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Today, we are discussing the topic of lokas, or cosmic matters. It was challenging to find comprehensive information, but I will share the books that served as my primary sources. These include The Hidden Powers of Humans by Svāmījī, Dance with Śiva from the Himalayan Academy (available online), and relevant sections from the Kurma Mahāpurāṇa, as well as Svāmī Śivananda’s book What Happens to the Soul After Death. The word loka means a place, an area, or the universe. Its root is related to shining, radiance, and that which is clear and visible. Lokas denote the level of an individual’s consciousness—the plane of awareness and the dimension of manifested existence. The cosmos consists of 52 lokas or cosmic planes, much like learning the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, with 14 being fundamental. Our ātman originates from the highest loka, Satyaloka. As we move among the lokas, we do not travel through physical space but journey within our own consciousness. The change lies in what the consciousness is focused upon. For instance, in the waking state, we are at the level of Bhūrloka (the earth). In the dream state, we are at the level of the astral worlds. In deep sleep or deep meditation, we ascend to the highest worlds. Similarly, these states exist within our own minds. When we have beautiful thoughts—for example, while at satsaṅga—we feel good, as if we were in heaven, in those higher lokas. Conversely, with negative thoughts, feelings, or bad company (kusaṅga), we descend to the lower lokas. The lokas differ from one another in the quality of being, the prevailing conditions, the duration of life, and the degree of suffering or bliss experienced. In the highest lokas, existence is of the finest quality, lifespans are the longest, suffering is minimal, and bliss is supreme. The soul migrates between lokas based on its desires and actions—its karma. In Indian cosmology, lokas are often depicted as flat discs. When we view a galaxy from the side, it too appears as a flat disc. The distances between lokas are measured in trillions of light-years. These worlds arose from the cosmic egg, with the highest loka, Satyaloka, forming its shell. Collectively, the lokas constitute the universe. The Vedas teach, as Svāmījī often reiterates, that what is known as the universe is also our body, and what we know as our body is the universe. The entire cosmos resides within us, located in the cakras. Cakras are energy centers that draw in and channel cosmic energy. On the physical level, they correspond to glands and nerve plexuses. There are 14 primary lokas: seven lower and seven higher. Our Earth lies exactly in the middle—it is the lowest of the higher lokas. Above it are the heavenly realms; below it are the subterranean worlds. The cosmos is broadly divided into three realms (triloka): the gross material world (earth), the astral world (antarloka), and the celestial world (Śivaloka or Brahmaloka). Each loka is a microcosm of the one above it—a smaller, less purified reflection. Bhūrloka is where we reside. Bhu comes from the root meaning "to be"—it is the place of existence and also means "earth." It is the material plane, the gross world perceived through the five senses. Earth is also called Mṛtyuloka, the realm of death, for the law here is that whoever comes must leave. Bhūrloka corresponds to the Mūlādhāra cakra and the element of earth. In the earthly body, we have five kośas (sheaths) covering the ātman: 1. Annamaya Kośa – the food body, the physical sheath. 2. Prāṇamaya Kośa – the energy body. 3. Manomaya Kośa – the body of mind. 4. Vijñānamaya Kośa – the body of intellect. 5. Ānandamaya Kośa – the body of bliss (also called the causal body, where karmic records are stored and carried from life to life). Bhūrloka corresponds to the Annamaya Kośa, the physical body. It is the sphere of the senses—five senses of perception and five of action. Earth is the plane where we perform karma and work out our karmic destiny. All sacred scriptures emphasize the preciousness and importance of human life, for here we possess the equipment for spiritual realization. The Purāṇas state that the boundary of Bhūrloka extends to where the rays of the moon and sun meet. Bhuvarloka is the next higher sphere—the astral realm, the sphere of the atmosphere. It corresponds to the Svādhiṣṭhāna cakra and the Prāṇamaya Kośa. When the soul departs to Bhuvarloka, it leaves the physical body on Earth and retains only the four subtle bodies. It is the realm of dreams, fantasy, and a transition between the earthly and heavenly planes. Here, desires and cravings are prominent. It is the space between the Earth and the Sun. Within Bhuvarloka exist sub-realms: Pretaloka: The realm of souls who have departed physical existence but remain bound to Earth due to attachment. These are often souls overly attached to sensory pleasures or rigid in their worldly orders. Without a physical body, they cannot satisfy their lingering mental desires and thus suffer. The ritual offering of śrāddha is performed to assist these souls. The mantras chanted have strong vibrations aimed at helping the soul release attachments. While we may not perform these rituals, we can send light to guide such souls upward. To avoid falling into Pretaloka, one must work now to control the senses, cultivate wisdom, live with discipline, and renounce insatiability. Pitṛloka (also Candraloka): The realm of ancestors, governed by the moon. Souls who performed beneficial, selfless actions—like creating public gardens or digging wells—come here. They have subtle, radiant bodies but are still bound by karma and desires, lacking God-realization. They reside here for a long time (thousands of years) until their merit is exhausted, after which they return to the cycle of birth. Personal experiences with departed loved ones often reflect these states. For