Mahātala
Mahātala · mahā-tala, “the great lower region”
Mahātala is one of the pātālas, the lokas below the earth. The Madhyama Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa describes it as golden, adorned with all colours, with many palaces and auspicious devālayas, and says that Bhagavān Ananta, the wise Mucukunda and Bali dwell there.
The golden pātāla
Sūta tells the munis that below the earth are the pātāla lokas, Mahātala and the others. The pātāla named Mahātala is of gold and adorned with all colours, and has many palaces and auspicious devālayas. Bhagavān Ananta, the wise Mucukunda and Bali dwell there. Rasātala is of rock, adorned by Bhagavān Śaṅkara.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapters 2–3
In the lists of the pātālas
In the Brahma Parva, Sumantu Muni first 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 to Yudhishṭhira as Atala, Mahātala, Bhūmitala, Sutala, Vitala, Rasātala and Talāvala, where the dānavas such as Hiraṇyāksha and the nāgas such as Vāsuki live, and Siddhas and ṛshis too.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 126; Uttara Parva, Chapter 2
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 126; Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapters 2–3; Uttara Parva, Chapter 2