All About Vaikuntha

Vaikuntha loka is the supreme Loka

Are Vaikuntha and heaven the same, and what about Indra Lokam?

Heaven in Hindu scriptures is called svarga - (su + varga) which means a good place or state. It is said to
be a celestial holiday resort like Club Med. Those who have performed exceptionally good deeds for the
sake of others win the lottery ticket and a repair to this state in between incarnations. Once the merit is
exhausted one returns to earth to continue the spiritual journey.
Vaikuṇṭha means “free from obstruction or hindrances” and is beyond time-space and three dimensional
world which we inhabit. Therefore it is not a “place” but rather a “state”.
The enlightened sages repeatedly states that Vaikuntha — the unobstructed and unhindered Supreme
State is INCONCEIVABLE being beyond time and space and without causation. As such, nothing
intelligible can be said about it. All materialistic descriptions of it using human values and concepts are
vain and worthless. A poet or artist’s impression of Vaikuṇṭha is a charming fantasy to encourage the
simple-minded and to instill devotion (bhakti) and purpose in life.
It is like comparing a chart of times tables to quantum mathematics.
yadā pañcāvatiṣṭhante jñānāni manasā saha | buddhiś ca na viceṣṭate tām āhuḥ paramām gatim ||
When the five cognitive senses together with the mind cease (from their normal activities) and the
intellect itself does not stir, that, they say, is the Highest State. (paramam gatim)
(Katha Up 4:3:10.)
viśuddhaṁ bodhanaṁ nityam ajam akṣayam avyayam | avyaktam avikāraṁ yat tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ
padam || na sthūlaṁ na ca sūkṣmam yanna viśeṣaṇa agocaram | tat padaṁ paramaṁ viṣṇoḥ praṇamāmaḥ
sadāmalam ||
That which is the Supreme State (Paramam Padam) of Vishnu is pure, consciousness, eternal, unborn,
undecayable, inexhaustible, unmanifest, immutable, It is neither gross nor subtle, nor capable of being
defined, to that ever immaculate Supreme State of Vishnu I bow.
(Vishnu Purana 1:9:50 – 51)
pradhāna-puruṣāvyakta-kālānāṁ paramam hi yat | paśyanti sūrayaḥ śuddham tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam
||
What is beyond matter, spirit, manifestation, and time; that pure [state] which sages behold that is the
supreme abode of Vishnu.
(Vishnu Purana 1.2.16)
There are hundreds of verses like these in the Vedas and Puranas that emphasize that Vaikuntha is beyond
comprehension by the ordinary mind - like the Mathematics of Infinity by a market vendor.

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Which is the supreme abode according to Hindu mythology, Vaikuntha, Brahma Lok, Swarga Lok
or Kailash?

All the lokas you have mentioned here like Brahmalok, Vaikuntha or Kailash are abodes of manifest
divinities called Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. There are many other abodes of Gods like Indra too. But all
these are in the manifest domains. Beyond these is the Brahman or the unmanifest domain. That is called
the first divine unmanifest. You can completely dissolve in this unmanifest domain and never return back.
It’s called moksha by some.
Far beyond this unmanifest is another unmanifest abode and that is called Goloka. Therein lies the
ultimate abode. This place is also called the Supreme Divine Unmanifest.
What I have written here is there within the Bhagvad Gita 8:21. It is also mentioned within the Bible and
more such ancient texts.
Yes, Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu is considered the Supreme Abode.
Rig Veda (1.22.20) states,
"Oṃ tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ"
"All the suras (i.e., devas- divinities) look toward the feet of Lord Vishnu as the Supreme Abode"

It is also the 108 Divya Desam [the final one]

It can be achieved only by pure devotion to Lord Vishnu, after death Vishnudutas will come and take the
soul. If someone achieves Vaikuntha they will be liberated from this continuous cycle of life and death,
that is they will be liberated from this ocean of Samsara.

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After taking a dip in the Viraja river [ river flowing outside Vaikuntha that divides the material and
spiritual worlds ] the soul will be free from hunger, pain , anger and other materialistic desires. And then
the soul goes on and merges with Lord Vishnu and also there we can see many great devotees too.

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Description of Vaikuntha :

From Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.15.16–23)

“In those Vaikuntha planets there are many forests which are very auspicious. In those forests the trees
are wish-fulfilling trees, and in all seasons they are filled with flowers and fruits because everything in the
Vaikuntha planets is spiritual and personal.

“In the Vaikuntha planets the inhabitants fly in their airplanes, accompanied by their wives and consorts,
and eternally sing of the character and activities of the Lord, which are always devoid of all inauspicious
qualities. While singing the glories of the Lord, they deride even the presence of the
blossoming madhavi flowers, which are fragrant and laden with honey.

