SWARGAM- THEHEAVEN
Dear friends,
There isa Malayalam slokam, I studied in the 5th or 6th class “Naamukku name
panivathu nakam,narakavum athu polae” meaning- we create our swarga and naraka.
In thepuranas it is told there are 14 worlds, seven upper worlds and seven
lowerworlds. Our world isLOWEST OF THE UPPER WORD.
Swargam is third of the upper world. Narakam is in thelower worlds.
I thinkthe theory of fourteen worlds is from epic periods. In Mahabharatha, the
lastchapter is swargarohanam (Going to heaven).
I have read once sage Muchukunda was invited to live inSwarga, after hearing
the attributes, he is said to have told-“Only theseattributes. I would remain
in the present world” and declined to go to swarga.
I havealso read sage Narada couldtraverse all the worlds, as he desired. After
seeing Pariajtham inIndra’s garden, he influenced Sathyabhama to get it to her
and finally Krishnabrought it after a war and planted in the garden of
Sathyabhama in such a way thatflowers fall in the garden of Rukmini…
I havealso read after Gayasraadha, pithrus are up lifted (liberated) from
Pithru loka to Swargadue to the blessing given to Gayasura. Pithruloka is
another upper world. Let me go in to swarga more.
There canbe members who think my postings are fit to put in garbage. They may
kindlymark my mails to DELETE/SPAM
Sincerely,
Gopalakrishnan 25-2-2011
Reposted after editing andupdating. R.Gopala Krishnan 18-5-2021
1. Trishanku swargam
Veryoften we talk about Trishanku swargam. It is neither swargam nor a world
below.It was created by sage Viswamithra for the king Trishanku. Those whowould
have read puranic postings may recollect now king Trishanku was born inSoorya
vamsam and father of great king Harichandra.
During afamine, king Trishanku helped the family of sage Viswamithra taking all
care. SageViswamithra was away. Pleased with king Trishanku, he said whatever
the desirehe has, it would be fulfilled. Trishanku desired to go with Physical
body toswargam. Sage Viswamithra raised him to the upper world towards Swargam.
Indra denied permission to enter Swarga tothe king with physical body. In that
case, sage Viswamithrasaid he would create a swarga where he is, better than
swarga.
SageViswamithra started creating swarga. All Devas came to him with the request
notto create any more the swarga. Hence the swarga created by the sage remained
assuch and king Trishanku remained there.
Normallywe use the phrase “Trishankuswargam” on this account to a dilemmatic
position.
2. Swargarohanam in Mahabharatha.
Afterruling for more than 30 years, the Pandavas headed by Dharmaputhra felt it
istime to leave the kingdom and start the long journey. Probably being son of
Yamadharma, Dharma puthra could have visualised it was time for departing to
other worlds.By the time Lord Krishna had his end and all Pandavas were very
sorrowful.Arjuna felt all his energy has gone.
Theystarted the long journey with Droupati. On the way a dog too joined them.
As they wentthrough, the Pandavas Sahadeva, Nakula, Bhima, Arjuna and Panchali
fell downand had their end one by one. Panchali first fell down.
Dharmaputhra continued his journey. Suddenly achariot appeared before him.
Dharma puthra was asked to get in to for going toswarga. Dharma puthra started
to get inwith dog but the dogwas denied to get in.
ThenDharma puthra said- All the way this dog was coming with me. If I have to
getin this chariot, dog too have to be permitted to get in.
Then the dog changed in to Yama dharma. Bothof them got in. It was a testing on
Dharma puthra. Dharma puthra reachedSwargam.
What asight- He found ALL HISKOURAVA BROTHERS SEATED THERE and welcoming the
elder brother.
Dharmaputhra could not see any of his 4Pandava brothers or Panchali. He got a
little bit upset. It was another trickplayed on him for his half lie-
“Aswathama- low voice enna aaana again highvoice marichu” (Aswathama,low voice,
by name an elephant, dead.)
