Are Realms like Vaikuntha and Sutala Cosmic Worlds or Inner States?

Question

I had a question — I’ve heard that these realms like Atala, Vitala, Sutala, and so on are actually at a cosmic level. But we usually think of them in terms of our Earth. Aren’t these meant to be about the universe — cosmic layers rather than earthly ones?

Answer

No, you should understand it like this: in this universe, there are no such physical realms. When scriptures mention Atala, Vitala, Sutala, or even Vaikuntha, they aren’t referring to any literal, material places somewhere in space.

Think about it — if such realms really existed in this universe, science would have found them by now. We have satellites, telescopes, space exploration—but nowhere has anyone discovered a “Vaikuntha-loka.”

Vaikuntha doesn’t mean an external heavenly world. The word itself comes from “vi-kuṇṭha,” meaning a state free from limitation, agitation, or frustration.

So Vaikuntha-loka refers to an inner state of consciousness — when we rise above restlessness and enter the divine awareness within. When we become completely devoted to the Divine (Bhagavat-parāyaṇa), a state arises inside us that is free from all obstruction. That inner, peaceful condition is what the scriptures call Vaikuntha-loka.

It’s not a place outside in space; it’s a spiritual condition within. So stop imagining that these names refer to some external, physical locations. They’re inner experiences, not outer geography.