History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c71.s1.657

v5.c71.s1.657

We come across Vedic passages such as these 'This sacrificer who is possessed of the utensils of *yajña* directly reaches Heaven' (Śat. Br. XII 5 2 8)⁴⁰¹, 'one who desires Heaven should offer the Darśapūrṇamāsa sacrifice', 'one desirous of attaining heaven should perform the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice'. What is meant by *svarga* or *naraka* has given rise to hot discussions from very ancient times The popular view as reflected even in the Vedas, the smṛtis and purāṇas was that svarga was a place above the earth and *naraka* was a place of actual torments below the earth Even ancient astronomical works located *svarga* thousands of *yojanas* above the earth. Parāśara,⁴⁰² an astronomer and a predecessor of Varāha-mihira quoted by Utpala on Bṛ. Saṁ I. 11, stated 'Bhū (the earth) is 67080 crores of *yojanas* and it is the expanse of the earth; beyond it there is impenetrable darkness, in the midst of which there is the golden