---
type: Concept
title: "Loka"
description: "A plane of consciousness — not a physical location, not a planet, not a dimension."
tags:
  - cosmology
  - consciousness
  - Vedanta
  - non-translatable
darshana:
  - Purāṇic
not:
  - term: "Planet"
    why: "Implies a physical body in space reachable by spacecraft; a Loka is a plane of consciousness accessed by awareness."
    instead: "Keep Loka untranslated; gloss as a plane of consciousness."
  - term: "World"
    why: "A geographic or physical place; Lokas are states of consciousness mapped in the fourteen-loka model."
  - term: "Dimension"
    why: "A spatial or physics term; Lokas are reached by karma and spiritual development, not spatial coordinates."
  - term: "Realm (fantasy)"
    why: "A fictional-world image; Lokas are a precise map of consciousness states with Bhūloka as the hub."
related:
  - /concepts/chakra.md
  - /concepts/karma.md
  - /concepts/samsara.md
  - /concepts/jiva.md
timestamp: "2026-06-18"
okf_version: "0.2"
---

# Loka

**Not:** Planet, World, Dimension, Realm (fantasy)

## What It Actually Means

A Loka is a plane of consciousness — not a physical location in space. The Loka system is a map of consciousness states, not an astronomical chart. *Bhūloka* (the human earth plane) is the central hub.

The 14-Loka hourglass model: ascending from Bhūloka are *Bhuvarloka, Svargaloka, Maharloka, Janoloka, Tapoloka,* and *Satyaloka* (the highest — realm of truth/[Brahman](/concepts/brahman.md)). Descending are *Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Tālatala, Mahātala, Rasātala,* and *Pātāla* (the deepest).

A [Jīva](/concepts/jiva.md) can access different Lokas based on [Karma](/concepts/karma.md), spiritual development, and state of awareness. Elevation is upward (toward Brahman); degradation is downward (toward greater material entanglement). "It is not absolutely essential for a person to cast aside his physical body in order to gain access to Svarga" — one can experience higher Lokas by elevating consciousness to that level while living.

## Why "Planet" or "World" Fails

These terms imply physical geographic locations you could travel to in a spaceship. Lokas are accessible through consciousness, not through space. A yogi in [Samādhi](/concepts/samadhi.md) may access Satyaloka while their body sits in Bhūloka. No spacecraft can reach Svargaloka.

## Audience Metaphor

Lokas are like different channels on a radio — they all broadcast simultaneously, but you only hear the one you're tuned to. [Yoga](/concepts/yoga.md) and spiritual practice are tuning the dial. Your body stays in Bhūloka (the default channel); your consciousness can tune to higher or lower frequencies.

## Citations

1. Viṣṇu Purāṇa (14-Loka cosmology)
2. Bhāgavata Purāṇa
3. Rajiv Malhotra, *Sanskrit Non-Translatables* (2020)
