14loka

14loka, also written as the fourteen lokas, is a traditional Hindu cosmological model that enumerates fourteen distinct realms or planes arranged along a vertical axis. The term loka means world or realm, and the system divides existence into seven upper, more spiritually refined realms and seven lower, subterranean realms.

The seven upper lokas are Bhurloka (the earthly world), Bhuvarloka, Svargaloka (often called Swarga or heaven), Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka. These realms are described in various Puranic and other Hindu texts as progressively subtler and closer to the divine, serving as stages in cosmological and spiritual progression.

The seven lower lokas are Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, and Patala. They are typically portrayed as subterranean realms inhabited by a range of beings, including demi-gods, demons, or serpent beings, depending on the tradition. These realms function in part as moral and karmic counterpoints to the upper lokas, illustrating consequences and lessons tied to conduct and karma.

The fourteen-loka framework appears in several Hindu scriptures, including the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana, and is used to convey cosmic geography, the distribution of powers and beings, and the soul’s possible journeys within Hindu cosmology. Some traditions acknowledge alternative counts or hierarchies, but the fourteen-loka model remains a common reference point in classical Hindu thought. Overall, the lokas serve as symbolic and theological tools for understanding existence, morality, and divine proximity.