Devaloka
Encyclopedia
In Indian religions, a devaloka or deva loka is a plane of existence where gods
and devas
exist. The deva lokas are usually described as places of eternal light and goodness, similar to the concept of Heaven
. Teachers of different Hindu denominations
may call such homes of the gods by other names, including Svarga
, each differing in non-fundamental aspects.
To Hindus, Devaloka is a plane of blissful existence that can be reached as soon as one is sufficiently attuned to light and good. However, to become even better and to learn more, one must return to a life on Earth
, until all the learning possibilities here have been exhausted. Then, any other lives become unnecessary and liberation (moksha
) is achieved. When that happens, the practitioner can even reach higher planes, such as Vaikuntha and Sivaloka (Kailasa), places of union with Vishnu
and Shiva
.
In Buddhism, a deva loka is a dwelling place of the Buddhist devas
. The worlds of the devas differ greatly from each other depending on the nature of their inhabitants. See Buddhist cosmology
.
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and devas
Deva (Hinduism)
' is the Sanskrit word for god or deity, its related feminine term is devi. In modern Hinduism, it can be loosely interpreted as any benevolent supernatural beings. The devs in Hinduism, also called Suras, are often juxtaposed to the Asuras, their half brothers. Devs are also the maintainers of...
exist. The deva lokas are usually described as places of eternal light and goodness, similar to the concept of Heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
. Teachers of different Hindu denominations
Hindu denominations
Hinduism comprises numerous sects or denominations. The denominations are roughly comparable to different religions. The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism, and Smartism...
may call such homes of the gods by other names, including Svarga
Svarga
In Hinduism, Svarga is a set of heavenly worlds located on and above Mt. Meru. It is a heaven where the righteous live in a paradise before their next reincarnation...
, each differing in non-fundamental aspects.
To Hindus, Devaloka is a plane of blissful existence that can be reached as soon as one is sufficiently attuned to light and good. However, to become even better and to learn more, one must return to a life on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, until all the learning possibilities here have been exhausted. Then, any other lives become unnecessary and liberation (moksha
Moksha
Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...
) is achieved. When that happens, the practitioner can even reach higher planes, such as Vaikuntha and Sivaloka (Kailasa), places of union with Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
and Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
.
In Buddhism, a deva loka is a dwelling place of the Buddhist devas
Deva (Buddhism)
A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being....
. The worlds of the devas differ greatly from each other depending on the nature of their inhabitants. See Buddhist cosmology
Buddhist cosmology
Buddhist cosmology is the description of the shape and evolution of the Universe according to the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries.-Introduction:...
.