Now hecould see all his younger brothers with Panchali too brought there after
their suffering.Though Dharma puthra had a sign of relief, still he had a doubt
how such cruelbrothers were there in swarga. His dilemma was answered. They
suffered thepunishment already for the papa. Now they are enjoying the punnia
they havedone in Swarga. RememberKouravas died 30 human years before than
Pandavas.
If the above version is correct as told inswargarohanam, one would reach
swargam after suffering for bad karma in Dwapara Yuga.
Rules of Dwaparayuga need not be the same in Kaliyuga.
Rules of threthayugawhere pithru appeared in person before Seethaon Thithi day,
is not applicable for Dwapara Yugaand Kaliyuga.
3. DEVALOKA.
Devasreside in upper worlds. Swarga is one among the upper worlds. Lord
Vishnuresides at Vaikuntam.Lord Siva resides in Siva loka.
This isthe reason when a person has died, Vaishnavites say as vaikunta Prapthi,
andsaivites say as sivaloka prapthi. (I read it in one of the answers of
trsiyengar to me).
My note- There was a recent queryby MR Sunder Raman about thedifference between
Vaishnavites and Hindus in samskaras
4. Principle of soul.
The soul,is considered as the life in all of us. It is energy. In Malayalam it
is saidas “Atma chaitanyam”.There is no loss of energy. There is only
transformation of energy.
When achild is conceived the energy enters in to its body WITH ANOTHER BODY
CALLEDASTRAL BODY. When any person meets his end, the energy goes of the
physicalbody.
Thisenergy is still with astral body. THIS ASTRAL BODY IS GOING TO OTHER
WORLDS. It is said it is this astral bodyappear in dreams. The astral body is
formless and least visible tothe naked human eye.
5 Principle of swargam.
The principleof swargam is there in all religions. Only in charvakasiddantham,
the principle of swargam is not there. Charvaka siddanthamor yukthivadi
chinthana is irrespective of religions.
5a. a definition of heaven
In most religions,Heaven is a realm, either physical or transcendental in which
people who have died continue toexist in an afterlife.
Heaven is often described as the holiest place,accessible by people according
to various standards of divinity, goodness, piety,faith or other virtues.
Religionsthat speak about heaven differ on how one gets into it, typically in
theafterlife. In manyreligions, entrance to Heaven is conditional on having
lived a "goodlife" (within the terms of the spiritual system).
6. Do every body go to heaven?
InHinduisam, there is thereincarnation theory. This means the soul after death
leaves thephysical body and go to other worlds with a subtle body. This subtle
body has the remembranceof the last birth with a physical body. After suffering
for the badworks, the body will be leaving for upper worlds.
7. Who is lord Yama?
Lord Yamais the person who controls the nether worlds. The different hells are
said tobe in the nether worlds. Lord Yama is assisted by Chitra Guptha in his
duties.Both of them are considered divine. Yama is called Dharma deva.We have a
chitra guptha temple at Kancheepuram. Yamais Dharma deva, brother of saneeswara
born to Soorya deva.
8. Belief about heaven
Manyreligions state that those who do not go to heaven will go toanother place,
Hell, which is eternal in religions such as Christianity.
Somereligions believe that other afterlives exist in addition to Heaven and
Hell,such as Purgatory, though many hells, such as Naraka, serve as purgatories
themselves. Somebelief systems contain universalism, the belief that everyone
will go to Heaven eventually, no matter whatthey have done or believed on
earth. Hinduism follows it.
In Buddhism there are several heavens, all ofwhich are still part of samsara
(illusionary reality). Those who accumulate goodkarma may be reborn in one of
them.
However, their stay in the heaven is not eternal—eventually they will useup
their good karma and will undergo a different rebirth into another realm, as
humans, animals or other beings.
Becauseheaven is temporary and part of samsara, Buddhists focus more onescaping
the cycle of rebirth and reaching enlightenment (Nirvana).
