Vaikuntha

Vaikuntha (Sanskrit: वैकुण्ठ, romanized: Vaikuṇṭha, lit. 'without anxiety'),^[1] also called Vishnuloka (Viṣṇuloka), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil,^[2] is the abode of Vishnu,^[3] the supreme deity in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,^[4]^[5]^: 17 and his consort, Lakshmi, the supreme goddess of the sect.

According to Ramanuja, Vaikuntha is the Parama Padam or Nitya Vibhuti, an "eternal heavenly realm", and is the "divine imperishable world that is God's abode". In Vaishnava literature, Vaikuntha is described as the highest realm above the fourteen lokas (worlds), and the place where the devotees of Vishnu go upon achieving liberation.^[5]^: 115 It is guarded by the twin deities, Jaya and Vijaya, the dvarapalakas, or gatekeepers of Vaikuntha.^[6] The army of Vishnu, stationed at Vaikuntha, is led by Vishvaksena.^[7] The planets of Vaikuntha are described as being full of golden palaces and hanging gardens that grow fragrant fruits and flowers.

The planets of Vaikuntha begin 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka.^[8] This does not refer to physical distance. In most of the extant Puranas and Vaishnava traditions, Vaikuntha is located in the direction of the Makara rashi, which corresponds with the constellation of Capricorn. One version of the cosmology states that Vishnu's eye is present at the south celestial pole, from where he watches the cosmos.^[9]

^ Prabhupada, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1974-12-31). Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto: The Creation of the Fourth Order. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. p. 1941. ISBN 978-91-7149-637-9.
^ Makarand Joshi. The Tamil Veda Pillan Interpretation Of Tiruvaymoli J Carman And V Narayanan 1989 OCR. p. 125.
^ Maehle, Gregor (2012). Ashtanga Yoga The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy, and Practice. New World Library. p. 207. ISBN 9781577319870. Vaikuntha (Vishnu's celestial home)
^ Orlando O. Espín; James B. Nickoloff (2007). An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Liturgical Press. p. 539. ISBN 978-0-8146-5856-7.
^ ^a ^b Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism (1996).
^ Ramesh M. Dave, K. K. A. Venkatachari, Śyā. Go Mudgala, Bochasanvasi Shri Aksharpurushottama Sanstha. The bhakta-bhagawan relationship: paramabhakta parmeshwara sambandha : a collection of essays presented in the "Bhakta-Bhagawan Relationship Conference" organised as part of the Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami bicenten[n]ial celebrations, Amdavad, 1985. p. 158.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Veṅkaṭanātha (1965). Yatiraja Saptati of Vedanta Desika. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. p. 74.
^ Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.23.9, The Vaikuntha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka.
^ White, David Gordon (2010-07-15). Sinister Yogis. p. 273 with footnote 47. ISBN 978-0-226-89515-4.

[1] Prabhupada, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami (1974-12-31). Srimad-Bhagavatam, Fourth Canto: The Creation of the Fourth Order. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. p. 1941. ISBN 978-91-7149-637-9.

[2] Makarand Joshi. The Tamil Veda Pillan Interpretation Of Tiruvaymoli J Carman And V Narayanan 1989 OCR. p. 125.

[3] Maehle, Gregor (2012). Ashtanga Yoga The Intermediate Series: Mythology, Anatomy, and Practice. New World Library. p. 207. ISBN 9781577319870. Vaikuntha (Vishnu's celestial home)

[4] Orlando O. Espín; James B. Nickoloff (2007). An Introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious Studies. Liturgical Press. p. 539. ISBN 978-0-8146-5856-7.

[Flood_1996,_p._17-5] Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism (1996).

[nityavibhuti-6] Ramesh M. Dave, K. K. A. Venkatachari, Śyā. Go Mudgala, Bochasanvasi Shri Aksharpurushottama Sanstha. The bhakta-bhagawan relationship: paramabhakta parmeshwara sambandha : a collection of essays presented in the "Bhakta-Bhagawan Relationship Conference" organised as part of the Aksharbrahman Gunatitanand Swami bicenten[n]ial celebrations, Amdavad, 1985. p. 158.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[7] Veṅkaṭanātha (1965). Yatiraja Saptati of Vedanta Desika. Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. p. 74.

[8] Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.23.9, The Vaikuntha planets begin 26,200,000 yojanas (209,600,000 miles) above Satyaloka.

[9] White, David Gordon (2010-07-15). Sinister Yogis. p. 273 with footnote 47. ISBN 978-0-226-89515-4.

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