The relevance and significance of the Hindu concept of Swarg and Nark
DEFINITION
Multiple religions across the world have a concept of heaven and hell. Hinduism being a faith exhibiting these two concepts. Swarg means heaven or paradise and Nark is hell in this religion. Although the core of Hinduism involves reincarnation, life after death or rebirth, many believers put their faith in these two worlds after death. It is known that once a person passes away, their soul travels either towards the depths of hell or heights of heaven before entering into a new living, physical body. Some also say that this directly takes place without a halt of such spiritual worlds.
Swarg is a blissful stage of the afterlife which is believed to be located high up in the sky, where even the divine powers are believed to be situated. It is deemed to be an inviting space which is filled with luxurious items, good, fresh food, peasant weather, fellow goodhearted people
Mt. Meru or Sumera is identified as the mountain with five peaks which is highly regarded as the centre of the spiritual and physical Universe in religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and even Jainism. This is where the Swarg is known to be, at a pure, sacred place.
Nark on the other hand is feared for being a state of torment, distress and constant suffering. This is the destination for sinners in Hinduism. It is located below the Earth, in the nether land with a high temperature and unpleasant living conditions surrounded by sinners of all kinds. It is also known as Patal, underground, or Yamalog after the god of death, Yama.
ORIGIN
According to religious scriptures, there are seven swarg loks or heavenly worlds namely; Satyalok, Bhulok, Bhuvarlok. Janalok, Maharlok, Swarglok and Taparlok where Swarg is of the highest significance. These are believed to be esoteric planes, or various realms, levels of reality. After Kalyug, the great dissolution or pralay and destruction of the worlds that follow damages the first three levels including Swarg, Bhu and Bhuvar. King Indra, Hindu god of sky rules over Swarg.
Likewise, there are seven levels of hell beneath the Earth. The followers of Yama, called as Yamadutas are believed to bring souls to their master after people die. Measuring their good and bad karma, they are sent off to either heaven or hell.
SIGNIFICANCE
The concept of Swarg and Narak goes hand-in-hand with that of Karma and reincarnation. As with most Hindu concepts, this two is laid out along the parallels of good and bad, divine and evil. Followers who have gathered enough good karma throughout the course of their lives are eligible to go to Swarg and enjoy the pleasures it has to offer. Virtuous people are sent to heaven to reward them for their goodness. Similarly, the ones who have sinned or accumulated bad karma through their actions, are sent to hell to repent. They are put through various forms of torture and punishment to make sure they do not repeat their ill deeds.
After one has spent enough time in these two worlds, their merits are reassessed before they take a rebirth on Earth.
METAPHYSICS
The concept of heaven and hell is not exclusive to Hinduism alone. It can be viewed as a system for accountability amongst mortal beings. Every action has a consequence which the person themselves has to bear. It instils a belief that no deed, good or bad, is going to go unrewarded or unpunished. It helps keep a tab on activities by promoting the good ones and panning out the turmoil caused by the bad ones.
There are numerous such concepts in Hinduism which revolve around life, death, supreme forces. Reincarnation, Karma, Samsar are few of the many topics which uniquely cover this.