8a. Hinducosmology
According to Hindu cosmology, above the earthly plane are six heavenly planes:
1. Bhuva Loka,
2. SwargaLoka, meaning Good Kingdom, is the general name for heaven inHinduism,
a heavenly paradise of pleasure, where most of the Hindu gods (Deva)reside
along with the king of gods, Indra, and beatified mortals.
3. Mahar Loka 4. Jana Loka 5. Tapa Loka and
6. Satya Loka.
9. Near death experience
Peoplewho come close to death and have near death experiencesreport MEETING
RELATIVES or entering "the Light" in an otherworldlydimension, which share
similarities with the religious concept of Heaven. {Is it the reason
threegenerations of mother and father side is referred in sraadha??}
Even though there are also reports ofdistressing experiences and negative
life-reviews, which share somesimilarities with the concept of Hell, the
positive experiences of meeting orentering 'the Light' is reported as an
immensely intense feeling state of love,peace and joy beyond human
comprehension.
Togetherwith this intensely positive feeling state, people who have near
deathexperiences also report that consciousness or a heightened state of
awarenessseems as if it is at the heart of experiencing a taste of 'Heaven'
Mynote- Though I wrote the above recently I read in internet near
deathexperience is different from Death experience
10. Do every body go to swarga?.
Yes is the answer. Yamaloka is a temporary residence to experience sufferingfor
bad activities. But no body’s activities are fully bad. Combined with every bad
activity therewill be a good activity.
11Do a person can be so pure?
No bodydo all good. There is no person who has notkilled a mosquito or
unknowingly walked over an ant and killed it. Just cutting brinjal and finding
a worm, throwing it and the worm getkilled is also a killing.There are no
persons doing all good because it is impossible in theuniverse
12. Bhishmar and Dharmaputhra
Bhishmarforcibly broughtAmba, Ambika and Ambalika and asked chitraanga and
Vichithra veerya to marry and the request of Amba laterwas discarded by him
because of the oath he has taken.
For Dharma puthra chess was a weakness and he evenpledged Panchali in the
chess play. He had no authority to pledge a commonwife. Dharma puthra and
bheeshama killedmany in the war. It isascribed as Kshathriya dharma.
Even Kamsa would had been good brotherto Devaki till the asareeree came that
8th son born wouldkill him.
13. Sraadha and tharpan
As Iwrote earlier, naraka or hell life in Hinduism is temporary. After that
theyare placed in pithruloka. Sincepithru has remembrance of past life, our
sraadha and tharpan is accepted.
Evenin the life with physical body we experience more pain similar to what is
toldabout Naraka in occasions. Often we use the expression- Naraka Vedana,
(Pain as in the hell) whenpain is more.
Whenwe perform pithrukarya best possible, Lord Yama may be noting how best we
havedone to our pithru. This adds to our punia and help the pithru.
Somewhere I have read in Deivathin kural, like a money order sentreaching the
person correctly as the karma we do for the pithru reach them throughmediators.
14. What happens to pithru in pithruloka?
In pithru loka there is nosuffering, but food is not served. Hence hunger
is not met.
Theremay be many heirs who do not perform sraadha. But those who do include
“jnatha anjatha pithrus”. Our pithrus will share their meals to them.
Whena Kartha dies and srardha is performed, only three generation including him
arecalled during pithruvaranam. One pithru gey promotion and goes to swarga.In
swargafeeding is there. Hence no question of hunger.
I hope at least thisexplanation may be accepted by respectedMember Sri
Rajaram IRS who defend my statements every occasion .
Or any otherexplanation like when a kartha died, thatone generation still
remain among Jnatha Anjatha pithrus. He is not reachingheaven????
15. Gaya sraadha and mukthi
With Gaya sraadha, the devas whom thepithrus worship understand the heirs have
looked after the pithrus well andthey can be uplifted to swarga (Vishnu pada
performances ofsraadha). Pithrus reach swarga.
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