History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.649
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.649
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There are very glowing descriptions of Heaven (*svarga*) in the Mahābhārata, the Purāṇas and other works. We have already seen how Heaven was supposed to be a place of delights in the Ṛgveda and even in the Upaniṣads like Kaṭha (I. 12–13 and 18 'śokatīgo modate svargaloke'). Ṛg. X. 107. 2 affirms that those who give (large) *dakṣiṇā* stand high in the Heavens (as stars), those that donate horses go in the company of the Sun and those that donate gold become immortal. An³⁹⁶ echo of this is found in Vanaparva 186. 9. The Kauṣ Up 1 3 speaks of several worlds (*lokas*) of the gods such as those of Agni, Vāyu, Varuṇa, Āditya, Indra, Prajāpati, Brahmā and a similar gradation of higher worlds is described in Bṛ. Up. III. 6 (such as Devaloka, Indraloka, Prajāpatiloka, Brahmaloka) The Bṛ. Up. I. 5. 16 speaks of manuṣyaloka, pitṛloka and devaloka and holds that devaloka is the best of all worlds³⁹⁷ Kauṣ. Up. I. 4 implies that in the heavenly world divine nymphs, garlands, collyrium, fragrant powder, garments wait upon the fortunate denizens. Śaṅkara on Vedānta-sūtra (IV. 3 4) says that the word 'loka' means 'a place for enjoying the fruits of one's actions' (*bhogāyatana*) and that Hiraṇyagarbha is the *adhyakṣa* of *Brahmaloka* (on Vedānta-sūtra IV. 3 10) In the Vanaparva (54. 17–19) it is stated that svarga is the place for those who die in battle How *svarga* is like and what the pleasures of heaven are is described in Vanaparva, chap. 186. 6–7, viz.
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that there are extensive lakes full of golden lotus flowers and fish and devoid of mud, that on the banks of those lakes dwell the meritorious honoured by Apsarases who apply fragrant cosmetics to their bodies, wear ornaments and have brilliant golden complexions. Similar pleasures enjoyed in the Nandana park are promised in Brahmapurāṇa, 225. 5-6. Vanaparva (chap. 261 verses 28-29) says that there is one great draw-back in going to heaven, viz. that there one simply enjoys the rewards of one's good actions, no new merit is accumulated there, one simply subsists on the accumulated principal or store of merit and that when that store is exhausted one has to fall down, the only good point about this being that one is born a man and that too in such a way that he enjoys³⁹⁸ happiness. Anuśāsana (23. 84-102) sets out numerous actions whereby a man attains heaven (each verse having the refrain '*te narāḥ svarga-gāminaḥ*') Similarly, in Brahmapurāṇa 224. 9-14, 18-25 and 30-37 we have the same refrain. Vide also Anuśāsana chapters 144 (verses 5-15, 19-26, 31-39) and 145 Śānti (99. 4-5) states that svarga is full of those fallen in battle, there are Gandharva damsels there for the brave (and there is hell for the coward) and that svarga yields all desires that one may entertain. The Śāntiparva (192. 8 and 21) states that svarga was in the North, that (Śānti 191 13, 193 27) there was neither hunger nor thirst nor weariness nor old age nor sin (in Heaven), that good men (Śānti 271.
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24) are seen as stars (or become stars). In the Matsyapurāna (276 17) it is³⁹⁹ stated that he who performs Brahmāṇḍadāna (one of the 16 *mahādānas*) reaches the world of Viṣṇu and delights in the company of Apsarases. The Brahmapurāna (225. 6-7) assures us that a generous donor goes to heaven where he enjoys the best pleasures in the company of Apsarases and in the heavenly garden called Nandana and when he falls down from heaven he is born as a mortal in a rich and noble family. Vide also Garuḍapurāna II. 3.86-89. It is not necessary to multiply passages. There are two matters to be noted in connection with Heaven and its pleasures. One is the calculating or bargaining spirit which the smṛtis and purāṇas display viz. make this or that gift and then there is so much delight to be enjoyed in heaven, a sort of profit and loss account; and the second is that the highest pleasures of Heaven have a time limit, i. e. they are to come to an end one day and the meritorious have to be born again in mortal bodies. The doctrine was gradually evolved that there is no final release from the cycle of births and deaths by the performance of meritorious deeds alone