Goloka: The Eternal Abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Goloka (“the world of the cows”) is the supreme spiritual abode of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa describes it as a realm that shines by its own light, three crore yojanas (a yojana is a large measure of distance) in extent. It lies above all other worlds, including Vaikuṇṭha (the abode of Viṣṇu) and Śivaloka (the abode of Śiva).

It is the eternal home of Kṛṣṇa together with Rādhā, the gopas (cowherd boys) and the gopīs (cowherd girls). It remains even during pralaya, the dissolution of the universe, when every other world is dissolved. Reaching Goloka is the highest goal of Kṛṣṇa bhakti (loving devotion to Kṛṣṇa). The Skanda Purāṇa also gives a separate, detailed account of Goloka through Nārada’s journey there.

Where It Lies and How Large It Is

Goloka lies above the three worlds of svarga (the heavenly world), martya (the world of mortals) and pātāla (the lower worlds). It holds the highest place of all. The Brahma Khaṇḍa describes it as three crore (30,000,000) yojanas around, round in shape (maṇḍalākāra), paved with jewels of great rarity, and held up in space only by Kṛṣṇa’s yogaśakti (divine power). Below Goloka, on its right side, lies Vaikuṇṭha, one crore yojanas across. On its left lies Śivaloka, also one crore yojanas across.

Goloka During Dissolution and Creation

At pralaya, when all other worlds dissolve, Goloka alone remains. Kṛṣṇa stays there as a single light, the paraṃ jyotis (supreme light), from which all existence will rise again. Vaikuṇṭha and Śivaloka become śūnya (empty) during pralaya. At sṛṣṭi (creation) they are filled again, with Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa and with Pārvatī-Parameśvara. Goloka, however, is never empty. During pralaya Kṛṣṇa alone is there. During creation Kṛṣṇa lives there with the gopas and gopīs, who make it beautiful by their presence.

The Nature of Goloka

Goloka is entirely free from mano-vyathā (pain of the mind), vyādhi (disease), jarā (old age), mṛtyu (death), śoka (grief) and bhaya (fear). Countless palaces of the finest jewels stand all across it. The light of Goloka is supremely beautiful and fills all who see it with paramānanda (supreme bliss). Yogīs see Goloka through the jñāna-netra (eye of knowledge) opened by their yoga, while devotees of Viṣṇu reach it directly through their ananya-bhakti (single-minded devotion).

Kṛṣṇa’s Form in Goloka

At the centre of Goloka, Śrī Kṛṣṇa sits on a ratna-siṃhāsana (jewelled throne). His form is:

Blue like a fresh rain-cloud (nūtana-megha-śyāma)
With eyes like red lotuses
With a face as pure as the full moon of autumn (śarat-pūrṇimā)
With the beauty of ten million Manmathas (Kāmadeva, the deva of love)
Holding a muralī (flute) in one hand
With a gentle smile
Dressed in yellow cloth (pītāmbara)
Adorned with jewelled ornaments
With his whole body anointed with śrīcandana (sandal paste)
With a mark of kastūrī (musk) and kuṅkuma on his forehead
Bearing the Śrīvatsa mark and the Kaustubha jewel on his chest
Wearing a jewelled crown
Adorned with a vanamālā (garland of forest flowers)
In the kiśora stage of life, that of a youth

He is Rāseśvara, master of the Rāsamaṇḍala (the circle of the rāsa dance). In Goloka he forever performs the rāsalīlā with Rādhā and the gopīs.

The Detailed Description of Goloka (Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 28)

The Brahma Khaṇḍa gives a longer description of Goloka in Śiva’s teaching to Nārada. Here Goloka is said to be 100 lakh crore yojanas in extent. This figure gives its full size in the universe, as opposed to its visible circumference. Within Goloka are:

Countless jewelled palaces
The Virajā nadī, the divine river that separates the material world from Goloka
Vṛndāvana, the eternal forest of Goloka, where Kṛṣṇa performs the rāsa
Mount Śataśṛṅga
One lakh crore āśramas of ṛṣis and devotees
Forests of pārijāta trees whose fragrance fills every direction
Sixteen dvāras (gateways) that guard entry

On a great jewelled throne at the heart of Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa sits with Rādhā at his left side. His lotus feet are honoured by all three worlds. Fifty crore yojanas from Goloka lies Vaikuṇṭha, the abode of Nārāyaṇa and Lakṣmī.

Who Can Reach Goloka

The Brahma Khaṇḍa says that Goloka, though it lies in antarikṣa (the space of the universe), cannot be seen by ordinary yogīs “even in dreams”. Yet to devotees of Viṣṇu it is clearly visible. Only through ananya-bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa can one reach Goloka. Even Nārada reached Goloka only after giving up his body while remembering Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa-smaraṇa), at the end of his life as the son of Upabarhaṇa. The Ākāśavāṇī (voice from the sky) that came to the young Nārada said: “Full darśana of Kṛṣṇa can only be had when you possess a divine body.” This means that to reach Goloka one must go beyond the mortal body.