“When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary lull in
the noise of the pigeon, the cuckoo, the crane, the cakravaka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge, and the
peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord.

“Although flowering plants like the mandara, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arna, punnaga,
nagakeshara, bakula, lily, and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the
austerities performed by Tulasi, for Tulasi is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself
with Tulasi leaves.

“The inhabitants of Vaikuntha travel in their airplanes made of lapis lazuli, emerald, and gold. Although
crowded by their consorts, who have large hips and beautiful smiling faces, the male inhabitants cannot
be stimulated to passion by their mirth and beautiful charms.

“The ladies in the Vaikuntha planets are as beautiful as the goddess of fortune herself. Such
transcendentally beautiful ladies, their hands playing with lotuses and their leg bangles tinkling, are
sometimes seen sweeping the marble walls, which are bedecked at intervals with golden borders, in order
to receive the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“The goddesses of fortune worship the Lord in their own gardens by offering Tulasi leaves on the coral-
paved banks of transcendental reservoirs of water. While offering worship to the Lord, they can see on the
water the reflection of their beautiful faces with raised noses, and it appears that they have become more
beautiful because of the Lord’s kissing their faces.

“It is very much regrettable that unfortunate people do not discuss the description of the Vaikuntha
planets.”

So, yes Vaikuntha is the supreme Loka.

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The Spiritual abode as opposed to this material world is eternal, divine, blissful and full of knowledge.
One qualifies to enter Vaikuntha when he or she attains freedom from the karmic bondage by taking
shelter of Supreme Lord Vishnu with pure love and sincere devotion. The original state of consciousness
of the soul is thus attained when it is being favoured by the mercy of the Superconscious Lord Vishnu. In
this state one's engagement diverts into serving the Supreme Lord having attained its original state with a
divine body free from matter and limitations of time which means the soul attains a divine form like Lord
Krishna and continues to serve the original GODHEAD with full blissfulness. There is no dominion of
time, hence the souls attaining such abode do not die, age or get any diseases or become subject to anxiety
or fear. Divine bodies are the original form of the soul unlike material world where the soul is embodied
by the five gross material elements which impose limitations on the free movement of the soul and covers
its original consciousness with the desire to lord it over the material nature. This is because the desire to
serve the Lord is directed to serve one's temporary material coverings through senses. This is a state of
illusion which is absent in the spiritual world. Hence, having acquired divine bodies, the souls do not
have to “maintain” them by eating, sleeping, mating or defending. They are in eternally sat chit ananda
state.

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Vaikuntha can only be achieved by true Vaishanvas who worship LakshmiNarayan or their Incarnations
(or Hanuman,Garuda, Sheshnag,etc)

Vaikuntha is beyond this material world . There is no birth,death,fight,anger, sadness,disease,

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Vishnudutas like Nanda and Sunanda come to take you to vaikunth If you're a true Vaishnava . You get
liberated and never come to this world again. As you pass through the golden doors your
ignorance,lust,etc disappears. Then you'll find Jaya and Vijaya at the last door

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Then you'll enter Vaikuntha. In Vaikuntha you never age like God and always stay young. If you're a
male you will get four arms holding mace,lotus,conch and discus and will get blue skinnned and become
as much handsome and muscular as Lord Vishnu himself. If you're a female devotee of LakshmiNarayan
you will turn into a woman as beautiful as Goddess Lakshmi herself.

Dhruva Loka ,Kailash,Patala,etc for that) There is no sun in Vaikuntha. Everything is illuminated by Lord
Vishnu's bodily efflugence. In Vaikuntha no one is hungry, lusty, envious,greedy,etc and only serve
LakshmiNarayan with devotion chanting there glories. Even gods and Brahma want to go to Vaikunth
which can be achieved only in human body.

Without wish for sense gratification they serve LakshmiNarayan and never reincarnate . Lord Vishnu
with Goddess Lakshmi ,Niladevi and Bhudevi (and partial parts of Saraswati and ganga) blesses them on
Sheshnag.

Maya? It is not in Vaikuntha. Even though the women in Vaikuntha are so much beautiful no one is lusty
there nor they're hungry or thirsty. Yes it could be that they eat prasadam over there 😋 forests in
Vaikuntha are magical . Trees over there are full of fruits and flowers in every Season. There are
Kalpavrikshas ,Parijat, etc which can fulfill anyone's wishes which means you can use it for worship. For
example if you want to make prasad ask the trees for everything you need and they'll give you.

