Svarga

Svarga (Sanskrit: स्वर्गः, lit. 'abode of light', IAST: Svargaḥ), also known as Swarga, Indraloka and Svargaloka, is the celestial abode of the devas in Hinduism. Svarga is one of the seven higher lokas (esoteric planes) in Hindu cosmology. Svarga is often translated as heaven, though it is regarded to be dissimilar to the concept of the Abrahamic Heaven.

Svarga is a set of celestial worlds located on and above Mount Meru, where those who had led righteous lives by adhering to the scriptures delight in pleasures, before their next birth on earth. It is described to have been built by the deity Tvashtar, the Vedic architect of the devas.

The king of the devas, Indra, is the ruler of Svarga, ruling it with his consort, Indrani. His palace in the abode is called Vaijayanta. This palace holds the famous hall, Sudharma, unrivalled among all the princely courts. The capital of Svarga is Amaravati, and its entrance is guarded by the legendary elephant, Airavata. Svarga is described to be the home of Kamadhenu, the cow of plenty, as well as Parijata, the tree that grants all wishes. The legendary Kalpavriksha tree grows in the centre of the Nandana gardens, which was planted there by Indra after it emerged from the Samudra Manthana, the churning of the ocean. Due to its location, Svarga is called Tridiva, the third highest heaven.

In Hindu mythology, the devas' dominion over Svarga is often the primary point of contention in their eternal war with their rivals, the asuras. A common theme in these legends is an asura king, such as Hiranyakashipu, usurping the realm for himself. The preserver deity, Vishnu, often intervenes to restore the status quo. He sometimes assumes an avatar, such as Narasimha, to vanquish the asura king, restoring Indra and the devas to their place. During each pralaya (the great dissolution), the first three realms, Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, and Svargaloka are destroyed. In contemporary Hinduism, Svarga itself is often relegated to the status of a lower heaven, one that is spiritually as well as physically beneath Vaikuntha and Kailasha, the celestial abodes of Vishnu and Shiva.

In Buddhism, Svarga (heaven) is one of the many worlds one may reincarnate if Nirvana is not achieved. Sometimes dismissed as a diversion from the path to Nirvana, some Buddhists aim for a rebirth in heaven as better circumstances to prepare for final salvation. In Theravada, different stages of heaven are closely connected with meditation theories. According to Buddhism, heaven is not eternal. However, this does not imply that the inhabitants of heaven (deva) necessarily return to earth after their heavenly karma runs out. The fate of devas depends on their merits accumulated during their abode in heaven: Non-Buddhist devas may fall back to earth, incarnate in hell or as animals, whereas Buddhist devas may ascend to higher heavens until they finally achieve Nirvana.

Besides the sensual heaven of the devas, Buddhism also acknowledges sublime heavens of the brahmās, the realm of the Creator God (Mahābrahmā), and disembodied deities beyond. Incarnation in the form of the latter belongs to the "eight inopportune conditions", as they are so sublime, they are unable to hear the dharma and thus, also unable to attain liberation. As such, incarnation in heaven, though acknowledged and often aspired, is never meant to be an end in itself.

In the hymns of the Atharvaveda, Svarga is conceptualised as Pitrloka, the land where one hopes to meet one's departed ancestors. It is the abode that is rewarded for the one who performs sacrifices. The sacrifices that one performs are stated to journey directly to heaven, and are stored to await the sacrificer on his arrival. One hymn describes Svarga to be a realm that contains water-lilies and lotuses, lakes of butter with banks of honey, along with streams flowing with a number of foods such as wine, milk, curds, and water. Offering gifts to guests is also stated to be a path that secures heaven.

The Vedanta Shutra explains the concept of transmigration from Svarga to Bhuloka. It indicates that a jiva (life force) that has performed sacrifices and charitable acts ascends to Svarga, and when departing the abode and returning to earth, it descends as a raincloud, and is precipitated upon the earth as rain. When man consumes the food that is watered by the rain, it enters his semen, and during intercourse, enters a woman, to be reborn. It described "sampata" to be the term for the concept that allows one to ascend to heaven. It also states that the one who was of good conduct in Svarga attains the birth of a Brahmin, Kshatriya, or a Vaishya, and that others are condemned to lesser births, such as other animals or outcastes.