History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.649.1

v5.c71.s1.649.1

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.