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Vaikuntha is endless . What is in Vaikuntha? You'll meet great devotees like Narada,
Hanuman,Tumburu,Garuda, Prabhupada, Ramanujanacharhya,Ajamil,Gajendra,Ambarish, ,etc.(you'll
also find Kamsa,etc ) ( Yes you can't meet Dhruva ,Shiva,Bali,etc you'll have to go to

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Vishnudutas with there wives fly in airplanes chanting the glories of lord Vishnu. Yes it's true you will
get your own airplane there embedded with gems and it will be golden like the one I shared in the above
photos. The king of honeybees sings the glories of Lord Vishnu as the birds like peacocks, cranes,
pigeons,cuckoos,etc stop singing to hear his glories . There are many deer even more beautiful than the
ones present here. Goddess Lakshmi serves the Tulsi leaves to Lord Vishnu which he loves a lot because
it's his dear Goddess Tulsi. Some of the Vaikuntha ladies sweep the floor while some play instruments
with Vishnudutas singing Lord Vishnu's glories . Some look in the pond as they see reflection of their
love Lord Vishnu kissing them. It doesn't end here. There are uncountable planets in Vaikuntha. over
there the incarnations of Lord Vishnu live with there devotees like Matsya, Kurma, Narasimha (where
you'll find Hiranyakaship Prahlad etc) Varaha (where are Bhudevi Hiranyakasha etc) ,Prithu Loka and
many others where his incarnations live with their devotees. Three of these are most famous(hop on your
vimana 🤪) —
Saketa Loka where Lord Rama lives with Goddess Sita , Dasrath,Sugriva,Ravana,Trijata , etc . You'll see
the beautiful Ayodhya over there.
Second most famous one is Goloka which is so much beautiful that I can't describe . It is filled with cows
and rivers of milk. I can't describe the beautiful of Goloka in mere words . Lord Krishna lives there with
Balram,his friends,Radha, Nappipinai,Gopis , Yashoda,Nanda,etc and with those who love Vrindavan
Krishna . There you can see Krishna as a friend, brother, lover, son, God, etc . Using Kalpavriksha you
can create your home there and worship Vrindavan Radha Krishna and play with him,do rasa,etc. Half of
Goloka is occupied by Lord Chaitanya and his devotees.
Third most famous is Dwarka loka where Dwarkadhish Krishna lives with
Pandavas ,Drauapdi ,Astharbhyas,Vasudev, Devaki, Pradyumna,Samba, etc .

Is Vaikuntha outside the galaxy?

According to Srimad Bhagavad Puran (Srimad Bhagavatam)

There are 14 + 1 types of worlds.

7 Higher level material worlds:

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 1. Satya-loka: Satya-loka is also known as the Brahma loka and this loka is the topmost loka in
the material universe. This is the abode of truth where atmans are released from the need of
rebirth.
2. Tapa-loka: This is the abode of tapas or of other Gods and Goddesses.
3. Jana-loka: This is the house of the sons of Lord Brahma.
4. Mahar-loka: This is the dwelling of great sages and laissez-faire beings like Markendeya and
other rishis.
5. Svar-loka: This expanse is between the sun and the polar star. This is the heaven of Lord
Indra. Indra, other Gods, Rishis, Gandharvas and Apsaras live here. This place is full of
heavenly ecstasy where all the 330 million Hindu Gods (Devatas) live in along with the king of
Gods, Indra.
6. Bhuvar-loka or Pitri Loka: This is the place of the Sun, planets, stars and the space between
earth and the Sun. It is an actual region, the atmosphere, the place of soul and essence.
7. Bhur-loka:This is the place where the Earth dwells. According to the Vishnu Purana the earth
is simply one of thousands of billions of occupied worlds like itself located in the Universe.
7 Lower level material worlds:

1. Atala-loka: This loka is ruled by Bala, son of Maya who enjoys supernatural powers.
2. Vitala-loka: This Loka is ruled by the God Hara-Bhava an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The
residents of this dominion are decorated with gold from this region.
3. Sutala-loka: Sutala is the kingdom of the virtuous demon king Mahabali.
4. Talatala-loka: This loka is the kingdom of the demon-architect Maya, who is well-versed in
necromancy.
5. Mahatala-loka: Mahatala is the abode of many-hooded Nagas, the sons of Kadru lead by
Krodhavasha band of Kuhaka, Taksshaka, Kaliya and Sushena.
6. Rasatala-loka: This is the home of the Danavas and Daityas, who are the everlasting foes of
Devatas.
7. Patala-loka: The lowest territory of the materialistic universe is called Patala or Nagaloka.
Vasuki is the ruler of this Naga region. Here live quite a lot of Nagas.

