“It is very much regrettable that unfortunate people do not discuss the description of the Vaikuntha Loka.” – Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana
Vaikuntha (वैकुण्ठ, Vaikuṇṭha) Loka is the Eternal Heavenly Loka of Bhagavan Vishnu and Sri Mahalakshmi Devi. They preside over this celestial realm together.
Both have many manifestations who dwell in Vaikuntha. “Endowed with a most lovely form, Shri adores in that realm the feet of the Lord in many ways with Her other manifestations… 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. Sitting in a swing, She sings the exploits of Her beloved Lord, while Her own praises are sung by the bees. She is also engaged in variegated pleasures… Moving about in that palace with the anklets on Her feet making a tinkling sound, and with a lotus-flower held in Her hand as a plaything, She is seen reflected in the crystal walls inlaid with gold here and there… While engaged in worshipping the Lord with Tulasi leaves in Her own pleasure-garden in the midst of Her attendants, Shri happens to see Her face with beautiful tresses and a prominent nose reflected in ponds containing limpid waters and provided with stairs of corals, and deems Her face fortunate in having been kissed by the Lord…” says the Bhagavata Purana.
All of Vishnu’s most beloved Lilas are eternally played out in Vaikuntha Loka, beyond time and space. Vishnu’s expansions simultaneously inhabit 10,008 crystal-walled palaces in and around which He eternally plays out every possible joyous relationship with His liberated Bhaktas who have transcended the three gunas while still alive and have gained Moksha by worshipping Shri Hari through the unattached performance of their Dharma, but chosen to dwell in manifested (though pure and non-material) form in Vaikuntha and enjoy pure Anandam in that way rather than merge into Nirguna Brahman. “They alone attain to that realm… who have reached beyond the jurisdiction of Death by virtue of their devotion to Lord Vishnu… and whose eyes stream with tears and whose body is thrilled all over when they are beside themselves with love while talking to one another about the glories of their lord.” (Bhagavata Purana) He/She is their father, their mother, their brother, their sister, their lover, their spouse, their child, their sagely Guru, their friend, their dance partner, etc., all simultaneously.
These palaces are surrounded by many auspicious forests with fruit-bearing trees and eternally blossoming Kalpavrikshas. “Everything in Vaikuntha Loka is spiritual and personal,” says the Bhagavatam, particularly in context of these trees. “In that realm there is an orchard called Naihshreyasa, which is supreme blessedness incarnate, and which is resplendent with trees that yield all that is desired and are laden with fruits and flowers in every season.”
The Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana says of Vaikuntha: “The Lord was pleased to manifest His own personal supreme Abode, Vaikuntha, higher than which there is no other Loka, which is absolutely free from all kinds of miseries, bewilderment, and fear, and which is extolled on all sides by highly enlightened, self-realized souls who have been blessed with His sight. Neither Rajas nor Tamas, nor even Sattwa mixed with either prevails there. There is no predominance of the influence of time, or of Maya.”
Vaikuntha Loka is beyond all ignorance or suffering, and from it jivas do not fall again into sansara. There is no higher Loka, though as a Smarta rather than strictly Vaishnava Hindu (though Krishna is my Ishta Devata) I believe that while Vaikuntha is without superior, it does have equals, for example Shivaloka on the celestial Kailash, or the Manidwipa island of the Goddess Shakti.
The inhabitants of Vaikuntha Loka look similar in body to Vishnu Himself. The Bhagavata Purana goes on:
“The attendants of Shri Hari who reside there are adored by the Devas and the Asuras alike, who worship the Supreme Lord as devotees without discrimination. Possessed of a transparent, glowing complexion like the dark blue sky, and lotus-like eyes, clad in yellow, most charming to look at and extremely attractive of body, they are all endowed with four arms, highly resplendent themselves and further beautified by pearl necklaces with ornamental medallions, and gold ornaments set with superb shining gems. Some of these people’s bodies instead possess the effulgent hue of corals, diamonds, cat’s-eyes, or lotus stalks, and are adorned with brilliant earrings, diadems, and blooming garlands.”
Of their surroundings, the Bhagavatam says: “Vaikuntha has fragrant winds and creepers dripping with honey near bodies of water. Cries of exotic birds mingle with the humming of bees, and magnificent flowers bloom everywhere… When the queen of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of Shri Hari, there is a temporary lull in the noise of the dove, the cuckoo, the crane, the chakravaka, the chataka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge, and the peacock, who all fall silent to drink in the bee’s song. Such transcendental birds stop their own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord. Although flowering plants like the mandara, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, champaka, arna, punnaga, nagakeshara, bakula, lily, lotus, and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the greater austerities performed by Tulasi, for Tulasi is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with Tulasi leaves and holds its fragrance in great esteem.” The inhabitants’ minds are distracted by the breeze-born fragrance of Madhavi flowers laden with honey and blossoming in water, which is akin to the fragrance of the Lord’s own person. Everything in that realm is Divine in essence.
