Trailokya

Trailokya, meaning 'three worlds' in Sanskrit, is a fundamental cosmological concept in Hindu dharma representing the entirety of manifest existence. The term appears in the Rigveda (1.154.1) where Vishnu is said to have traversed the three realms. The three worlds are typically enumerated as Svarga (heaven), Bhumi (earth), and Patala (netherworld), though variations exist. Svarga is the celestial realm of the gods and the blessed, often associated with Indra's abode and the region above the atmosphere. Bhumi is the terrestrial world inhabited by humans, animals, and plants.

Patala is the subterranean realm of the Nagas and other beings, sometimes divided into seven lower regions. The Bhagavata Purana (2.5.38-41) describes the Trailokya as the domain of the three gunas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—and states that the Lord in His universal form encompasses all three worlds. In the Mahabharata (Vana Parva 186.12), the three worlds are said to be protected by the Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Iconographically, the Trailokya is represented in temple architecture as three vertical zones: the adhisthana (base) symbolizing earth, the walls representing the atmosphere, and the shikhara (tower) signifying heaven. The cosmic mountain Meru is considered the axis connecting these realms.

Regional traditions, such as in South Indian temple design, emphasize the threefold division in the vimana. The concept underscores the hierarchical and interconnected nature of the cosmos, with each realm having its own inhabitants, laws, and durations. The Trailokya is also central to the idea of divine descent (avatara), as Vishnu descends to restore balance across all three worlds. In Hindu cosmology, time is measured in cycles of creation and dissolution that affect the Trailokya, which is ultimately pervaded by the Supreme Being. The three worlds are not merely physical but also psychological and spiritual states, representing the realms of waking, dream, and deep sleep in some Upanishadic interpretations.

Thus, Trailokya encapsulates the totality of experience and the divine order that sustains it.

Represented in temple architecture as three zones: the base (earth), the walls (atmosphere), and the tower (heaven).