Rasātala

Rasātala · rasā-tala, “the lowest region”

Rasātala is one of the pātālas, the lokas below the earth. The Bhavishya Purāṇa describes it as made of rock and adorned by Bhagavān Śaṅkara, and tells that at the time of pralaya Dharaṇī, the earth, sank into the waters and went down to Rasātala, until Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa in the form of Varāha raised her.

The pātāla of rock

Sūta tells the munis in the Madhyama Parva that below the earth are the pātāla lokas. Mahātala is of gold, and Rasātala is of rock, adorned by Bhagavān Śaṅkara. Below these are many narakas beginning with Raurava.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapters 2–3

In the lists of the pātālas

In the Brahma Parva, Sumantu Muni names the seven adholokas as Tala, Sutala, Pātāla, Talātala, Atala, Vītala and Rasātala; a bracket in the print gives them as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Rasātala, Mahātala and Pātāla. In the Uttara Parva, Śrī Kṛshṇa names the seven pātāla-lokas as Atala, Mahātala, Bhūmitala, Sutala, Vitala, Rasātala and Talāvala, where the dānavas such as Hiraṇyāksha and the nāgas such as Vāsuki live, with Siddhas and ṛshis.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 126; Uttara Parva, Chapter 2

Dharaṇī in Rasātala

Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira that at the time of pralaya Dharaṇī sank into the waters and went down to Rasātala. Then Dharaṇī Devī performed a vrata for her own rescue, and Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa, pleased by its power, took the form of Varāha, brought her back and set her again in her own place.

In the Aśoka Pūrṇimā vrata, kept on Phālguna pūrṇimā, the devotee does pūjā of Bhagavān Bhūdhara and of Dharaṇī Devī as Aśokā, and prays with folded hands: “Dharaṇī Devī, you bear the whole moving and unmoving jagat. As Bhagavān Janārdana brought you from Rasātala, established you and freed you from śoka, so free me from all śoka and fulfil all my wishes.”

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapters 83, 104

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 126; Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapters 2–3; Uttara Parva, Chapters 2, 83, 104