Svarga

Svarga

स्वर्ग, svarga

An alternative name is "svarga-loka", "svarloka".

In general, it is an ancient Indian version of what is usually understood by Heaven (paradise).

Svarga in the Vedas

The most fundamental research on this topic belongs to the famous Dutch orientalist Jan Gonde. According to him, despite the objective reasons to call svargaloka as Heaven, the Vedic svargaloka is not identical to the Garden of Eden before the fall fron the grace or the "place" of the return to innocence; it is also not "exclusively the afterlife abode of the blessed or the divine prototype of earthly shrines created at the beginning of time. At the same time, svarga embodies the desire of a person of the Vedic era to live in a pure, "strong", ideal "sphere" (you can call it in another way: "world", "field", "space", "area"), which he tried to realize by <...> creating an environment or the conditions of "sanctity" in ritual ways, coupled with a deep understanding of their meaning and the effects they produce."

Etymology

In the Rigveda (RV), the term "svarga" is used once, as it seems – in the meaning of a "place" of joyful existence. The origin of the word, which is far fr om a trifle for a correct judgment of the oldest cases of use, is controversial.

The central idea expressed by ‘svar’ and its etymological relatives – is "the sun, the light of Heaven" (may also mean bright, sparkling Skies, the radiance of [the sun]). "I went to svar, to the light (jyotiḥ)" (Atharvaveda (AV) 4, 13, 3).

‘Ga’, according to one version, comes fr om ‘gam’, "to go", and thus ‘svarga’ means "walking/leading to the light/Heaven" or "abiding in Heaven". According to another version, ‘ga’ is a postfix, and the word ‘svarga’ is uncompounded. Both opinions, however, do not contradict each other, since sometimes the meaning "going/leading to the "light of Heaven" will be obvious or beyond doubt, and sometimes – "Heaven" or "heavenly".

Svar

In RV 1, 50, 5 (= AV 13, 2, 20) it is said that Surya appeared before the gods and people so that they could see (the light) of the sun: svar dṛśe. "Savitar gave svar a beautiful appearance." Savitar, the great divine "mover", the light of Heaven in its dynamic aspect, is characterized as having kindled, encouraged, and tuned the sun.

Fr om RV 1, 129, 2 it follows that the Heavenly light can be mined, obtained, won – the conquest of the sun was one of the greatest deeds of Indra. He did this through his brahmacharya, and then placed the svar at the disposal of the gods. The AV mentions the "private" svar conquered by Indra – the svar of Asuras.

To svar, this heavenly splendor, to this bright heavenly abode, one can "ascend", one can reach it. It can be achieved by self-restraint or asceticism, tapas (RV 10, 154, 2). In AV the act of worship (sacrifice) is called a svar for the sacrificer, and sacrifice is presented as something aimed at paradise and remaining among the gods. It is correlated with ‘div’ (‘dyaus’), "(shining) sky, Heaven".

There are references to the location of svar outside the sky: "From the edge of the earth I ascended into the intermediate space (antarikṣam), from it to the firmament (divam), from the edge of the sky I went to the "Heaven" (svar), to the (heavenly) light (jyotiḥ)" (AV). According to the commentary, svar here means āditya, "the sun", and jyotiḥ – the "golden personality" located in the luminary.

Svar is associated with the idea of an open, free space for movement (RV 3, 3, 10; 9, 97, 39). In turn, AV contains requests to Indra for a wide space (urum ... lokam), the light that is svar and well–being (here also – AV 14, 14, 5: "may the sacrificers reach ‘Heaven’, prosperity"). ‘Svar’ undoubtedly correlates with ‘svasti’, "happy fate, prosperity".

Sometimes ‘svar’ is used as a metaphor. RV 7, 90, 6 says that the patrons brought svar to the poet: it follows from the context that the "sun" was expressed in dakshina. When someone prays Indra and his patrons to get svar, it can be about victory. In some places, the term ‘svar’ is associated with soma. By the way, "soma in Heaven is the most exquisite drink."

