We all have read that if we do bad we will go to Hell (Narak Lok) and bear all punishments for our misdeeds/adharma and lot of description about Hell and punishments are present. But I want to know what all description is available in our scriptures about Heaven. What does a person do there and how does it look like. I am a little confused about if it is same Swarga where Indra, etc gods live. Also, not sure how does remaining in Swarga can please everybody, eg, a saint usually likes staying alone and doing penance, and other holy activities and does not like Raajsik affairs, will he still feel good in heaven.
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1@TheLittleNaruto that is a different question which was asked by me only. There I was asking 'Where' are Heaven and Hell and here I am 'What' is there in heaven and how does it look like and how come it is pleasing for everyone.– AbyMar 20, 2019 at 15:17
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Heaven, at least Swarga, is a place of vast sense sense gratification; enjoyment with women with no rules (Apsaras), eating lots of food and meat, drinking alcohol, perfect body, music and dance (Gandharvas), no pain, heat, cold, sickness, old age, disease, or suffering. But the sense pleasures aren't there in lokas above Swarga.– IkshvakuMar 20, 2019 at 21:23
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Related: What are the vedic references for swarga?– Say No To CensorshipMar 20, 2019 at 21:35
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1 Answer
Heaven has various definitions to different people.According to the sanskritdictionary.com 'svarga' means Indra's paradise. To different devotees Hevaen can imply Goloka, Vaikuntha, Kailasa, Deviloka etc etc.
Attaining heaven is not the final pursuit in Hinduism as heaven itself is ephemeral and related to physical body. Only being tied by the bhoot-tatvas, heaven cannot be perfect either and is just another name for pleasurable and mundane material life. According to Hindu cosmology, above the earthly plane, are other planes: (1) Bhuva Loka, (2) Swarga Loka, meaning Good Kingdom, is the general name for heaven in Hinduism, a heavenly paradise of pleasure.(source:Wikipedia).
The 'Brahma-loka' is described in detail in the Kausitaki-Upanishad.It is depicted
a very very beautiful place by the side of tge 'VijarA' river. Just a glance at Vijara make everyone youthful. The place contains many Ila (Ashvattha) trees and many palaces which are abode of heavenly bodies. The huge palace of Hiranyagarva is named 'Aparajita'. Many suns shine in the sky. The two guards of Aparajita are Indra and PrajApati. The sabhA is named 'Vichakshana'.(Omkarnath Rachanavali, Mahamilan Math, vol,7, page 362-4)
The description of Vaikuntha is found in the 15th chapter of the third canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is also
a very very beautiful place decorated by tress,gardens,ponds,rivers, palaces,gems and charming flowers and pretty men and women.But the beauty and the glory of Sri Hari is such that none feel attracted to these beauties and gaze at Sri Hari alone.(Ibid, page 364-7)
The Uttara-khanda of the Padma-Purana also portrays the Vaikuntha in an identical way.
In the Vaishnava traditions the highest heaven is Vaikuntha, which exists above the six heavenly lokas and outside of the mahat-tattva or mundane world. It's where eternally liberated souls who have attained moksha reside in eternal sublime beauty with Lakshmi and Narayana (a manifestation of Vishnu).
In the Nasadiya Sukta, the heavens/sky Vyoman is mentioned as a place from which an overseeing entity surveys what has been created. However, the Nasadiya Sukta questions the omniscience of this overseer.(Source:Wikipedia).
Sankaracharya gives a beautiful definition of Heaven and Hell in His Maniratnamala :https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_misc_shankara/maniratnamala.html?lang=iast
baddho hi ko yo viṣayānurāgī ko vā vimukto viṣaye viraktaḥ । ko vā'sti ghoro narakaḥ svadeha- stṛṣṇākṣayaḥ svarga padaṃ kimasti ॥
Meaning : One who is attached to material things is bound, and who has perfect dispasssion is liberated.One's own body is the most dangerous Hell and the Highest Heaven is attained when one becomes free from all desires.
Sri Sri Trailanga Swami also endorses this and further adds that
As soon as the desires are removed, this very earth becomes Heaven. (Reference : Tattvapodesha of Sri Trailanga Swami by Umacharan Mukhopadhyay).
This makes clear what the saints imply by Heaven.