Seven Lokas
A loka is a world or realm of existence. The Purāṇas teach that above our earth there is a series of seven lokas, rising one above another, from Bhūloka, the world of human beings, up to Satyaloka, the world of Brahmā. Each loka is home to different kinds of beings, from mortals to devas, ṛshis and liberated souls.
This account brings together the teaching of the Varāha Purāṇa on the seven lokas and who lives in them, the Liṅga Purāṇa’s account of the Śaiva realms that lie even higher, and the Vishṇu Purāṇa’s measurements of the distances between the worlds.
The Seven Lokas in Order (Bottom to Top)
| # | Loka | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhūloka | The earth, world of mortals |
| 2 | Bhuvarloka | The middle region, home of yakshas and similar beings |
| 3 | Svarloka | Svarga, the world of the devas and of souls who lived by dharma |
| 4 | Maharloka | Home of Sanaka and other eternal ṛshis |
| 5 | Janaloka | Home of the Vairājas and of Brahmā’s mind-born sons; Nārada lives here |
| 6 | Tapoloka | Home of beings who practise intense tapas (austerity) |
| 7 | Satyaloka | Brahmā’s world, home of liberated beings (muktas) |
Who Lives in Each Loka
At the time of creation (Varāha Purāṇa, Chapter 9), Nārāyaṇa filled each loka:
- Bhūloka: the four varṇas (brāhmaṇas, kshatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras)
- Bhuvarloka: yakshas and similar beings
- Svarloka: good beings travelling the path of puṇya, or merit (puṇyamārga)
- Maharloka: Sanaka and similar beings
- Janaloka: the Vairājas
- Tapoloka: those steady in tapas
- Satyaloka: the immortal devas
Brahmā’s Day and Night: The Cycles of Time
The three lower lokas (Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka and Svarloka) are active during Brahmā’s day (aha-kalpa) and dissolve during Brahmā’s night (rātri-kalpa).
- At the end of each kalpa (Brahmā’s day), Brahmā sleeps and the three lower worlds dissolve (pralaya).
- When Brahmā wakes, a new creation begins.
- The four upper lokas (Maharloka up to Satyaloka) are less directly affected by this cycle.
Brahmā’s Lotus and the Shape of the World
During Brahmā’s sleep (yoga-nidrā, the sleep of yoga), Vishṇu brought forth a great lotus from his navel. Within it:
- The stem reached down to Pātāla, the lowest realm
- The top held Mount Meru
- In the centre, Brahmā was born
The Ranks of the Pitṛ Devatās and the Lokas
There is a matching order for the ancestral beings (Varāha Purāṇa, Chapter 13). The residents of each loka honour the beings of the loka above:
| Loka | Residents | Honoured by |
|---|---|---|
| Bhūloka | Brāhmaṇas and others | — |
| Svarloka | Marīci, Atri and the other saptarshis (seven great ṛshis) | The residents of Bhūloka |
| Maharloka | Kalpa-vāsins (those who live for a whole kalpa) | The saptarshis |
| Janaloka | Sanaka and his brothers | The residents of Maharloka |
| Tapoloka | The Vairājas | The residents of Janaloka |
| Satyaloka | Liberated souls (muktas) | The residents of Tapoloka |
The Śaiva Order of Lokas (Liṅga Purāṇa, Chapter 23)
The Liṅga Purāṇa gives a full order of lokas that goes beyond the usual seven and includes the Śaiva realms above Vaikuṇṭha. Parameśvara (Śiva as the Supreme) himself describes this to Brahmā.
The seven usual upper lokas are Bhūloka, Bhuvarloka, Svargaloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. Those who reach Satyaloka and the realm of Vishṇu above it stay there for a time and in the end attain moksha (liberation). Above Vaikuṇṭha (Vishṇuloka), which is upheld by the eight-syllable mantra “Oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya”, stand further realms, rising in order:
| Loka | Resident or nature |
|---|---|
| Kumāraloka | The abode of Kumāra (Kārttikeya) |
| Umāloka | The abode of Umā (Pārvatī Devī) |
| Maheśvaraloka | The abode of Maheśvara (Śiva in his Maheśvara form) |
| Śivaloka | The highest abode of Parameśvara, Paśupati, who frees all paśus (bound souls) from the pāśa (noose) of saṃsāra |
Parameśvara declares:
Śivaloka is the auspicious, supreme destination of yogins. Those who are free from mamakāra and ahaṃkāra, free from kāma and krodha, who are engaged in dhyāna with concentrated manas, and who practise the Śivayoga of bhasma, rudrāksha, mantra, and liṅgadhāraṇa, will behold Śivaloka. They attain Śiva-sāyujya at the end of their prārabdha.
In plain words: those free from possessiveness (mamakāra) and ego (ahaṅkāra), free from desire (kāma) and anger (krodha), who meditate with a focused mind and follow the Śiva-yoga of sacred ash (bhasma), rudrāksha beads, mantra and wearing the liṅga, will see Śivaloka. When their prārabdha karma (the karma that shaped this life) is used up, they attain Śiva-sāyujya, union with Śiva.
This order teaches that Vaikuṇṭha is not the last destination. Above it are the Śaiva realms, with Śivaloka as the highest. The Śiva-yogins who follow the Pāśupata disciplines pass through all the lower lokas and beyond Vaikuṇṭha to reach Śivaloka directly.
Distances Between the Lokas (Vishṇu Purāṇa)
The Vishṇu Mahā Purāṇa (Dvitīyāṃśa, Chapter 7) gives the full plan of distances within the brahmāṇḍa (the egg of the universe) in exact yojanas (an ancient measure of distance). Starting from the surface of the earth and going up through all the upper lokas:
- Earth to Sūrya (the sun): 1 lakh (100,000) yojanas
- Sūrya to Candra (the moon): 1 lakh yojanas
- Candra to the Nakshatra-maṇḍala (the circle of stars): 1 lakh yojanas
- Then the planets rise at gaps of 2 lakh yojanas each: from the Nakshatras to Budha (Mercury), Śukra (Venus), Maṅgala (Mars), Bṛhaspati (Jupiter) and Śani (Saturn)
- Śani to the Saptarshi-maṇḍala (the Great Bear): 1 lakh yojanas
- Saptarshi-maṇḍala to Dhruva (the pole star): 1 lakh yojanas
- Dhruva to Maharloka: 1 crore (10 million) yojanas
- Maharloka to Janaloka: 2 crore yojanas
- Janaloka to Tapoloka: 8 crore yojanas
- Tapoloka to Satyaloka: 6 crore yojanas (in all, 16 crore yojanas above Dhruva)
The brahmāṇḍa itself is wrapped in layers, one outside another, each ten times larger than the one before: water, fire (agni), air (vāyu), space (ākāśa), mahattattva (the great principle) and pradhāna (primal nature). Beyond pradhāna is Vishṇu, the final ground of the whole brahmāṇḍa.
The chapter ends with this teaching: “All creation is Vishṇu. There is nothing apart from him.”
Sources
- Varāha Purāṇa, Chapters 2, 9 and 13
- Liṅga Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha (first part), Chapter 23
- Vishṇu Mahā Purāṇa, Dvitīyāṃśa (Book 2), Chapter 7