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  VAIKUNTHA (Completely spiritual, outside all the material cosmos)
It is the abode of Narayana, The Supreme Lord. The Supreme Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Cause of
all causes, Seed of all existences.

 It has 7 entrances from front and 1 entrance from back. Total 8 entrances.

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One who surrenders or submit his will to the Lotus feet of Narayan/Vishnu shall go there. It is the
ultimate and supreme destination. Highest abode of all, supreme Goal of all Hindus.

On Visiting Vaikuntha!
One has to die first to be able to visit Vaikuntha Loka or Naraka Loka depending upon the deeds one did.
When a person dies, he/she has to leave behind the body for the soul to travel to these Lokas. Now
without a body, what is the use of good food or company of other good creatures.
Instead of nurturing such thoughts, one can concentrate on how to make this Loka where we live now a
heaven. When a person nurtures positive thinking, does well whatever he does joyfully, willingly, such a
person is experiencing total bliss which is heavenly.

Vaikunta is beyond this material Universe were supreme Brahman (God) or Narayana resides who is
beyond every thing after great destruction (MAHAPRALAYA) happen he alone survives all the lower
souls merge into him and that supreme abode is beyond human s thinking which our limited brain cant
reach it so instead think about permanent God remember his different attributes for different functions of
the universe and by calling him Narayana shiva Vishnu

What do gods and goddesses do in Vaikuntha? Do they eat, work, or meditate? What do they do all
the time?

In VAIKUNTHA, everyone is just serving LAKSHMI NARAYAN.

Not only God's and Goddesses but also Souls of people who have developed pure love for HIM stay
there.

No sense exist in VAIKUNTHA.

Eating, working etc. are all sensory actions.

In VAIKUNTHA only serving LAKSHMI NARAYAN

Om Namo Narayanaya

Vaikuntha Loka is here on the Earth .

Lord Krishna calls it “ Param Dhama”, the Abode of the liberated men and women/Ananyabhaktas' .
(Gita, 15.6 ; Sarvangayoga, 8 . 2 ) .

It is Sweetness and Light Eternal (Akshara Brahman) that pervades throughout the vast visible universe
(Kshara-Virat) and Illumines/upholds it .

There is harmony in eating and resting, in sleeping and keeping awake . Their food is ‘ Sattvic' . ( Gita, 6.
17 ) .

They live in harmony with Nature . They perform their natural duty (Svakarma/ 'Svadharma') selflessly,
fearlessly for the welfare of all beings . ( Gita, 18 . 46 ) .

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Vaikunth Lok means a state without Kuntha means a conflict of mind. When a man becomes totally free
from desire his mind becomes thoughtless or quiet with total awareness. That state of mind is Vaikunth
Lok.

What is the ranking of Swarg, Vaikuntha, Brahma Loka, Kailash and Moksha in Hinduism?

There are various levels of realizations and accordingly one attains certain planets.

Let’s analyze the mentioned planets and their qualities in the ascending order .

1. Swarga - this is the planet of Indra. The residents of this planet is called devata. Here the
lifestyle is thousand times better than that in the earthly planets. Here the sense gratifications
too is about thousand times better than that on the earth. Here the lifespan of the living entities
too is way longer than that in the earthly planet. However this planet is NOT safe from the
attacks of demons. We find various demons like Hiranyakashipu, Mahabali, Ravana etc
managed to dislodge the devatas from here and the devatas had to take the help of Lord Vishnu
to regain their abode. This abode comes under the jurisdiction of material world.
2. Brahma loka - This is the abode of Brahma. This is the highest planet in the material creation.
In Bhagavad Gita, the lifespan of one day of Brahma is given. Bhagavad Gita states “By
human calculation, a 1000 maha yugas (1 maha yuga comprises of 1 Satya, Treta, Dwapara
and Kali yuga)taken together is the duration of Brahma's one day. And such also is the
duration of his night.” So that means one complete day in Brahma loka is equal to 2000 maha
yugas. Brahma lives 360 complete days each comprising of 2000 mahayugas. After that
Brahma too dies and his abode perishes. So we can find even Brahma loka too is perishable i.e.
it comes under the jurisdiction of material world. Hence this too is not the supreme.
3. Vaikuntha loka - This abode belongs to Lord Vishnu. This realm is in the spiritual world. The
term Vaikuntha means abode of no anxieity (Vi - no, Kuntha - anxiety). So here is no end at all
meaning this abode is eternal. Vaikuntha has further levels as per the rasas or mellows are
concerned. In Vaikuntha, more intimate is the abode called Saketa loka or Ayodhya, the
abode of Lord Rama. Then much more is Dwarika where Lord Krishna exhibits His majestic
form having traces of sweetness. Beyond Dwarika lies Mathura where Lord Krishna has
combo of a bit of majesty and much more sweetness. Finally comes Vrindavan where Krishna
exhibits His complete sweetness without the majesty aspect.
Now coming to Kailasha. Kailasha is the abode of Lord Siva which falls somewhere between the
spiritual world and the material world. In other world, Kailash is not one of the material world but it is
below the spiritual world also.