Beautiful smiling devotees of Vishnu travel through Vaikuntha in flying vimanas made of lapis lazuli, emerald, and gold, which can be obtained there simply by making obeisance at the feet of Shri Hari. Some of the devotees are married, having attained Vaikuntha along with their spouse, or perhaps gotten married after arrival. “Seated in aerial vimanas with their consorts, the Gandharvas sing the stories of their Master, that are capable of wiping out the sins of the whole world,” says the Bhagavatam. These vimanas are sometimes used to bring new devotees to Vaikuntha as well, when they have attained Salokya Moksha; sometimes but not always accompanied by a form of Bhagavan Narayana in person.
“Glittering all round with rows of brilliant and glorious aerial vimanas of exalted souls, which are further illumined with the lightning-like splendor of those most charming ladies, that Divine realm shines like the sky with a line of clouds lit by flashes of lightning. The ladies in Vaikuntha Loka 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…”
The Bhagavata Purana further adds: “Brahma beheld there the Protector of all His devotees, the husband of Shri, the enjoyer of Yagnyas, the omnipresent Ruler of the whole universe, being waited upon by the foremost of His personal attendants, Sunanda, Nanda, Prabala, Arhana, and others, His immediate associates.
“Ever disposed to lean favorably towards His loving servants and shower His grace on them, He bears nectar in His look and wears a gracious smile on His countenance. He has reddish enchanting eyes, is adorned with a helmet-crown and earrings, is ever clad in yellow robes and can be easily distinguished by His four arms as also by a golden streak of lines borne on His breast as a symbol of Goddess Lakshmi. That universal Lord occupies an excellent and most valuable throne, and is surrounded by His twenty-five Shaktis (the Spirit, Prakriti, the Mahat-tattwa, the ego, the mind, the ten Indriyas, the five subtle elements and the five gross elements, each in a personal embodied form).”
Vaikuntha Loka is located 26,200,000 yojanas above Satya Loka, in the direction of Makara Rashi, which is toward the constellation Capricorn, though of course it is not visible to us in physical space, being accessible only to liberated jivas. Its seven sequential gates (furnished with doors of gold and diamond) are guarded against all others by the shining Divine brothers Jaya and Vijaya, armed with maces and adorned with most valuable armlets, earrings, and diadems. They are described as wearing garlands of sylvan flowers, which attract to them a swarm of intoxicated bees, round their necks and between their four dark arms.
The gates of Vaikuntha are usually opened only on Vaikuntha Ekadashi, one day in the year. New souls entering Vaikuntha are said to wait in Makara Rashi until the next Vaikuntha Ekadashi, when they may enter. The standard of Vaikuntha, displayed on its flags, is a parasol.
Certain holy Tirthas in Bhumi Loka are said to be especially close to Vaikuntha, such as Haridwara.
It is said that musicians devoted to Vishnu who spend eight consecutive incarnations as outstanding master musicians may then leave the material universe to play at Vishnu’s side in one of the palaces of Vaikuntha.
Vaikuntha Loka has various names, including Paramam Padam (Supreme/Ultimate/Highest Abode/Place/Heaven), Nitya Vibhuti, Thirupparamapadham, etc.
The traditional interpretation of Rig Veda Sanhita, Book 1, Sukta 22 is that it refers to Vaikuntha in these lines: “The Suras (Devas) eternally look to that supreme abode of Vishnu, laid as an Eye in Heaven. This, Vishnu’s station most sublime, the singers, ever vigilant, lovers of holy song, illuminate.” The Rig Veda refers to this abode as Paramam Padam, one of the traditional names of Vaikuntha.
Enthroned in the center of Vaikuntha is a lordly manifestation of Vishnu with four heads and eight arms. Around this, Vaikuntha Loka is divided into four quarters, ruled by the four Prabhava Vilasa, also known as the Chatur Vyuha, Vishnu’s four ‘expansion forms’ Vasudeva, Shankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.
Shankarsana’s quarter is simply known as Vishnuloka, and it is technically only this part that is specified to lie 26,200,000 yojanas above Satyaloka. Indeed there is some precedent for Vaikuntha having multiple locations, since it, or part of it, is also said to lie in the direction of the south celestial pole. Shankarsana’s quarter is full of Gnyana and Balam (knowledge and strength). It is further subdivided into six regions for the six Vaibhava Vilasas of Shankarsana: one for the direction, three Vyuhantaras for three months of the year, and two Vaibhava Vilasa Murtis. The Vyuhantaras are Govinda the Silver, wielding four bows; Vishnu the Lotus-Colored, bearing four ploughshares; and Madhusudhana the Lotus-Colored, bearing four pestles.
