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Heaven
Dear Friends:
As Gopalji has raised this question, I will try to write about heaven as
I have read in the Scriptures.
In the RigVeda, there is mention of two ranks of Devas (Purusha Sukta),
ones who are the different names of the Immanent Godhead, Sat (Ekam
SadviprA bahudhA vadanti..) and the others who originated from the
transfiguration of the VirAta Purusha (Hiranyagarbha). The Purusha
sukta says that the second rank of Devas went to live with the Devas.
The RigVeda talks about a place called "Parama vyoma" as the place of
the Immanent Godhead.
Jaimini says that there is a desirable place called Brahmaloka. In the
SBG, we learn that Brahmaloka is where the ascetics go after death, but
must come back for rebirth. And then there is the three-tier creation,
Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah. Normally the Bhuh is translated as the earth,
Bhuvah as sky and Svah as heaven. The question is, just where are these
places?
The Brahmaloka is the residence of the Atman, also known as the
HridayAkAsh, you can read about Brahmaloka in the Chhandogya Upanishad
and in the Gita. It is also described as the ParArdha, or the upper
Prakriti, the residence of SachhidAnanda. I suspect that the RigVedic
Parama vyoma is also this Brahmaloka or HridayAkAsh. About this I am
not 100% certain. But it certainly seems like it. Another item, the
Paramam dhamam of the SBG is the Akshara Purusha or Tat or Asat, where
we have nirvAna, it is not in Prakriti of any kind, obviously.
Heaven is not the HridayAkAsh. Heaven is part of the lower Half of
Prakiti (aparArdha). The main difference between the ParArdha and the
aparArdha is that the parArdha is not distinguishable although
Satyaloka is designated for Sat, Tapoloka or Chaitanyaloka for Chit and
Janaloka or Anandaloka for Ananda, and are realized by gnostic intellect
or bodhi, something that is beyond the scope of senses. The lokas in
the aparArdha on the other hand seem like segmented extensions of
Ishvara, in the annamaya, pranamaya and the manomaya koshas. Sri
Aurobindo has described the three lokas Bhurbhuvasvah (Isha Upanishad)
which I will paraphrase for simplicity. Bhuh is the material world as
we identify with our senses. Strictly speaking, Bhuh includes the
entire material universe, not just the earth. Bhuvah is sky, which we
do not sense with our primary sense organs, but can concieve in mind.
Both Bhuh and Bhuvah are within our normal sense-based analytical
abilities. The Bhuh is placed in the Bhuvah. The svarloka is also a
"physical" place, however, beyond the discering abilities of our
God-given senses. It is talked about as a Mental world, built of
wishful material.
The place of Svarloka (heaven) is the residence of the second rank
Devas. Some Puranas describe the heaven in detail, especially as a
place where wishes "materialize" without the use of the senses, or their
leader, the mind. I will take you now to the Aitareya upanishad (of the
RigVeda) which describes the role of these second rank of Devas. They
are created for the upkeep of the Bhurbhuvasvah (lokapAlAn iti), and
more importantly to have a symbiotic relationship with the humans, a
relationship that was established by prajApati (sahayajnAh prajAh
srishtva purovAcha prajApati.. SBG) with which, the humans are supposed
to get things useful for living. The mystery of this is explained in
the aitareya Upanishad, which begins with the creation of these lokapAla
Devas, who were hungry and asked God to provide for them. God first
made a cow, then a horse and then a human. The Devas rejected the cow
and the horse, but accepted the human as their residence. Then they
entered the human's sense organs, and took up residence there. This is
why we have a symbiotic relationship with the lokapAla (second rank)
Devas. They are also therefore described as indriyAdhipatis. Anyway, it
clearly tells us about heaven, it is in a sensory plane that extends
through the mind of humankind.
With best regards,
Dhruba.
