From Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.15.16–23) “In those Vaikuntha planets there are many forests which are very auspicious. In those forests the trees are wish-fulfilling trees, and in all seasons they are filled with flowers and fruits because everything in the Vaikuntha planets is spiritual and personal. “In the Vaikuntha planets the inhabitants fly in their airplanes, accompanied by their wives and consorts, and eternally sing of the character and activities of the Lord, which are always devoid of all inauspicious qualities. While singing the glories of the Lord, they deride even the presence of the blossoming madhavi flowers, which are fragrant and laden with honey. “When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary lull in the noise of the pigeon, the cuckoo, the crane, the cakravaka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge, and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord. “Although flowering plants like the mandara, kunda, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, arna, punnaga, nagakeshara, bakula, lily, and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the austerities performed by Tulasi, for Tulasi is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with Tulasi leaves. “The inhabitants of Vaikuntha travel in their airplanes made of lapis lazuli, emerald, and gold. Although crowded by their consorts, who have large hips and beautiful smiling faces, the male inhabitants cannot be stimulated to passion by their mirth and beautiful charms. “The ladies in the Vaikuntha planets are as beautiful as the goddess of fortune herself. Such transcendentally beautiful ladies, their hands playing with lotuses and their leg bangles tinkling, are sometimes seen sweeping the marble walls, which are bedecked at intervals with golden borders, in order to receive the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. “The goddesses of fortune worship the Lord in their own gardens by offering Tulasi leaves on the coral-paved banks of transcendental reservoirs of water. While offering worship to the Lord, they can see on the water the reflection of their beautiful faces with raised noses, and it appears that they have become more beautiful because of the Lord’s kissing their faces. “It is very much regrettable that unfortunate people do not discuss the description of the Vaikuntha planets.”
The mace represents the cosmic intellect or knowledge. It is called Kaumodaki, meaning that which captivates the mind. It is also associated with time, which destroys all, and is thus also related to Kali, the power of time. When pictured as a deity, it is viewed as a female with two hands, positioned in respect. The lotus being twirled in His hand shows the revolving or changing nature of the universe. It also indicates the real purpose of human existence, which the Lord invites all to follow. The Vaijayanti garland (garland of victory) with five rows of flowers that the Lord wears indicates the five senses and the Lord’s illusory power which affect the senses.6 Its fragrance represents the subtle elements found within the material manifestation. All this reflects the Lord’s mastery of the whole universe, which is created out of the mixing or revolving of the five elements and the universal mind and intellect. The Srivatsa or lock of hair on the Lord’s chest, which indicates the Goddess of Fortune, represents the products of the material creation, or the objects of enjoyment for which all living beings seek. And the gem, called Kaustubha (Treasure of the Ocean) represents the one who enjoys these products. Thus, this world of the enjoyer and the enjoyed is but a piece of decoration for the Lord, a spark of His energy.
It is said that if you see vishnu once, you would lose interest in all material things. Very good description of vaikunta
Let me ask you another question, what is looking? Is just 'seeing' looking? Or does perceiving also come under "looking"? I know by your definition, seeing does come under "looking" and perception of what one sees is "looking", but how would one know if what he saw is authentically "real" or not? Lets say you have woken up today and have had some tea, but you are not having tea now, then how can you authentically say that your tea had certainly been drunk by you and that whatever activities you were involved in this morning actually happened and that they are not simply a perception of your mind?. It is important to question what we take for granted as being "real" or "unreal". Are we conditioned to do it? or do we do it because we intrinsically know the difference between the real and the unreal? How can you answer this for sure? even if we answer this question, we are simply basing it on assumptions. Assumptions that cannot be proven to be true or untrue. Then why do we even care to ask the authenticity of the existence of a realm when the authenticity of the realm in which we now live is based in assumptions?
Well Jedi, as usual there's the old game of definitions, by which I mean linguistic definitions, coming into play here if I'm not mistaken. It's an interesting one - what you say about 'looking' - It reminds me of something in the books of Carlos Casteneda, where a distinction is made between 'seeing' according to our usual understanding of the word, and 'seeing' as a kind of total experience of something experienced with the whole being at every level. This seems similar to some ideas I've come across in my studies of yoga philosophy. I would say that it isn't only the mind that remembers me having my tea and bran flakes! It seems that the brain itself has a role - unless of course we say that the brain is only a figment of the mental illusion... The idea of 'the realm in which we now live' is an interesting one. I think that really, we all do inhabit our own subjective universe, but it is closely connected to other subjective universes, and I myself feel that we do exist within a continuum of 'reality' - another word which is difficult to define precisely. I say I 'feel' it, because I can't prove it by logic or argument, and these days I am more inclined to trust my deeper feelings - but obviously I realize that it's all my own subjective self and little 'peninsular reality' in which I exist. In effect Jedi, I want to and even have to believe in the reality, or at least the relative 'reality' of the world I percieve on different levels. What really interests me these days is simple - love. It seems that for the expression of love, this universe came into being, and without our sense of being a person separate from other people, and indeed, beings of other planes, how can there be love?
Hari - You asked who is Vishnu? Where does He live? Meher Baba, in God Speaks, explains that while God is One and Undivided, when He issues forth the creation through the Om Point He can be said to be the Creator (Brahma); while sustaining the creation He is said to be the Preserver (Vishnu); and when He dissolves the universe He is said to be the destroyer (Shiva or Mahesh). All three taken together are called Ishwar. All three of these aspects are simultaneously and endlessly occuring as countless forms are created, preserved and dissolved. Ishwar (God) and His triune aspects of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, are formless and exist in the spiritual world, which is not a place but rather a divine state. Vishnu is considered by many to be most special of the three Divine aspects because although the creation that Vishnu (God in His aspect as Vishnu) preserves is transitory and illusory, its temporary forms/bodies are essential for the individual atmas to gain the necessary experience in the world to progress toward God Realization.
True. You have to use a certain amount of symbolism for people to form a mental image. Only thru direct experience will it ever go away totally. x
