Adholoka

Adholoka means “the lower worlds”. It is the set of seven realms, called rasātalas, that lie one below another beneath the surface of the earth. They are home to asuras, dānavas, rākshasas and nāgas (serpent beings) of great power. The seven rasātalas differ in the colour and nature of their soil and in who lives there.

The Brahmāṇḍa Mahā Purāṇa describes each rasātala in detail and names the great fortresses and cities of their rulers, from Namuci in the first rasātala to the kingdom of Bali and the home of Śesha-Ananta at the very bottom. At its deepest point the adholoka ends at Śesha, the thousand-headed serpent who carries the whole earth on his hoods.

The Seven Rasātalas

The adholoka goes down ten thousand yojanas (an ancient measure of distance) below the surface of the earth. The seven rasātalas lie one below another, each larger and wider than the one above. They are told apart by the colour of their soil:

The First Rasātala (Black Earth)

The first rasātala has black earth. The city of Namuci, king of the asuras and enemy of Indra, stands here. The mansions of Mahānātha, Śaṅkukarṇa and Kabandha are here too. Thousands of cities of nāgas, dānavas and rākshasas fill this realm.

The Second Rasātala (Pale Earth)

The second rasātala, Sutala, has pale earth. Here stands the great city of Mahājambha, first lord of the daityas and rākshasas. Here too are the cities of Hayagrīva (an asura form named Kṛshṇa), Nikumbha, Śaṅkha, Gomukha, Nīla, Megha, Kadana, Kukupāda, Mahoshṇīsha and the great serpent Kambala. The city of Takshaka, son of Kadrū, is here, along with thousands of cities of serpents, dānavas and rākshasas.

The Third Rasātala (Blue Earth)

The third rasātala has blue earth. Here stands the great city of Prahlāda, along with the cities of Anuhlāda, Agnimukha, Tārakāksha, Śrīśiras, Śiśumāra, Tripura and Purañjana. The city of the rākshasa Cyavana is also in this realm.

The Fourth Rasātala (Yellow Earth)

The fourth rasātala has yellow earth. Here are the cities of Kālanemi (the great daitya), Gajakarṇa, Kuñjara, Sumālī (king of the rākshasas) and Lokanātha Muñja.

The Fifth Rasātala (Gravelly Earth)

The fifth rasātala has sandy, gravelly earth. Here stands the city of Virocana, the lion among daityas, and the mansion of the mighty Hiraṇyāksha with his blazing tongues of fire, and the city of Vidyujjihva. Here too are the cities of Sahamegha, Mālinī, Kirmīra, Svastika and Jaya. Thousands of cities of nāgas, dānavas and rākshasas fill this realm.

The Sixth Rasātala (Stony Earth)

The sixth rasātala has rocky, stony earth. The finest city in this realm is Kesarī, the city of Suparvan, lord of the daityas. Here too are the cities of Puloman and Mahisha. The nāga king Vāsuki, the great friend of Indra, lives here. Hundreds of thousands of cities of nāgas, dānavas and rākshasas fill this realm.

The Seventh Rasātala (Golden Earth, Pātāla)

The seventh and last rasātala, Pātāla, has golden earth. The city of Bali, son of Virocana, is here. Bali is the great asura who gave his kingdom to Bhagavān Vāmana and now waits in patient devotion to become the Indra of the Sāvarṇi Manvantara (a future age of the world). Here too is the city of Mucikunda (son of Diti), surrounded by the cities of thousands of nāgas, daityas and dānavas, and the homes of countless rākshasas.

Śesha-Ananta at the Bottom of Pātāla

At the very bottom of Pātāla, below even the golden earth, lives Śesha, king of the nāgas, also called Ananta. He is described like this:

• Free from jarā (old age) and mṛtyu (death), his body white as a conch shell, like a washed śaṅkha
• Wearing dark blue (nīla) clothes, with a huge body
• Decorated with garlands of many-coloured flowers, and possessing great aiśvarya (majesty)
• His face white and shining like the peak of a golden mountain
• Bearing a thousand hoods, his eyes blazing like flames, with two thousand eyes ringed with halos like the newly risen sun
• His coiled body as large as a mountain range with a thousand peaks, filling the whole bottom of Pātāla
• Served by other great nāgas of great power and wisdom

Śesha is clearly named as Ananta, “the endless one”, of the highest tejas (radiance). His form is the base of Vishṇu’s work in the universe (vishṇu-vyavahṛti). This is the southernmost limit of all the worlds described. The devas themselves do not know what lies beyond Śesha.

The Lower Worlds in the Wider Universe

The seven rasātalas lie beneath an earth made of layers, whose top layer holds up the settled world (the surface of Bhārata-varsha and the other varshas, or regions). The rasātalas are filled with the bright light of jewels and divine substances, so they are not dark even though they are underground. Those who live there live in splendour, enjoying long lives of divine pleasures, and their cities are as grand as those of svarga. The Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa notes that the devas, asuras, nāgas and rākshasas who live here are all, in their own way, beings of great tejas who carry out their roles in the universe across the kalpas (great cycles of creation).

Sources

• Brahmāṇḍa Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrva Bhāga (first part)