Etymology of the word paradise from the Sanskrit:
परम parama = excellent or supreme
देश deśa = place or region
Parama-deśa is cognate with the English word Paradise also, Sanskrit परु paru = paradise Wikipedia gives every other linguistic source other than Sanskrit! Other scholars had made these linguistic connections very clear.
Transcendental Realms
There are many versions of Paradise. In the Eternal Transcendental Kingdom of God there are two major divisions, the realms where the liberated souls live in a pastoral or tropical paradise playing with God as a friend, the Lord of Sweetness, and the realms where He is worshipped in reverence as the ’Majestic God’, Lord of the Universe. These are likened to descriptions of either the Heavenly City, or the Heavenly Garden in different religions.
By the soul’s own nature, one is drawn towards one’s most cherished relationship with God. Therefore, the Vedic Eternal Paradise includes six divisions: Goloka Vrindavana, Navadvipa, Mathura, Dvaraka, Ayodhya and Vaikuntha, and Siva’s eternal Kailash as the boundary to the Spiritual Kingdom. The highest “rasa” or bliss is said to be found in Goloka, the ultimate Land of Milk and Honey.
Material Paradises
They are of three divisions:
- The Svarga Heavens of Ruling Gods and Sages. These are described in Chinese description of Jade Emperor King of Heaven, Odin and Thor, Lords of Asgard, Hera and Zeus - the ruling God and Goddess of Mt Olympus, Jupiter and Juno, the Roman version of Narayana and Lakshmi or Zeus and Hera, and more accurately described as Indra (King of Heaven, Lord of Thunder) and consort Indrani, plus the pantheon of ’Hindu’ gods who are the Lords of the Elements, Planets and Directions.
- The Earthly Paradises (Bauma-Svarga) found on Mt Meru and surrounding Earthly heavens of the Sapta-Dvipas and eight heavenly varshas of Jambudvipa.These have also been mixed into the degraded understandings of the Greek and Roman Gods, who have taken on much more human/passionate deviation in their legends. However, in the original Sanskrit descriptions, these heavenly Earth regions continually exist for souls returning from higher material heavens, and who live magical lives free of anxiety old age and disease. The Earth of humans also enters a phase of Paradise every 4.32 million years.
- The third category of Paradise are the underworld heavens (Bila-Svarga), which exist within the Earth, but far above the netherworld Hells. These paradises are filled with material enjoyments in the modes of passion - wealth, sex, drugs, music, and festivals in wonderful palaces and pleasure-gardens. Demons (atheists) dwell here, including shape-shifters, Reptilian Nagas, Danavas (like magical Dwarfs, Leprechauns, Trolls etc) and varieties of pleasure-hungry Nymphs and Fairies. They are advanced in technology and can abduct humans in their vimanas (UFOs), or lure unsuspecting souls at entrances to the underworld heavens. There is no ’night’ or ’sunlight’ there, continuous light comes from jewels and advanced-technology.
In all three temporary heavens or paradises, the souls return to Earth as humans after their karmas have been used up when they die. This distinguishes the temporary material paradises from the eternal spiritual paradises.
By analysing the description of “Heaven” or “Paradise” promised in the different religions and cults, we can see what realm they are to the extensive gradations found in the Vedic literature.