Vaikuntha

Vaikuntha (Sanskrit: वैकुण्ठ, romanized: Vaikuṇṭha, lit. 'without anxiety / imperfections'), also called Vishnuloka (Viṣṇuloka), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, and his consort, Lakshmi, the supreme goddess of the sect.

According to Ramanuja, Vaikuntha is the Parama Padam or Nitya Vibhuti, an "eternal heavenly realm", and is the "divine imperishable world that is God's abode". In Vaishnava literature, Vaikuntha is described as the highest realm above the fourteen lokas (worlds), and the place where the devotees of Vishnu go upon achieving liberation. It is guarded by the twin deities, Jaya and Vijaya, the dvarapalakas, or gatekeepers of Vaikuntha. The army of Vishnu, stationed at Vaikuntha, is led by Vishvaksena. The planets of Vaikuntha are described as being full of golden palaces and hanging gardens that grow fragrant fruits and flowers.

The planets of Vaikuntha begin 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka. This does not refer to physical distance. In most of the extant Puranas and Vaishnava traditions, Vaikuntha is located in the direction of the Makara rashi, which corresponds with the constellation of Capricorn. One version of the cosmology states that Vishnu's eye is present at the south celestial pole, from where he watches the cosmos.

The Vedas do not mention Vaikuntha, but a verses in the Rigveda allude to Vishnu's potential abode:

tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ

The gods are always looking towards the Supreme feet of Vishnu.

pra viṣṇave śūṣametu manma ghirikṣita urughāyāya vṛṣṇe |
ya idaṃ dīrghaṃ prayataṃ sadhasthameko vimame tribhirit padebhiḥ ||
yasya trī pūrṇā madhunā padānyakṣīyamāṇā svadhayāmadanti |
ya u tridhātu pṛtivīmuta dyāmeko dādhāra bhuvanāni viśvā ||
tadasya priyamabhi pātho aśyāṃ naro yatra devayavo madanti |
urukramasya sa hi bandhuritthā viṣṇoḥ pade parame madhva utsaḥ ||
tā vaṃ vāstūnyuśmasi ghamadhyai yatra ghāvo bhūriśṛṅghāayāsaḥ |
atrāha tadurughāyasya vṛṣṇaḥ paramaṃ padamava bhāti bhūri ||

3. Let my fortifying thought go forth to Viṣṇu, the mountain-dwelling,
wide-ranging bull, who alone with just three steps measured out this dwelling place here, long and extended,
4. Whose three steps, filled with honey, never becoming depleted, find
elation through their own power, who alone supports heaven and earth in their three parts and all living beings.
5. Might I reach that dear cattle-pen of his, where men seeking the gods find elation, for exactly that is the bond to the wide-striding one: the wellspring of
honey in the highest step of Viṣṇu.
6. We wish to go to the dwelling places belonging to you two [=Viṣṇu and Indra], where there are ample-horned, unbridled cows.
There that highest step of the wide-ranging bull shines down amply.