Before you start understanding the meaning of the three worlds, let’s see if you know the basics of a human life. If you are even a little bit spiritually inclined, then your first thought would be to accumulate as many positive deeds in your lifetime as possible. From the beginning of our lives, our minds are moulded to conduct rituals in the right manner or do good deeds if we want to attain a place in heaven. The message is passed on from one generation to the next. Most of the time, it is heard in middle-class families where the culture and ideologies are still given more prominence when compared to others.
You might have heard phrases like – give donations (daan karo), feed the hungry (bhukhon ko khana khilao), feed the cows the first bread in the morning (subah ki pehli roti cow ko khilani chahiye) etc. All these activities are actually equities that you are collecting in one way or another. Their conduct is definitely accounted as a good deed.
In these modern times, sometimes we either make excuses of being busy or demand reasonable explanations to conduct them. While some of us are waking up to the facts and understanding the importance of collecting good deeds, others are still ignorant. In this article, I shall attempt to shed light on the different lokas that exist as per the Hindu religion and ancient texts.
If you become aware of the characteristics of the three main lokas, you can better understand the planes that we live on and where we could land up. The idea is to give more clarity to the importance of engaging in activities that are deemed good. Although there are several controversies on certain activities; however, in this article, we shall focus on the destination that we might land up on as per the accounts.
In the following three sections, you can see an overview meaning of the three worlds followed by the characteristics that further define it:
1. Amravati
Amravati is essentially heaven. It is the destination that everyone aspires to reach. This is where the Devtas reside. The Loka is described as the celestial realm also known as Swarga. Individuals with exceptional amounts of good deeds get to enter this plane. The souls who land up here are entertained by Apsaras and Gandharvas. They also get to enjoy a big number of perks.
2. Hiranyapura
Hiranyapura is the place where the serpents, demons, asuras, rakshas etc. reside. It is also known as the Bhogavati. It is present under the earth. In other religions like Christianity or Islam, you might hear the reference of Hell or Jahannum for this plane. It is a city called Patala where the souls are sent to do penance for their bad deeds. The souls are also lured by the demons with materialistic commodities.
3. Bhu-Loka
The third part of the three worlds is the Bhu-Loka. It is known as the earth to us. It is a plane for humans to live along with animals, plants and other living things. When an individual dies, he/she is sent to the Pitraloka where the accounting of the deeds is done. Based on this, the destination of the soul is decided before it is given a chance to be reborn on earth or other lokas.
It is important to note that the three lokas described here are present below the brahma loka (abide of Brahma), the Shiva loka (abode of Shiva) or the vaikunth (abode of Vishnu). Let’s give you a comparative analysis of the three worlds/lokas with a little more detail:
| Amravati | Hiranyapura | Bhu-Loka | |
| Meaning | Residence of Immortals | Golden City of Danavas, Asuras etc. | Residence of all Living Things |
| Role | Realm ruled by Indra | City that attracts humans to conduct bad deeds to gain materialistic benefits and stay away from Dharma | Realm of Humans where karma is most prominent. |
| Symbolism | Gives high pleasure, merits and happiness as a reward for upholding Dharma | Gives power without the need for Dharma. Offers money and grandeur things that move a person away from righteousness. | Humans are given free will to work on their deeds and gain heaven or place in lower realms. It is all about action and taking responsibility for the reactions. |
| Builder/Designer | City built by Vishwakarma | City built by Asuras – Maya Danava | Plane designed and built by Brahma |
Three Worlds: Understanding the Application
The purpose of a Human life should be to liberate oneself from this cycle of Lokas. Birth and rebirth can be a never-ending process if a person does not work towards attaining moksha. In ancient texts, there are several methodologies provided to help humans realise the importance of Moksha and the processes. For example, there is tantra shastra, bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, karma yoga, mantra yoga, kriya yoga, meditation, visitation of different holy places in the country and more. It is up to a practitioner on which mode to take up.
Even if you are not putting a put forward towards accumulating good deeds, make sure you escape the routes that take you towards the bad ones. It is very easy to say such things when we live in competitive and materialistic worlds. But small attempts can move us along in the right direction.
Remember – Krishna highlighted in the Bhagvat – He is the Sakshi who walks along with every human being and bears witness to every deed done. Free will was given for a reason. Do not misuse it. It is easy actually easy to get lost in the race of it all or get attached to materialistic things. Stop, think and take the decision which most agrees with your psychology. Don’t think what people will think about you.
If you liked this post, you might also like to read: Unveiling Swarga