instance, grandparents who lived helpful, honest lives seemed to pass on happily, while a father who was spiritually inclined but mentally ill and not living accordingly seemed confused after death. This underscores that how one lives—practicing honesty and righteousness—is paramount, regardless of professed beliefs. Other experiences include momentarily entering a state of bliss coinciding with someone's death, suggesting a shared transcendent awareness. Walking the spiritual path also greatly assists our relatives and friends on their journeys. Even the peaceful passing of a family pet, who understood and waited for a final farewell, illustrates the consciousness present in all beings. Traditionally, a dying person, if pure, may have visions of the light and beings from the world they are entering. The presence of loving, spiritually attuned people can support this transition. Bhuvarloka is a vast realm encompassing the sun, moon, planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn), and stars. Here lies the constellation of the Great Bear (Saptarṣi or the Seven Sages). Above it is the Pole Star, considered the center of the sky. Svargaloka lies above this region. It is analogous to the Christian heaven—a place of enjoyment. However, the stay here is temporary; once the soul's store of merit is exhausted, it returns to the cycle of birth. It is also called Devaloka (world of deities) or Indraloka. It is the space between the sun and the Pole Star. In our body, it corresponds to the Maṇipūra cakra and the Manomaya Kośa. Souls here no longer have physical or prāṇic bodies, only the mental and higher sheaths. At this mental level, one possesses a "mental eye" that can see, hear, feel, and know everything. Whatever the soul desires, it can attain through a subtle wish. Everything here is composed of subtle particles of fire, and the devatās (deities or angels) are depicted as radiant beings. Devatās reside here for a certain period. According to the Upaniṣads, true immortality can be attained only on Earth through self-realization. Svargaloka is the abode of sages, bhaktas, and karmayogīs, as well as celestial dancers (apsarās) and singers (gandharvas). Indra, the ruler here, is a title representing mastery over the senses. This title lasts for one Manvantara (a period of over 300 million years). A story illustrates the impermanence of even Indra's position: After a victory, Indra kept demanding expansions to his celestial palace from the architect Viśvakarmā. Lord Viṣṇu, disguised as a boy, pointed out a line of ants—all former Indras who had fallen due to karma—and Lord Śiva, as an ascetic, showed him a tuft of hair, each strand representing a past Brahmā. Realizing the transience of all things, Indra's ego diminished. Souls who follow dharma, live positively, control their senses, hold no resentment, and perform beneficial actions come to Svargaloka. There is no illness, old age, or suffering here—only compassion, joy, and purification. The soul enjoys the fruits of past good karma but creates no new karma here. Therefore, yogis do not aspire for Svargaloka; they seek Ātmajñāna (Self-knowledge) and liberation. The three realms—Bhūrloka (Earth), Bhuvarloka (Astral), and Svargaloka (Heaven)—are subject to dissolution (pralaya) at the end of a cosmic cycle (kalpa), which occurs at the end of Brahmā's day (4.32 billion years). During this dissolution, inhabitants of Svargaloka can ascend to higher lokas, as the dissolution only reaches up to the constellation of the Great Bear. Beyond the Pole Star, the higher, indestructible worlds unfold. Maharloka (Maha means great) is the next higher plane. It corresponds to the Anāhata cakra and the Vijñānamaya Kośa. It is the highest level of the astral world. Inhabitants are not entirely free from rebirth but are not born in the current cycle of creation. They live for the entire day of Brahmā (4.32 billion years) in a state largely without desires and thoughts—a sphere of sages. Jñānaloka (Jñāna means knowledge) is the sphere of creativity and liberated souls. It corresponds to the Viśuddhi cakra and the Ānandamaya Kośa. The soul here experiences the highest levels of bliss, though the causal body with karmic records remains, preserving a sense of individuality. It is the loka of divine wisdom and the plane beyond bodily death. Advanced beings with mastery over the five elements and the ten senses reside here for immense periods (e.g., 51 billion years). Taparloka (Tapas means creative fervor or spiritual energy gained through austerity) is the sphere of asceticism. It corresponds to the Ājñā cakra and is the abode of the Guru Tattva. The Ānandamaya Kośa is still present. It is traversed by ascetic yogis and is associated with the seven ṛṣis. Beings here are entirely free from suffering, always in meditation, and possess immense wisdom. Satyaloka (Sat means truth) is the highest loka, also called Brahmaloka. It corresponds to the Sahasrāra cakra. Here, the final sheath, the Ānandamaya Kośa, dissolves. This is the sphere of Ādi Tattva, the divine Self. Satyaloka reaches the shell of the cosmic egg. Souls who attain here do not return to cyclic existence. They are free from desires and limitations, remaining until the final dissolution of the universe, when they merge with the Absolute. For yogis seeking liberation, it is the sole gateway. For devotees of Śiva, Satyaloka becomes Śivaloka; for devotees of Viṣṇu, it becomes Vaikuṇṭha. Thus, we have outlined the seven higher worlds. The distances between them are vast, often measured in yojanas. For example, the distance from Saturn to the stars of the Great Bear is a thousand yojanas; the Pole Star is 100,000 yojanas above the Little Bear; Maharloka is 10 million yojanas above the Pole Star; Janaloka is 20 million above that; and Satyaloka is 120 million yojanas above. The exact measure of a yojana is debated, but these figures illustrate the immense scale of the cosmic planes.