Vaikunta

Vaikuntha (), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, Gavin Flood,
An Introduction to Hinduism
' (1996). 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 begins 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka. This does not refer to the 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 Capricorn constellation. One version of the cosmology states that Vishnu's eye is present at the south celestial pole, from where he watches the cosmos.

Literature

Vedas

The Vedas do not mention Vaikuntha, but a verse in the ''Rigveda'' mentions Vishnu's feet as a potential abode:

Bhagavata Purana

Vaikuntha and its characteristics are described in the Bhagavata Purana, a revered text in Vaishnavism, which was composed between the eighth and the tenth century CE, and maybe as early as the 6th century CE.

American Indologist Edwin Bryant, in his book from 2003, comments about the verses describing Vaikuntha in the text of Bhagavata Purana:

Translation of some verses in Canto 2, by Bibek Debroy:

It is also said that Vaikuntha is the liberated world or the world after moksha.

Narayana Upanishad

The Narayana Upanishad mentions the abode:

Brihad Bhagavatamrita

The Brihad Bhagavatamrita paints a picture of Vishnu's activities at Vaikuntha:

Tiruvaymoli

In the work of Nammalvar, Vaikuntha is referred to as ''Tirunatu'' (sacred land) in the Tamil literary tradition. In Sri Vaishnava tradition, this abode is listed as the one hundred and eighth, and the last of the Divya Desams, the divine realms of Vishnu on earth and beyond. The verses of the Tiruvaymoli describe this abode as the following:

See also

* Kailasha
*Satyaloka
*Kshira Sagara
*Lakshmi Narayana
* Goloka Vrindavana
* Vaikuntha Chaturdashi

References

Bibliography

*Dallapiccola, Anna. ''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend''. .
*Gail, Adalbert J. 1983. "On the Symbolism of Three- and Four-Faced Vishnu Images: A Reconsideration of Evidence." '' Artibus Asiae'' 44(4):297–307. pp. 298–99.

{{heaven

Vaishnavism
Places in Hindu mythology
Conceptions of heaven
Divya Desams