Finally we should thoroughly understand the meaning of the term moksha. Moksha means liberation or
release. For example, if someone is serving sentence in a prison, he can be considered to be inside the
material world. But once he gets release from the prison, he can be viewed as attaining moksha. Attaining
the moksha means the cycle of birth and death came to the full stop. Moksha can be of the following 5
categories:

1. Sahujiya moksha - here the living entity merges with the Brahman i.e. the soul loses its
identity.
2. Salokya moksha - here the living entity lives in the same abode of Lord Vishnu i.e. the soul
gets the permanent residence in Vaikuntha.
3. Sarupya moksha - here the living entity attains the identical form of Lord Vishnu i.e. the soul
too has a body comprising of 4 hands holding sankha, chakra, gada and padma.

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 4. Sarshti moksha - here the living entity attains the same opulence and power as that of the
Supreme God, Lord Vishnu.
5. Samipya moksha - here the living entity can remain in the constant company of the Lord.
Out of the above 5, a pure devotees of Lord Vishnu will never accept the 1st type of getting merged with
the Brahman. The remaining 4 they may accept occasionally where devotees enters into the Vaikuntha
planet. But still they will never think of those 4 also ahead of the pure devotional service. Though
ultimately the pure devotee does find a place in Vaikuntha despite the devotee not desiring that.

Coming to the previous analogy of a prisoner getting release from the jail. We can say just getting release
from the jail is not sufficient for the person. As after going out of the jail, he needs to do some job for his
survival. Getting release from the jail is not the all in all for that person. Similarly for the devotees of
Lord Vishnu, moksha is not the highest goal. For the devotees highest goal is to serve the Lord which can
be compared with the prisoner going out of the jail and then joining the king’s service.

Does Vaikuntha exist?

let me answer this logically.....

In universe there exists 64 dimensions , in which we humans can only perceive 3 dimensions ,
that too i would say 3rd dimension is still not fully perceivable, for example : you cannot see a
cuboid (6 sides) at one point of time , you will only be able to percieve any 3sides and you have
to change the orientation of the cube to see the other side of cube (other 3 sides).

Imagine 4th Dimension ? we cannot , let me say why it is not possible to perceive 4th
dimension , Just imagine you can see the other side of the cube without changing the orientation
of the cube or you changing the location to see the other side of the cube, so from any spatial
point you should be able to see the 3D cube with all 6sides . Just try to stitch and imagine the big
picture (Good Example : Panoramic Photos -360 Degree) your views from all spatial orientations
(360 Degrees)This is 4th dimension.

5th Dimension : Now adding another dimension to 4th dimension which is Time (Time is
considered as a physical dimension). Just imagine you were able to perceive i mean see all 6sides
of cube from 360 Degree Orientation (4th Dimension) from any time period with limits 0 to
Infinity ... Best Example is shown in Interstellar movie , I mean you can stitch your views in all
360 Degree from any time period (Time can from Seconds to Light Years ) , If you can imagine
this and visualize then you must be able to attain 5th dimension too..

Like this there are 64 dimensions in the universe and Ethereal planes of consciousness does exist
which only your soul can surpass all the dimensions and not your gross physical body .

There are ways and means to go to Vaikunta which is only plane in entire universe which doesnt
get destroyed even the whole universe gets recycled from time to time.

Here is how :

1. attain Moksha (To know whats moksha , refer any other articles)
2. Practise Kriya Yoga , by performing kriya yoga you can attain all the 64 dimensions of
universe , so your soul will be able to feel the vaikunta and other lokas as well

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As said except Earth (Bhuloka) all other planets / Lokas are subtle means no gross/physical body
will be able to see / feel / perceive because they are beyond our imagination and dimensions,
only our soul / athman can feel the subtle effect.

Even Heaven & Hell lokas / planets are subtle , based on your karma you will feel pleasure in
heaven because of your good karma , for sins you will feel pain in hell , which is fully subtle and
not gross.

Ex : You cannot show me the pain , you feel the pain if you have been cheated / hurted by
someone , only your soul knows that pain , its not physical pain .

