Ishwara Dasa’s book. One Goddess Lakshmi and Narayana were sitting in Vaikuntha, and Ananta and Jagannatha visited them. Jagannatha assumed the form of a sakhi (female associate) and attracted the attention of the Divine Couple. Not to be outwitted, Ananta assumed the form of Padmana (Pradyumna), infant son of Goddess Lakshmi. For a time the ruse succeeded, and he was caressed by the deities, who thought him to be the child Pradyumna. Later, they gave him the appellation of Shishu.
Ananta’s writings have not yet been published. In Rasa he has paid homage to Chaitanya. In Shunyanama-bheda and Hetu-udaya-Bhagavata, he describes the principles of Yoga and the conception of panda brahmanda.
Ananta founded a matha at the district of Cuttack.