So, the ideas of the sun, solar or celestial light are mixed with the ideas of prosperity, glory, as well as the light of the sun as an opportunity for life, activity and normal human existence. "We would like to find all the light of the sun, free from threat, safe" (RV 10, 36, 36). A non-diminishing good consisting of people and livestock is called "sunny", or "filled with the sun", "engulfed by sunlight" (svarvat). The expression "seeing svar", svardṛś, means alive. "Aditi’s gift" – life – is unequivocally characterized as "filled with svar / sunny and free from murder (favorable, protected from death)". Svarvat is the epithet of dawn in RV and the epithet of the gods.

Speaking about svar, the poets did not lim it themselves to the local world and human life. The word, although rare, is used in the RV in relation to Aryan concepts of life after death (for example, in relation to Yama’s loka, kingdom).

Observations similar to those described above can be made for svarga (svarga-loka, however, is more common).

Svargaloka, Svarga

Like "svar", the concept has been left without an exact definition, but it is, obviously, undoubtedly desirable, what is often called the "other world", perceived as a state of bliss and happiness. In "Vishnu Samhita", svarga is even called svarupa ("own form") of happiness, and "Jaiminya Brahmana" (JB) says about it as follows: "Many scold this "space" (earth), many despise it, and those who perform virtuous deeds live there at the same time as those who do evil. But that "space" is located high, evil is knocked out from there, and the prosperity increases there every day; the doer of evil does not live there."

Upon closer examination, however, a wide variety of ideas are revealed. Thus, there is no consensus on the nature or "position" of this "world" or clear relationships with other ideas such as "immortality" and "satisfaction of all desires." In "Aitareya Brahmana" (AiB) it is said that in svargaloka one can experience "immortality" / in the other world one becomes "immortal", in "Aitareya Aranyaka" (AiA), if understood literally, that one who leaves this world in an enlightened state finds all objects of desires there and then he becomes "immortal". “Taittiriya Brahmana” and “Panchavimsha Brahmana” (PB) recognize the identity of these concepts.

"All [objects of desire]" reflects the connection of the Celestial sphere with the idea of integrity, wholeness, completeness. "Sādhya (deities – the personification of Vedic rites and prayers) achieved svargaloka by complete (sarveṇa) sacrifice"; "whoever sacrifices a thousand dakshinas "will receive these lokas" (PB). "The heavenly world is equal in extent to a thousand" ("Shatapata Brahmana" (ShB)). The number one thousand meant "Everything" or "Totality". In AiA 3, 1, 6, Kauntharavya's statement about the so-called gradual union is quoted: "speech is connected with breathing, breathing with <...>, all gods – with Heaven, Heaven – with Brahman."

An important characteristic of svarga (as well as sarvam ("everything"), prana, Brahman, manas...) and its corresponding definition is anirukta ("unspeakable"). Another notable feature of the "otherworld" (asau lokaḥ) is boundlessness, which is why the rituals performed "to gain the beyond" are also somehow "limitless": "The hymn of praise is endless, for the other world is infinite (immeasurable)" (PB).

In JB, svarga is contrasted with the ordinary and "in the direction": commenting on the ceremonial actions to be performed during the 6-day soma festival, the author instructs: It must go against the current (of Sarasvati) since svarga is "against the current": "this is how they enter Heaven."

ShB clearly identifies the "other world" as the "realm of the gods" (devalokaḥ). There are texts wh ere they differ: "The Angirasas once performed a sacrifice, and (as a result) gained svargaloka, but did not find the path leading to the gods" (PB). AiB 6, 9, 10 separates the "other world" and svarga, placing the latter above: "With the 9th verses he transfers it to an intermediate loka, the 10th fr om it to another loka, and the 9th from another loka to the Heavenly loka." In AV, there are cases of using the word "svarga" in the plural form – the commentary explains that this is because of the threefold nature of Heaven.

Svarga and ritual

Whatever the ideas about this "place" or "state", "circumstances", it is obvious that Heaven was supposed to be a reward for accumulated (religious) merits through the performance of rituals and even acquired, created by rituals. "Sacrifice is the heavenly world" ("Kaushitaki Brahmana"). "I cook, I give, and my wife also participates in sacred work. The young ("virgin") world will be born as a son"; "... you created this loka; let the wide incomparable Heavens spread"; "The one who knows this" (deeply penetrated into the essence of the rituals) "will conquer the worlds rich in light" (AV). "The priest obtains an indestructible loka for himself and the sacrificer, he leads him with himself on the other side of death, to svargaloka" (ShB). The sacrificer, who consciously performs a special ritual, is escorted by the rising sun every day to the loka that is beyond this one. What is beyond the sun is "eternal" – it has been conquered by it; what is on this side of the sun is destroyed by day and night (i.e. time) (JB 1, 11). It follows from the AV and a number of samhitas that, at least in the eyes of the poet, the "world" of a successful sacrificer was considered the highest firmament, the supreme Heavens.