Thats how the lokas / subtle planets which really exists , only our soul can feel that and not our
gross body.

Same way you cannot feel god , unless you attain 64 dimensions .

After moksha, where does a soul depart to, Kailasa or Vaikuntha?

Moksha or liberation is the merging of Anda ( man ) into Brahmanda( the Cosmic energy, God).
But it's a popular belief that Shiva devotees ultimate aim of moksha is to go to Mount Khailash, and Lord
Vishnu’s devotees reach Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu.
Moksha is the ultimate bliss, where in there are no more physical forms or birth to this body, which
means that you have put an end to this vicious cycle of life and death.
In my perspective , there is no difference between Vishnu’s Vaikunta or Shiva's Kailasa, they are just
names given by us, since whether you say ‘Hari or Hara’, both are one and the same, and they help you to
connect to the Para_Brahman.
Being a Shiva devotee, my aim for this life is to visit Khailash and do service to the Lotus feet of my
Shiva :)

Does every soul get a chance to meet Lord Vishnu in Vaikunta after death?

Soul that has done severe penance to please lord vishnu and extremely good deeds like charity, donation
etc, only such soul unites with lord vishnu
Rest of the soul either enjoys in heaven or suffer in hell in proportionate to the good karma or bad karma
done by it in previous life. After enjoying in heaven or suffering in hell, soul traverses across the universe
in search of a new body . Soul gets the new according to the karma done by it in previous body
if good karma, then it will get a place in a rich family where it will enjoy all pleasures and comforts.
if bad karma, then it will get a place in a poor family with absolutely no pleasures and only struggles
if worst karma like murder, rape etc, then it will get a place in the animal kingdom where other animal
will rape it, hunt you, cut it, eat it etc.
For more details on what happens to death based on the above theory, check the below video

Are the realms of Goloka and Vaikuntha real locations or are they metaphorical descriptions of
union with God?

Goloka is an invention of the Brahmavaivarta Purana and is nowhere mentioned in Vedas -

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The term Vaikuṇṭha is first met with in the Rig Veda Mandala 10 in which there are four suktas addressed
to Indra Vaikuṇṭha.
Attainment of Vaikuṇṭha is mentioned in Nārāyaṇā Upaṇiṣad:–
pratyag ānandaṃ brahma puruṣaṃ praṇa̍va svarū̱paṃ | akāra ukāra makā̍ra i̱ti | tān ekadhā samabharat tad
eta̍d oṃ i̱ti | yam uktvā̍ mucya̍te yo̱gī̱ ja̱nma̱ saṃsā̍ra ba̱ndhanāt | oṃ namo nārāyaṇāyeti ma̍ntropā̱sakaḥ |
vaikuṇṭha bhavana loka̍ṃ gami̱ṣyati | t || 4 ||
The Yogi that recites the name of Him who is Bliss Absolute, The Great Person, and who is represented
by AUM, is released from the bondage of birth and mundane existence. He who chants the mantra om
namo narayanaya attains Vaikuṇṭha. 4.
But it doesn’t give us any further information as to what exactly is meant by Vaikuṇṭha – is it a material
sensual paradise or is it state of being? Is it to be taken literally or figuratively?
The Viṣṇu Purāṇā comes to our aid and tells us exactly what it is:–
viśuddhaṃ bodhanaṃ nityam ajam akṣayam avyayam |
avyaktam avikāraṃ yat tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṃ padam ||
na sthūlaṃ na ca sūkṣmam yan-na viśeṣaṇa ‘gocaram |
tat padaṃ paramaṃ viṣṇoḥ praṇamāmaḥ sadāmalam ||
That which is the Supreme State (Paramam Padam) of Vishnu is pure consciousness, eternal, unborn, un-
decayable, inexhaustible, unmanifest, immutable, It is neither gross nor subtle, nor capable of being
defined, to that ever immaculate Supreme State of Vishnu I bow. V.P 1:9:50 - 51
pradhāna-puruṣāvyakta-kālānāṃ paramam hi yat |
paśyanti sūrayaḥ śuddham tad viṣṇoḥ paramam padam ||
What is beyond matter, spirit, manifestation, and time; that pure [state] which sages behold that is the
supreme abode of Vishnu. (Vishnu Purana 1.2.16)
So in short Vaikuṇṭha is a non-material state of consciousness which is beyond the capacity of the mind
to comprehend or to articulate and it is definitely not a Disneyland paradise with cows and trees and
rivers and playful activities lasting for all eternity!

