Brahmaloka (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: ब्रह्मालोक, IAST: Brahmāloka) or Satyaloka (

: सत्यलोक) is the abode of

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

, the creator god, a member of the

Trimurti The Trimūrti (; Sanskrit: त्रिमूर्ति ', "three forms" or "trinity") are the trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance, and destruction are personified as a triad of ...

along with

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" withi ...

and

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

, along with his consort

Saraswati Saraswati ( sa, सरस्वती, ) is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a g ...

. It is also referred to as Brahmapura, in the Puranas. Brahmaloka, described to be 60,000,000 miles above the Prajapati loka, is considered to be of great

soteriological Soteriology (; el, wikt:σωτηρία, σωτηρία ' "salvation" from wikt:σωτήρ, σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and wikt:λόγος, λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of Doctrine, religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation ...

significance, the sphere where its inhabitants never again know

death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, dwelling perpetually in the company of yogins, and drinking the excellent nectar of

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

Location

In the center of Brahmaloka is Brahmapura, a huge palace where Brahma resides.

Description

Brahmaloka is a realm composed entirely of

Brahman In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...

, considered superior to the Svarga loka and is full of immortal energy, knowledge and bliss. It is also known as the planet of the Bhagavān. The above statement shows that Brahmaloka is an eternal

Vaikuntha Vaikuntha ( sa, वैकुण्ठ, lit=without anxiety, translit=Vaikuṇṭha), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, A ...

that is neither created nor located within the material realm and is a home for the Supreme Soul. The

Chāndogya Upaniṣad The ''Chandogya Upanishad'' (Sanskrit: , IAST: ''Chāndogyopaniṣad'') is a Sanskrit text embedded in the Chandogya Brahmana of the Sama Veda of Hinduism.Patrick Olivelle (2014), ''The Early Upanishads'', Oxford University Press; , pp. 166-16 ...

says in 8:1

Buddhism

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

, Brahmaloka refers to the highest celestial worlds, the abode of the Brahmas. It consists of twenty heavens, namely: * the nine ordinary Brahma-worlds, * the Vehapphala * the Asaññasatta * the five Suddhāvāsā, * the four Arūpa worlds, All except the four Arūpa worlds are classed among the Rūpa worlds (the inhabitants of which are corporeal). The inhabitants of the Brahmaloka are free from sensual desires. Brahmaloka consists only of higher devas or higher celestial beings called Brahmas and rebirth in the Brahma world is the result of great virtue due to meditation. The

Jataka tales The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to India which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. According to Peter Skilling, this genre is ...

also contain various instances of ascetics who practiced meditation, being reborn after death in Brahmaloka. Furthermore, it is believed that while the rest of the world will be destroyed at the end of a kappa, the Brahmaloka will survive and that the first beings to be born on Earth come from the ābhassara Brahma world. The Brahmās here are represented as visiting earth and taking an interest in the affairs of men. This is why

Nārada Narada ( sa, नारद, ), or Narada Muni, is a sage divinity, famous in Hindu traditions as a travelling musician and storyteller, who carries news and enlightening wisdom. He is one of mind-created children of Brahma, the creator god. He ...

descends from the Brahmaloka to dispel the heresies of King Angati in the Lord Brahma-Nārada tale in the

Mahanipata Jataka The ''Mahanipata Jataka'' (), sometimes translated as ''the Ten Great Birth Stories of the Buddha'', are a set of stories from the Jataka tales (Khuddaka Nikāya) describing the ten final lives of the Bodisattva who would finally be born as S ...

References

Literature

* Self-Realization Brahmaanubhava: The Advaitic Perspective of Shankara: Brahmaanubhava: The Advaitic Perspective of Shankara (Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Change. Series Iiib, South Asia, V. 4) von Vensus A. George von Council for Research in Values & (Januar 2001) - page 103 * Sharma, Shubhra. Life In The Upanishads. Abhinav Publications; 1 edition (February 14, 2011)
chhandogya upanishad as PDF
* Twitchell, Paul (1988) The Far Country. Illuminated Way Publishing.
Twitchell, The Far Country as PDF

External links

{{HinduMythology Locations in Hindu mythology Hindu cosmology