Pradyumna’s quarter is full of Aishwarya and Virya (lordliness and heroism). It is further subdivided into six regions for the six Vaibhava Vilasas of Pradyumna: one for the direction, three Vyuhantaras for three months of the year, and two Vaibhava Vilasa Murtis. The Vyuhantaras are Trivikrama the Fiery, wielding four swords; Vamana like the Rising Sun, wielding four thunderbolts; and Sridhara the Lotus-Colored, bearing four shields.
Aniruddha’s quarter is full of Virya and Tejas (heroism and brilliant heat). It is further subdivided into six regions for the six Vaibhava Vilasas of Aniruddha: one for the direction, three Vyuhantaras for three months of the year, and two Vaibhava Vilasa Murtis. The Vyuhantaras are Hrishikesha the Lightning-Colored, wielding four hammers; Damodara the Silk-Colored, bearing four pashas; and Padmanabha the Sun-Colored, wielding five weapons. Aniruddha’s quarter contains part of Kshira Sagara, the Ocean of Milk, in which lies Swetadwipa, an island on which lives a form of Vishnu that is a co-manifestation of (and bear with me here, Vaishnava theology gets complicated): Aniruddha and the Kshirodakasayi manifestation of the Garbhodakasayi manifestation of the Karanodakasayi manifestation of the Mahashankarsana Vaibhava Vilasa of Shankarsana. A manifestation of Ananta Shesha Naga also dwells on the island.
Vasudeva’s quarter is called Devavatipur, and is generally oceanic in terrain. Devavatipur is full of Gnyana, Balam, Aishwarya, Virya, Tejas, and Shakti. It is further subdivided into six regions for the six Vaibhava Vilasas of Vasudeva: one for the direction, three Vyuhantaras for three months of the year, and two Vaibhava Vilasa Murtis. The Vyuhantaras are Keshava the Golden, wielding four Chakras; Narayana the Blue, bearing four conches; and Madhava the Jewel-Colored, wielding four gadas.
At the center is a city named Narayana (one of the names of Vishnu Himself). The Shrimad Kurma Mahapurana describes it as such:
“There is a city named Narayana, which is inaccessible and unsurpassable, complete with subdivisions and so forth, furnished with golden walls, filled with crystal pavilions, covered with thousands of lights, invincible and brilliant, replete with watchtowers, halls, ramparts, and palaces. With thousands of golden gateways adorned with various jewels, it is equipped with shining awnings decorated in brilliant colors, and with amusements of all kinds, rich in rivers, filled with ponds on all sides, and resonant with lutes and flutes. It is embellished with numerous colored banners, with avenues running in all directions, and with stairways set with gems.
“Enriched by the presence of hundreds of thousands of women and full of celestial bards, strewn with geese and ducks, adorned with Chakravaka birds, this city with its four incomparable gates is impregnable to the foes of the Gods. It is beautified everywhere by throngs of Apsaras who know the composition of all sorts of songs and whom even the Devas find hard to win. They are adept in various coquetries, amorous and most charming. With faces like the full moon and with the tinkling of anklets, slightly smiling, with lips full and red like the bimba fruit, young, seemingly naïve and doe-eyed, blessed with slender waists, they move like fine flamingos, beautifully dressed, with sweet voices, clever in conversation, adorned with lovely, heavenly ornaments. Stooping from the weight of their breasts, their eyes rolling from intoxication, with bodies of various bright colors, they delight in a variety of sexual pleasures.
“Decorated everywhere with gardens of blossoming flowers, the city is spotless, possessing countless fine qualities, unattainable even by the Thirty Devas. In the middle of it is the splendid sacred seat of Vishnu, husband of Shri, hard to win even for yogis, resplendent with lofty ramparts and towers. In its center, on the naga Shesha as his bed, lies Hari, the sole lord, lustrous as a lotus petal, origin of all the worlds. Contemplated by the leaders of the yogis led by Sanandana who had drunk the nectar of the bliss of the Self, that long-armed one is himself beyond darkness, the practicer of Mahamaya, eternal, clothed in yellow, whose feet are embraced continuously by the Daughter of the Milk Ocean. And this Devi, the beloved of Hari, who is to be honored in the world, sits at His feet with Her mind perpetually devoted to Him, having drunk the nectar of Narayana. The adharmik do not go there, nor do those whose goal is other Gods.
“This place, celebrated even by the Trayastrinshata Devas, is called Vaikuntha. My wit cannot picture it all; only this much can be said: this is the city of Narayana! So sits the Supreme Brahman, the eternal Vasudeva, the glorious Narayana, deluding the world with His Maya. This world is born out of Narayana; in Him is it stationed; so does it return to Him at the end of the Kalpa. He is the supreme goal!”