Do all the incarnations of Shri Hari exist eternally in different regions of Vaikuntha? And do the
devotees go to those incarnations whom they love and worship throughout their life?

This is called an “ati-praśna” - it is superfluous to need, asking has no benefit and answering is
imaginative and speculative.
In Vedānta these questions are dismissed as:–
1. gagana-āravinda- nyāya - discussing the cultivation of lotuses in the sky.
2. gandharva-nagara-nyāyaḥ – buying and selling real estate in the city of the Gandharvas.
3. kāka-danta nyāyaḥ – doing dental work on a crow.
4. vandhya-putra-nyāya – discussing and planning the raising and education of the barren
woman’s son.
There are only three categories of questions that need to be asked in Vedānta:–
1. Who am I? i.e. what is my true nature? (sva-svarūpam)
2. What am I doing here? i.e. what is the purpose of life and what is the source of my discontent
and suffering ?
3. What should I do next? i.e. how should I live my life? What is a good life? How should I live
my life in accordance with Dharma.
ko'ham, katham idam, kiṃ vā, katham maraṇa-janmanī | vicārayāntare vettham mahat tat phalam
eṣyasi || Annapūrṇā Upaniṣad 1.40
Who am I? How came I into being? What is life about? How came death & birth? Thus inquire within
yourself; great will be the benefit you will derive from such inquiry.

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The Pauranikas will go on expounding about fanciful things which no one can comprehend, which are
totally implausible, which have no basis in Vedas or Upanishads and have no tangible benefit other than
leading into a morass of Spiritual Materialism.
So best to avoid all such delusive and chimerical question and focus on Self-enquiry (atma-vicāra) and
how to live a Dharmic life (dharma-vicāra).

Why are there seven gates to Lord Vishnu's abode Vaikuntha instead of a single gate? What is the
significance?

Vaikuntha ,Vaikunthaloka, Vishnuloka, Paramam padam or Nitya Vibhuti is the celestial abode of
Vishnu who is one of the principal deities of Hinduism and the supreme being in its Vaishnavism
tradition.

Vaikuntha is an abode exclusive to him, his consort the goddess Lakshmi and other liberated souls that
have gained moksha. They are blessed with pure bliss and happiness in the company of the supreme being
for all eternity. According to Ramanuja, Parama padam or Nitya Vibhuti is eternal heavenly realm and is
the divine imperishable world that is the God's abode. It is the highest state beyond all worlds and
nothing else beyond it.
Version 1
There are 14 "Lokas" or universes mentioned in Hindu scriptures. 6 are below or on one side of the
universe we live in and 7 are above or on the other side.
The 7 universes above are referred to as Bhu:, Bhuva: Suva: Maha: Jana: Thapa: and Satya Loka. This is
there in Gayatri Mantra too. Each door opens to an universe. When you pass through each of the universe
above, after passing through the 7th door, you reach Satya Loka or the Brahman or Lord Vishnu. I think
that is the significance of going through the Sapta Dwara to get the Darshan of Lord Vishnu.
Version 2
Seven entrances or seven doors are a reference to the mystical plexuses or lotuses of yoga - the muldhara,
svadhisthana, manipura, anahata, visuddha, ajna, and sahasrara. It is only after one has gone through each
one of these lotuses that the Lord is seen.

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What is the difference between Saket, Vaikuntha, and Goloka?
Ram, Vishnu, and Krishna are the same, so how is their abode
different?

Goloka is certainly within Vaikuntha. It is at the centre and is the topmost region where Krishna
Himself resides as Krishna. Therefore it is also known as Krishnaloka. The most obvious
difference between Goloka and the rest of Vaikuntha is in rasa, the nature of the exchanges
between the Lord and His devotees. Goloka (Sanskrit: गोलोक) also known as Gauloka, Goloka
Vrindavana, Krishnaloka or Gokula, is the eternal supreme abode of Lord Krishna and Radha.
Please see picture below:-

According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana, , Krishna is the highest supreme lord and eternal one
whose loka is above all. It is said that Goloka never vanishes and remains eternal like the Lord
himself. Goloka is spread across a diameter of 3 crore yojanas; here, Krishna resides in his
teenage form with all gop and gopies. Vaikunta is just south of Goloka and 5 crore yojanas away
from it; here, four-handed Narayana resides with his wife Lakshmi. Shiva loka is situated to the
north of Goloka; here, Shiva resides with his consort and devotees. Both Vaikunta and Shiva
loka are 1 crore yojanas in diameter. However, some texts point to the possibility that Vaikunta
and Goloka are in fact equal in diameter. Goloka means World of cows or Krishna's heaven The
Sanskrit word go refers to "cow" and "loka" is translated to as "realm" and not "planet".