Immortality, which is so often mentioned in connection with the Heavenly world, was rather "protection from death, the length of life", in addition, the Heavenly world was directly called security: a person who knew how to perform certain rituals and perform ritual actions effectively could protect, guarantee the fulfillment of any desire, as well as "perfection the completion of life", consisting of earthly happiness and prosperity (śrī). "The 'world of Heaven' is well-being and prosperity for man" (taittirīya-saṃhitā, TS).

It is a mistake to add "posthumously" to statements about the acquisition of Heaven by the sacrificer, if this has not been explicitly expressed. "He who has performed the ashvamedha (horse sacrifice) saśarīraḥ ("(together) with (his) body", "in the body") connects with the other world" (PB). Heaven is achieved by a certain hymn called the birth (jananam) of the sacrificer, which is reproduced with the help of the hymn from the sacrifice as gods’ homeland. "This gayatri with wings of light is what they practice..., by means of brilliance, having reached svargaloka, he, radiant to old age, eats food suitable for brahmins." (PB 10, 4, 5) – we are clearly talking about worldly well-being, gained upon returning to "this world" due to temporary, but healing and a blissful contact with the Force, leading away from the changeable and transitory. The localization of "paradise" on earth is also evident in ShB 9, 3, 4, 12, wh ere the ritual fire of ahavaniya is called svargaloka; also, "Heaven is wh ere they sacrificed" (ShB).

The substances in respect of which the ritual was performed were transformed (most likely by the illuminating ability of the formulas pronounced over them) into lokas, and from there powerful shakti flowed and immediately came to the disposal of the sacrificer. It is clear from AB and “Kaushika-grihyasutra” that the ascension to the three heavenly regions was accomplished with the help of three parts of a rice dish, which was supposed to be the Heaven-leading road to Fathers’ world.

A deeply sacred action designed to restore the fertility of the earth was horse racing, which generated favorable vaja energy in motion. Racing in vajapeya sacrifice is mentioned, for example, in TB. The order "Run, bearers of the vaja (horses, i.e.), after the vaja, run to the goal (kāṣṭhām)", the author comments as follows: kāṣṭhā- (this term can also mean "a place to run, a track") is svargaloka, so that "those who participate in horse racing, in fact they go to the heavenly ‘space’." Moreover, they are moving in an easterly direction, since the loka is in the East. The custom of handing over pieces of gold to the participants of the race is explained by the fact that the sacrificer acquires a vaja, i.e. a loka that was conquered by him. The latter statement is especially interesting because of the identification of vaja, this most important creative force, and loka. "They participated in horse racing and made the donor a winner, they got the "world of Heaven" for him." (PB) "Svargaloka is vaja" ("Gopatha Brahmana").

Finally, a few words about svarga and a year. ShB: a person who has "acquired a year" by ritual enters it "as into the world of Heaven"; the gods did not become "immortal" until they received a year, since a year is the equivalent of Prajapati and totality (sarvam, everything that is complete in itself). Since fadelessness means totality, unfading merit, (i.e.) unfading loka, is acquired by this (acquisition of a year). A year here is understood as a cosmological unit – a complete cycle of time – so that by acquiring a year, power is gained over all time (PB 18, 9, 7: "a year contains the past and the future ..."). The priest, who gets a year by means of 362 formulas, provides the one who hired him with pratishtha ("foundation, support"), "and thus achieves svargaloka for the sacrificer and establishes him there." "By performing 12 actions, [he] does 12 (the number of months), thereby enjoys a year and brings it to the sacrificer for the sake of obtaining svargaloka" (TS). Moreover, a year is supposed to be identical to the air or Heaven space (vyoman-), worlds. Only by conquering time can one gain access to paradise.

