Ah, yes, because Disney Marvel just came up with the multiverse, as if Sanatana Dharma hasn’t been mapping out fourteen of them for thousands of years. While superheroes punch through timelines and alternate realities, ancient Hinduism quietly explored realms within and beyond human perception long before CGI and box office sales.
Let’s take a quick trip—no cape required—through the layered worlds described in the Vedas and Purāṇas, and see how they stack up against modern-day multiverse hype.
Vedic Beginnings: More Than Just One World
The Ṛg Veda, the oldest known scripture in Hinduism, subtly hints at the idea of multiple realms. It mentions seven higher worlds (saptaloka) and seven lower realms (tālas), painting a cosmology far richer than Earth-bound existence. Here’s a verse worth noting:
“There are seven worlds here, and set up beyond them are seven more, higher worlds of the gods…”
— Ṛg Veda 1.22.20
Read the full hymn.
Even in its poetic subtlety, the Vedas suggest that what we see is just the tip of a cosmic iceberg. Ancient seers weren’t interested in special effects—they were exploring consciousness.
Fourteen Realms: Sanatana Dharma’s Map of the Multiverse
By the time we reach the Purāṇas, this Vedic whisper becomes a full-blown cosmic chart. Sanatana Dharma describes 14 distinct realms:
Upper Lokas
- Satyaloka
- Tapoloka
- Janaloka
- Maharloka
- Svarloka (Svarga)
- Bhuvarloka
- Bhūrloka (Earth)
Lower Tālas
- Atala
- Vitala
- Sutala
- Talātala
- Mahātala
- Rasātala
- Pātāla
Each of these realms is home to different beings—from enlightened sages to celestial gods, demons, and even humans. Want a quick visual of these 14 lokas? Here’s a helpful map.
Stories That Echo Modern Multiverse Theory
Take the famous Samudra Manthana (Churning of the Ocean). It’s not just a myth—it’s a multi-dimensional event happening between realms. Then there’s Krishna’s lila in Goloka Vrindavan, in a story, Krishna teaches Brahma(the creator of the Universe) that he oversees the actions of countless Brahmas! Yeah, get shocked. In Sanatana Dharma, these aren’t metaphors—they’re parallel realities co-existing beyond linear time.
Explore deeper in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, where time, space, and reality are fluid, not fixed.
Science is (Finally) Catching Up
Modern physics is starting to sound oddly familiar to students of Sanatana Dharma.
- Brane Theory in string physics suggests our universe may be just one of many “floating” in a higher dimension… sounds like lokas to you?
- Quantum Multiverse theory proposes infinite realities based on probabilities, echoing the age-old idea of māyā and karma playing out in various timelines.
Curious? Here’s a good start:
Is the Multiverse Real?
Stanford’s take on many-worlds
Conclusion: Sanatana Dharma Was Here First
Sure, Marvel can make a multiverse look cool—but Sanatana Dharma made it meaningful. These aren’t just stories; they’re frameworks that shaped rituals, meditation practices, and philosophical debates for millennia.
If you think the multiverse ends with superheroes, think again. Reality may be stranger and deeper than fiction.
Like these facts? Want more on where Hinduism overlaps with science, spirituality, and pop culture? Hit like, drop a comment, and I’ll keep these cosmic threads coming.