Different Planes of Existence

pic courtesy srimannarayana.50megs.com

As promised, I am here to present the VEDIC/HINDU Standpoint on Parallel Universes....though it took me some time but could finally manage to get little material out of sizable material available on the subject in the texts....

Vedic/hindu texts like Bhagvadgita, Bhagvatam, Upanishads etc. are full of references of the parallel/alternate universes. In Bhagvadgita Lord Krishna says:

“Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship the ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; and those who worship Me will live with me”  (Bhagvadgita 9.25)

As per Bhagvatam:

There are 7 lokas above Earth (included) and 7 talas under the Earth. They are planes, levels or dimensions with specific life forms and standard of life (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.23-24)

Below Patala is the Garbha ocean (Garbhodaka) filling half of the universe on which Garbhodakasayi Vishnu lies on Ananta Shesha and from His navel grows a lotus. In the stem of this lotus are situated all the planetary systems (SB 3.28.25, etc.).

Outside this universe Maha-Vishnu is lying on the Causal Ocean and while He is exhaling, millions of universes are coming as bubbles from His body and they are developing again. And when He is inhaling, millions of universes are going within Him. Thus these material universes are being created and again annihilated.

"The Maha-Vishnu, into whom all the innumerable universes enter and from whom they come forth again simply by His breathing process, is a plenary expansion of Krishna. Therefore I worship Govinda, Krishna, the cause of all causes." (Brahma-samhita 5.48) (http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/bhaktiyoga/bhaktiyoga-7.htm)

Sankhya Yoga and many Upanishadas talk of various planes of existence in the universe. As per Sankhya philosophy, Mother Nature is working hard for the enlightenment of human beings, like she is working hard to keep the lower beings to survive. There are 14 planes of existence (sankhya shloka18):

a) Five types of lower entities : This plane consists ofanimals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants

b) Human Beings

c) Pitra loka :- consists of good souls of our ancestors

d) Gandharva Loka : consists of souls higher than pitra loka. They are demi-gods

e) Daiva Loka : lower gods live there

f) Indra Loka : higher gods, who control the nature's jobs (like rain, heat, winter, air etc)….their chief is god Indra, which is taken over by the highest soul, who is entitled to Indra Loka. In each creation a new Indra takes over.

g) Prajapatya : This Plane of existence is for those souls who have even transcended the gods plane…these souls take part in creation of the universes

h)Brahmm Loka : This is the highest plane of existence for the group of souls. The souls who reach here do not take birth in this Kalpa and enjoy being with Brahmaa, the god of creation.

But the souls who reach upto Brahmloka… take re-birth if not in this Kalpa then next… because when their good karmas are exhausted, they have to take re-birth and re-start their sadhna. But there is no re-birth in any form above Brahma loka. The amount of bliss also varies in different lokas.

For the beings below humans there is no bliss, as what ever they do is controlled by nature. Bliss or joy starts from human beings. Thus, as per Brihdanyak upanishada:

=> 100 times the bliss of humans is enjoyed by inhabitants of Pitra loka

=> 100 times the bliss of Pitra loka is enjoyed by Gandharvas

=> 100 times the bliss of Gandharvas is enjoyed by devas (demi-gods)

=> 100 times of devas is enjoyed by Prajapati loka

=> 100 times of prajapati loka is for Brahma loka.

Above Brahm-loka are Videha and Prakriti-Layas. Their bliss is millions of times more than Brahma-loka and they do not take re-birth… but they may choose to come back to earth as prophets or part incarnations of god, if they so wish. Budha, Shankracharya, Jesus etc came from this plane of existence.

Where will we go after death ? which plane of existence will let us go.. is decided by our Karmas. The subtleness of our subtle bodies, gained through our good karma, and our point of consciousness, makes us eligible to enter a particular loka after death.

It is like a sieve where different sized stones are moved and only the specific sized stones will pass the holes of sieve and will collect down… bigger ones will remain in the sieve.

The subtleness of our Sukhma sharira will be allowed only in the loka, which we are entitled to, without any mistake. (http://www.indiadivine.org/audarya/hinduism-forum/458456-different-planes-existence.html)

Interesting....Isn’t it?....the next post is going to be on the Hollywood movies which borrowed the vedic concept of multiverses....till then goodbye!!!