Parabrahman and Goloka

In Chapter 30, the teaching of Nārāyaṇa Muni explains how Kṛṣṇa as Parabrahman (the Supreme Reality) is related to Goloka. Each pore of Kṛṣṇa’s skin holds whole universes. The Ādikūrma, the first tortoise on which the earth rests, is only a tiny aṃśa (portion) of Kṛṣṇa’s being. Goloka is not just a physical place. It is a realm of consciousness that shines by its own light, holds itself up, and is one with Parabrahman.

Goloka in the Prakṛti Khaṇḍa

Chapter 7 of the Prakṛti Khaṇḍa repeats that Goloka is permanent. Goloka and Vaikuṇṭha alone are śāśvata (eternal); they are never dissolved, even at the great Prākṛta-pralaya. When Brahmā’s full āyus (lifespan) ends and all beings, including Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, the munis and all jīvas (souls), merge into Śrī Kṛṣṇa Paramātmā, Goloka goes on untouched. Kṛṣṇa remains there forever with his anucaras (companions).

The Prakṛti Khaṇḍa also speaks of Kṛṣṇa’s two forms. In Goloka he appears as dvibhuja, the two-armed cowherd. In Vaikuṇṭha he appears as caturbhuja, the four-armed Nārāyaṇa. Everything that exists “from Brahmā down to a blade of grass” belongs to Prakṛti (material nature) and so does not last. Only the Paramātmā in Goloka is nitya (eternal) and sanātana (without beginning).

The account of the origin of Dakṣiṇā Devī (Chapter 42) and the Rādhā Upākhyāna (the story of Rādhā) are both set firmly in Goloka. Suśīlā’s curse, the communities of gopīs, the rāsamaṇḍala and Rādhā’s place are all described as part of the eternal reality of Goloka, before any descent to earth takes place.

Goloka in the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janma Khaṇḍa

The Virajā River

Chapter 2 of this Khaṇḍa gives a detail about Goloka found nowhere else: the Virajā nadī, the divine river around Goloka, came from the gopī Virajā. She was one of Kṛṣṇa’s beloved companions in Goloka, said to be as beautiful as Rādhā. One day Rādhā, angry at finding Kṛṣṇa with Virajā, came to Virajā’s pavilion. Out of deep shame and grief, Virajā gave up her body through yoga. At once she became a great river, one crore yojanas wide and ten crore yojanas long. It flows in a great circle around all of Goloka and separates it from all lower worlds. The river Virajā is said to have manohara jala (beautiful, purifying waters) and to be set with countless rare jewels.

Goloka and the Plan for the Avatāra

Chapter 3 of this Khaṇḍa tells how events in Goloka led straight to Kṛṣṇa’s avatāra (descent to earth). After Sudāmā’s curse, Rādhā spoke to Kṛṣṇa with great feeling: “I cannot live without you even for a moment. A separation of a blink of an eye makes my mind blind. My eyes are like cakora birds that drink the moonlight of your face.” Kṛṣṇa comforted Rādhā and told her the plan. In the Varāha-kalpa he would come down to earth. She too would take a human birth, as the daughter of Vṛṣabhānu. They would be together in the Vṛndāvana of the mortal world, just as they are in Goloka. So the earthly Vṛndāvana is understood as a copy of eternal Goloka: the same Kṛṣṇa, the same Rādhā, the same gopas and gopīs, appearing in material form for the good of all worlds.

Kṛṣṇa’s Return to Goloka: The Goloka-Ārohaṇa (Chapter 129)

At the end of his avatāra on earth, Kṛṣṇa left the Bhāṇḍīravana in Vṛndāvana and rose to Goloka in a shining ratna-vimāna (jewelled celestial chariot). Before he rose, all the divine beings, Brahmā, Śiva, Indra, Varuṇa and all the devas, gathered to offer their last stotras (hymns of praise).

From Kṛṣṇa’s body a four-armed form of Nārāyaṇa came out and left for the Kṣīrasāgara (ocean of milk). The two-armed Gopāla form, forever dark in colour, adorned with a peacock feather and holding the muralī, rose in the ratna-vimāna to Goloka.

In Goloka, Rādhā, waiting with all her sakhīs (friends), saw the vimāna coming down. She stepped down from her throne, walked forward and bowed to Kṛṣṇa as he arrived. The eternal rāsamaṇḍala of Goloka’s Vṛndāvana was lit once more, and all the gopālas and gopikās filled Goloka with their joy.

Pārvatī’s words: When Pārvatī urged Kṛṣṇa to return, she said, “Goloka is empty without you; I am Rādhikā there.” With this she confirmed the central teaching of the Purāṇa: Pārvatī and Rādhā are one divine Śakti, appearing in different settings.