Lord Krishna is also known as Gaulokvihari (vihari means "a resident of") since he is a resident
of Goloka and his consort Radha is called Radhika

All the Vaikuntha planets are said to be like petals of a lotus flower, and the principal part of that
lotus, called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndāvana, is the centre of all the Vaikunthas. Thus the
expansions of Krsna in various forms, as well as His various abodes on the spiritual planets in
the spiritual sky, are unlimited. Krsnaloka is divided into three different portions: Gokula,
Mathurā and Dvārakā. As stated in Brahma-samhitā (5.43), all the Vaikuntha planets in the

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spiritual sky (known as Vishnuloka) emanate from the predominating Deity of Krsnaloka,
Goloka Vrndāvana, known as Bhagavan.

Where is Vaikuntha?

Vaikuntha is located 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka (also known as
Brahmaloka since it is the celestial abode of Lord Brahma). The location of Vaikuntha coincides
with the Makara Rashi i.e. the Capricorn constellation

The same Vaikunth-lok is known by different names and forms like Golok-dham for Bhagwan
Krishna and Saket-dham for Bhagwan Shri Raam. This is because there's no difference between
the names, forms, pastimes and abodes of Bhagwan. Devotees attain Bhagwan and his abode
according to their bhaav.

What is Saket Dham?

Śrī Sāketa-Loka : The supreme abode of godhead. In Vaidic-scriptures, Shri Sāket (साकेत) Lok
(or Shri Ayōdhyā-Purī) is celebrated and eulogized as the supreme abode of the original
personality of godhead, Lord Śrī Rāma.

Incidentally, it may be interesting to note that there is a location named, “Saket” in Delhi.

What is Saket famous for?

Saket is an upmarket residential colony located in the South Delhi district, of Delhi, India. The
neighbourhood is named after the city of Ayodhya, also known as Saket, an ancient, religiously
significant city in Uttar Pradesh. Saket has four major malls on the Press Enclave Marg.

Ram and Krishna are the complete incarnations of Lord Vishnu. They both are one and supreme,
but the difference; Vishnu is Narayana himself and Ram/Krishna are Narayana in human forms.

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What is Vaikuntha in Hinduism?

The literal meaning of the word Vaikuṇṭha can be understood by dissecting the word itself.
Vaikuṇṭha can be divided into Vai (meaning without) & Kuṇṭha (meaning anxiety). Thus,
Vaikuṇṭha means a place where there is no anxiety.

Now the concept of Vaikuṇṭha is generally associated with Lord Viṣṇu in Hinduism. It is
believed that Vaikuṇṭha is the realm where Lord Viṣṇu resides. There are detailed descriptions of
the wonderful realm called Vaikuṇṭha & the religious Hindus aspire to go there. The Svarga
(heaven) on the other hand is a temporary concept in Hinduism & is not recommended as final
resting place in our scriptures. In other words, one remains in the cycle of birth & death, even
after attaining Svarga.

Vaikuṇṭha
One of the most widespread misconception amongst Hindus is that Svarga & Vaikuṇṭha are one
and the same. Some people believe that Svarga is the desired realm of afterlife as per Vedic
scriptures. But the Svarga is place within the realm of time & its residents are mortal. The only

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difference between Svargaloka & Bhūloka (Earthly realm) is that the duration of life is very long
in Svarga & the residents have many enjoyment facilities.

The Vaikuṇṭha, on the other hand, is beyond time. It is part of the spiritual world, with many
other timeless realms like Ayodhyā, Goloka & Navadvīpa. Different Avatāras reside eternally in
those extra dimensional realms with their devotees & devotees participate in their pastimes.

Spiritual world is the place where liberated beings go. Within it there are Vaikuṇṭha planets,
Ayodhyā, Goloka, Navadvīpa & many other realms. Sometimes the term Vaikuṇṭha is used for
the entire spiritual world & sometimes specifically for the planets where Lord Nārāyaṇa rules. In
such transcendental realms the living entities have higher level of existence.

Ayodhyā

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Goloka

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Navadvīpa
The living entities in spiritual world are in their actual eternal form, in other words they are
immortal. Further, they are full of knowledge and bliss. They know that each & every living
being is part of same God & they live peacefully together.

The extraordinary atmosphere of spiritual world is such that the trees as well as many non-living
things are conscious there. It is described that the soil of spiritual world is made of wish-stone,
the trees are wish-fullfilling trees, the words are songs and each step is a dance there. It is the
ultimate concept of afterlife that is found in Hinduism.

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