Svarga in “Mahabharata”

Book Three: Forest (Aranyakaparva)

Chapter 43

"Moving along the path hidden from the eyes of the living mortals on earth, he [Arjuna] saw thousands of outlandish images of celestial chariots there. Neither fire, nor the sun, nor the moon shone there, but (everything) shone with its own (inner) light, which is acquired by holiness. Those shining (bodies) that we observe from here in the form of stars and which, although huge, because of their remoteness (seem) tiny, like the lights of lamps, Pandava saw in all their glory, in a bright glow, each in its heavenly home, shining with its own (inner) light. Hundreds of hosts hovered there (in the air) holy royal sages, siddhas, heroes who fell on the battlefield, and those who conquered heaven by asceticism, (as well as) thousands of gandharvas, whose spiritual fervor flamed like the sun, many guhyakas, holy sages and apsaras.

Seeing the (various) worlds shining with their own light, Phalguna was filled with amazement and kindly asked Matali [Indra's charioteer] for clarification. The latter replied to him: "These are pious men, O Partha, staying in their heavenly homes, the very ones, my lord, whom you observed from the earth like stars!" Here Arjuna saw standing at the (city) gate a white, "giving victory" elephant Airavata with four tusks, (huge) as mount Kailas. <...> And after passing through the worlds (prepared for virtuous) kings, the lotus-eyed finally saw Shakra’s [Indra’s] capital – Amaravati.

Chapter 44

He saw a delightful city inhabited by siddhas and charanas. It was decorated with sacred trees covered with flowers of all seasons. The fragrant wind blew over it, mixing the wonderful, blissful aromas of various trees. He saw the magical forest Nandana inhabited by apsaras, whose trees seemed to greet him with their wonderful blossoms. This world of the doers of holy deeds is not given to see for those who are not hardened in asceticism, who neglected the cultivation of the sacred fire, and those who turned back on the battlefield! Those who did not make sacrifices, did not fulfill vows, those who are deprived (of knowledge) of Vedas and Shrutis, who did not wash their bodies in tirthas, did not differ in gifts and sacrifices, those low people who interfere with sacrificial rites, drunkards, desecrators of the preceptor's bed and those villains who eat meat, will never see it!

Having surveyed that enchanted forest, filled with wondrous singing, the mighty-armed (Arjuna) entered Shakra’s beloved capital. There he saw the thought-driven, flying chariots of gods; thousands of them were stationed and hundreds of thousands were riding in all directions. <…> 

Showered with blessings, accompanied by divine music, the mighty-armed Partha entered, amid the sounds of conch shells and drums, the broad path of constellations, which is also called the "Path of Gods"; and as he walked, everywhere, by Indra’s command, praises were rendered to him. There were also Sadhyas, and Vishvas, Marutas and both Ashvinas, Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, the spotless, holy brahmic sages <…>.

Approaching them all, as is customary, <…> Partha saw with his own eyes Indra of the gods, his father, Pakashasana. He had a beautiful white umbrella on a golden pole, and was blowed with a fan that exuded a magical fragrance. The foremost among the twice-born glorified him with verses from the Rig-, Yajur- and Samaveda, and Gandharvas, headed by Vishvavasu, – with songs of praise."

Book 18: The Book of Attaining Heaven (Svarga-arohana-parva)

Chapter 1

3–12. “Having found himself in the third heaven, the King of Dharma Yudhishthira saw Duryodhana seated on a couch, overshadowed by Shri. He shone like Aditya, in a halo of heroic glory, together with the resplendent gods and sadhyas, whose deeds are auspicious. <…> He [Yudhishthira] said loudly to those (celestials): “I do not wish (to reside) in the worlds together with the greedy and feeble-minded Duryodhana, because of whom the whole earth (was devastated), our relatives and friends fell in battle at the hands of ours <…> “Do not (say) so!” – said Narada, as if smiling. – “Residence in heaven, O Indra of kings, extinguishes enmity. <…> 13–18. King Duryodhana is revered on a par with the Thirty (gods) and the best righteous kings who reside in heaven. Having sacrificed his body to the fire of battle, he with whom all you godlike ones fought in battle entered the path (leading) to the world of heroes. (By fulfilling) the dharma of a Kshatriya, the lord of the earth, who was fearless in great danger, obtained this place."

Author: Omkaranath

The following materials were used in writing the article:
1. Jan Gonda. Loka: World and Heaven in the Veda;
2. Mahabharata (academic translation by Ya.V. Vasilkov, S.L. Neveleva).