The Akṣaya Vaṭa (undying banyan tree) of Goloka’s Vṛndāvana is 300 yojanas tall and 100 yojanas wide, with 100 crore branches. Vṛndā (Tulasī Devī) is its guardian and keeper.

Goloka in the Vāsudeva Māhātmya (Skanda Purāṇa)

The Vāsudeva Māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa gives a separate account of Goloka through Nārada’s own journey there. It differs from the Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa’s descriptions but fits well with them. Its main features are these.

The approach: Nārada passes through the eight coverings of the universe: earth, water, fire, wind, ether, Ahaṃkāra (the sense of “I”), Mahat (cosmic intelligence) and Prakṛti. Each is ten times larger than the one before. He then reaches Goloka, which can be reached only by those wholly devoted to Hari.

The Virajā River: It is wide and bottomless, fragrant with sandal from the baths of the cowherd men and women. White, red and blue lotuses adorn it. It has crystal banks, jewelled steps and wish-fulfilling trees. Divine cows, elephants and horses drink its clear water. It forms a moat around the dwelling of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa.

Mount Śataśṛṅga: It is made of gold, ten million yojanas high and one hundred million yojanas across. It is adorned with wish-fulfilling trees and pārijāta, mallikā and yūthikā creepers, with golden plantain trees and divine deer. On its peaks stand Rāsa-maṇḍapas (pavilions for the rāsa dance) with jewelled panelled doors, jewelled pillars and strings of pearls, where crores of cowherd women sing songs about Kṛṣṇa.

Vṛndāvana: At the foot of Śataśṛṅga lies Vṛndāvana, the playground most dear to Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā. It is full of mango, kadamba, sandal, rose-apple, campaka and golden ketaka trees, bending with flowers and fruit. It rings with praise of Kṛṣṇa, the lowing of cows and calves, the singing of birds, the jingling of ornaments and the sound of curd being churned. Thirty-two smaller forests lie next to Vṛndāvana.

The city of Goloka: It is a round citadel of jewels, with royal roads, crores of mansions of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees, and wonderful chariots with tinkling bells. It is crowded with the rulers of many universes who have come for Kṛṣṇa’s darśana, with great devas such as Brahmā and Śaṃkara carrying articles for pūjā in their hands, and with crowds of cowherd men and women.

Kṛṣṇa’s mansion: It is surrounded by the mansions of the cowherds led by Nanda, and of Vṛṣabhānu. It has four gates and sixteen citadels with moats. Each gate is guarded by a crore of cowherds.

The sixteen doorkeepers: Vīrabhānu, Candrabhānu, Sūryabhānu, Vasubhānu, Devabhānu, Śakrabhānu, Ratnabhānu, Supārśva, Viśāla, Vṛṣabha, Aṃśu, Bala, Subala, Devaprastha, Varūthapa and Śrīdāman.

Kṛṣṇa’s form: He sits on a throne of precious stones. He is dark like a fresh cloud and wears yellow cloth and earrings shaped like makaras (crocodiles). The Śrīvatsa is on his chest. He plays the flute, his body is smeared with sandal paste, he is crowned with jewels, and his eyes are lovely like the petals of an autumn lotus. He is honoured by Rādhā with Jayā, Suśīlā, Lalitā and many friends; by Ramā; by Satyabhāmā, Kālindī and Jāmbavatī; by Dharma, the Vedas and the Suns; and by his attendants Nanda and Sunanda and all the Pārṣadas.

The Brahma-pura: The light within is said to be like crores of suns rising at once. The Sātvatas (devotees of Kṛṣṇa) call it Brahma-pura, the dwelling of Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa. The text says: “Cowherds and cowherdesses on whom there is the grace of Kṛṣṇa, see him in that brilliance. Others see only the bright splendour but not him.”

The condition for entry: Kṛṣṇa tells Nārada: “My audience is due to your being an ever-exclusive devotee of mine, your absence of hypocrisy, and my will.” He goes on to say that others can also see him in this form if they have: ahiṃsā (non-violence), brahmacarya (celibacy), faithfulness to their own duties, inner calm, freedom from craving for worldly pleasure, knowledge of the Self, the company of sants (holy people), the eight-limbed yoga, control of the senses, tapas (austerity), freedom from vices, and complete devotion rooted in knowing his greatness.

Śveta-dvīpa as a gateway: The text clearly says that Śveta-dvīpa (the White Island) is a gateway to Goloka, to Brahma-pura and to Vaikuṇṭha. Freed souls in Śveta-dvīpa who wish for Goloka receive a divine body there and reach Goloka.

Sources

Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa (including Chapters 28 and 30)
Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Prakṛti Khaṇḍa, Chapters 7 and 42
Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapters 2 and 3
Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janma Khaṇḍa, Chapters 128–129
Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa, Vāsudeva Māhātmya, Chapters 16–18