History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c93.210

v7.c93.210

The Atharvaveda IV. 34. 2 and 5-6 say that in heaven there are many women, they get edible plants and flowers of various kinds, there are streams of ghee, honey and wine (*surā*), milk, curds and there are lotus ponds all round. The Śatapatha Br. (XIV. 7. 1. 32-33) states that the joys of heaven are 100 times greater than those on earth. Vide Macdonnell's 'Vedic Mythology' pp 167-168 and A B. Keith's 'Religion and philosophy of the Veda' etc. pp. 403-406 (1924). Even the Upanisads refer to the joys of heaven e. g. Chān. VIII. 5 3. speaks of two lakes in the world of Brahmā, aśvattha tree showering down Soma and the city of Brahmā calld Aparājitā; the Kauṣītaki Up. (I. 3 and 4) elaborates this and adds that five hundred Apsarases go out to meet him (who reaches heaven), one hundred with garlands in their hands, one hundred with ointments, one hundred with perfumes, one hundred with garments and one hundred with fruits. Poets like Kālidāsa love to dwell upon the instantaneous arrival of the soul of the warrior whose head was cut off in battle and who was at once joined by an apsaras in heaven (vide Raghuvamśa VII. 51 'Vāmāṅgasamsaktasurāṅganaḥ svam nṛtyat-kabandham samare dadarśa') The Purānas furnish graphic descriptions of the joys of heaven. Vide Brahmapurāṇa 225. 6, Padma II. 95 2-5, Mārkandeya 10. 93-95, which enumerate Nandana garden, aerial cars with bevies of Apsarases, golden beds and seats, absence of sorrows, all pleasure &c. Sabara on P. M. S. VI. 1. 1 refers to two popular views about *svarga*; one is, whatever gives pleasure to a person such as silken garments of fine texture, sandalwood, damsels sixteen years old is designated *svarga*. Another popular view is that *svarga* is a certain place where there is no heat nor cold, no hunger nor thirst, no dissatisfaction, no tiredness, Śabara and Kumārila say that popular¹⁹⁶⁸ ideas about *svarga* are invalid, that the Mahābhārata and Purāṇas, being composed by men, need not be considered and that the Vedic descriptions of *svarga* are mere *arthavādas* for praise.