Hinduism describes fourteen Lokas or places where there is Existence.
I have not used the term Human.
The descriptions are of beings; in terms of Color, Shape, their behaviors, they are different.
One view is that they are descriptions indicating Spiritual Development.
For example, Chandra Loka denotes mental acumen and development of Buddhi unhindered by Mans, the Mind.
Chandra indicates the Mind.
Suyra, Sun represents knowledge.
Budha , Mercury Wisdom.
Bruhaspati, Jupiter, Discerning ability.
Angaaraka, Volatile temper,
Sukra , venus, material enjoyment,
Sani, Saturn, mental toughness,
Raahhu, a shadow planet, represents,aggressive behavior, to be tempered by Wisdom by Kethu another Shadow planet by Philosophical Disposition.
Kethu, Philosophical Disposition.
However there is another view, which states that these are places inhabited by Beings.
I subscribe to the view that these Planets do not indicate dwelling Places, but only mental stages as a careful study of the Vedas reveal .
The Veda Mantras addressed to these Planets, including Navagraha Mantras used in The Navagraha Homa, talk about qualities and are allegorical.
However there are legends in the Purans on these planets having Form and are found to be interacting among themselves and with Human Beings.
But specific places of their dwelling is only hinted at and these may indicate their qualities.
But there are other Fourteen Lokas described in the Vedas and Purans .
These are spiritual and Dwelling Places.
They might exist in different planes, at different levels.
An interpretation is that these are the Quantum Fields other than where we exist.
Please read my pots on this filed under Astrophysics.
Yet there is evidence to suggest that these are Planes of existence with Physical boundaries, inhabited by Beings.
Details.
The Fourteen Lokas.
Bhuu,
Bhuvas,
Svar,
Mahas,
Jana,
Tapa and
Satya .
And The Seven Paatalas (lower worlds) are:
Atala,
Vitala,
Sutala,
Rasaataala,
Talatala,
Mahaatala and
Paatala.
1.Bhu Loka
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- Wherever earthy substance exists, which may be traversed by the feet, that constitutes the sphere of the earth (Bhu Loka), the dimensions of which I have already recounted to you.
Amongst the 14 worlds thus mentioned, the 7th one viz. Bhu-loka is Earth..
‘Bhu’ means ‘Earth’ and ‘loka’ means the surface of planet Earth, where we live.
2.Bhuvar Loka.
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- The region that extends from the earth to the sun, in which the Siddhas and other celestial beings move, is the atmospheric sphere (Bhuvar Loka), which also I have described.
Bhuvar-loka is identified with Earth’s atmosphere and sometimes with the space which is in the immediate neighborhood of Earth.
In other words Bhuvarloka is the near-Earth space including Earth’s atmosphere.
This is the region were all the aircrafts fly and where all the artificial-satellites and space-stations that orbit around the Earth are situated.
This region canbre equated to the Geospace, the space dominated by Earth’s magnetic field.
3.Suvar Loka.
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- The interval between the sun and Dhruva, extending fourteen hundred thousand leagues, is called by those who are acquainted with the system of the universe the heavenly sphere (Suvar Loka)
Suvar-loka (alternatively Swar-loka) is beyond Bhuvarloka.
Some description makes it a planet inhabited by the Devaswith their king Indra.
Some references make it equivalent to the Swarga
Some Puranic references equate Suvarloka to the Solar System.
As per these the Suvar loka is consisted of nine sub divisions or sectors called
1) Druva Mandala, 2) Sani Mandala, 3) Brihaspati Mandala, 4) Angaraka Mandala, 5) Sukra Mandala, 6) Budha Mandala, 7) Nakshatra Mandala, 8) Chandra Mandala, 9) Surya Mandala.
Human beings are among the inhabitants.
4. Mahar Loka.
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- Above Dhruva, at the distance of ton million leagues, lies the sphere of saints, or Mahar-loka, the inhabitants of which dwell in it throughout a Kalpa, or day of Brahmá.
Maharloka is the place of saintly souls (as per Vishnu Purana) and is considered as greater than the Suvarloka .
Some Puarans say that the souls of the Saptarshis (the Seven Sages of Ancient India) reside here with a watchful eye upon the activities of humanity on Earth.
Maharloka can be equated to the region (Stellar Neighborhood) where all the stars visible to us including our Sun (and thus the Suvar Loka or our Solar System) is situated.
Inhabitants of Mahar Loka belongs to an inter stellar civilization.
All of the 27 Nakshatras belongs to Mahar Loka.
5.Jana Loka, The Milky Way Galaxy.
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- At twice that distance is situated Janaloka, where Sanandana and other pure-minded sons of Brahmá, reside.
Jana Loka is described greater than Mahar Loka, contains the Mahar Loka, the world of the stars visible to us.
This can be equated to the Milky_Way Galaxy itself. The word ‘Jana’ means people.
In this case, Jana Loka thus becomes the world of people belonging to the Milky Way Galactic Civilization.
6.Tapo Loka. Galaxies.
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- At four times the distance, between the two last, lies the Tapo-loka (the sphere of penance), inhabited by the deities called Vaibhrájas, who are unconsumable by fire.
Tapo Loka is described as ‘greater than’ or ‘beyond’ or ‘above’ the Jana Loka.
It is the world of the Galaxies visible to us, including the Milky Way Galaxy.
Thus it can be equated with the inter-galactic structures like the Local Group of Galaxies, the Virgo Super Cluster of Galaxies and the Pisces Cetus Super
7.Satya Loka.
Vishnu Purana: Chapter 7:- At six times the distance (or twelve Crores, a hundred and twenty millions of leagues) is situated Satya-loka, the sphere of truth, the inhabitants of which never again know death.
Satya Loka is a Loka greater than the Tapo Loka.
It is the first among all the 14 Lokas.
It can be equated to the Universe itself containing several Worlds of Galaxies (Tapo Lokas).
Satya Loka is the abode of Brahma, the God of Creation.
Some Puranas describe Brahma as residing in a Cosmic Egg, the Egg of Brahma or Brahmanda. The Universe indeed can be conceived as a Cosmic Egg.
Some Puranas consider a Lotus which sprang from the naval of Vishnu, the primordial being, as the abode of Brahma.
Due to its expansion from aSingularity (a hyper-massive black-hole of infinite mass and infinitesimal size), the Universe indeed looks like a lotus sprang from a navel, except that we need to consider it as a four dimensional (4D) lotus rather than a three dimensional (3D) one.
In this case ‘the navel of Vishnu‘ can be equated to the Singularity from which our Universe has sprung up.
Thus ‘Satya Loka’ is same as ‘the Lotus that sprang from the navel’.
It is same as our ‘Universe’ itself. It is also the ‘Brahmanda’, the ‘Egg of Brahma’ in which Brahma resides.
The etymology of the word ‘Vishnu’ means ‘that which expands (vis:- expand)’. The etymology of the word ‘Brahma’ to means ‘that which is big or that which is expanded (Brh:- expand, grow, large)’.
Both of these words (personified as Brahma and Vishnu) signifies the expansion of the Universe (a property inherent in the Universe).
The inhabitants of this Cosmic World are mentioned as immortals (ie, they exist till the universe exists).
Pat Two containing the Seven worlds beneath us follow.
Citation.
Related articles
You must be logged in to post a comment.