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What are the "three worlds" being referred to in this shloka of the Bhagavad Gita?

न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन |

नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि || 3.22||

na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣhu lokeṣhu kiñchana

nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ varta eva cha karmaṇi

"There is no duty for me to do in all the three worlds, O Parth, nor do I have anything to gain or attain. Yet, I am engaged in prescribed duties."

I have searched to find some commentaries on this shloka but there aren't any that I can find that directly address the part of the shloka referring to the "3 worlds".

Are they the Underworld, Earth and Heavens? If so, can this be verified in any way? Is this referred to in another part of the Mahabharata outside of the Gita? This is giving me quite the headache.

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Charlie
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3 Answers3

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The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad V.xiv.1 (Swami Madhavananda translator) says:

'Bhumi' (the earth), 'Antariksa' (sky) and 'Dyaus' (heaven) make eight syllables, and the first foot of the Gayatri has eight syllables. So the above three worlds constitute the first foot of the Gayatri. He who knows the first foot of the Gayatri to be such wins as much as there is in those worlds.

There are other references throughout the Upanishads. Search for Gayatri on this website for more references. The three worlds are sometimes referred to as the three cities also. There was a prior question on the three cities.

Swami Vishwananda
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  • Why is the underworld (Patala) not included? – Charlie Aug 02 '18 at 11:38
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    the idea of underworlds or hell is a later idea developed in the Puranas. It is not present in the Upanishads or Vedas. The Gita is a summary of the Upanishads. – Swami Vishwananda Aug 02 '18 at 14:00
  • Dont you think that Gita also has the concept of hell or naraka? It's explicit in BG 16.16 & implicit in several other verses. Whether hell itself is the underworld or not, could be a matter of interpretation. @Charlie – iammilind Aug 04 '18 at 01:37
  • @SwamiVishwananda, you don't think naraka exists ?? why do we need Yama dharma raja then ? – ram Aug 04 '18 at 07:24
  • @ram It is a despicable existence, but an existence on this earth. You need only to walk on some streets in Kolkata or Mumbai to see... – Swami Vishwananda Aug 05 '18 at 08:20
  • @SwamiVishwananda, earth also has opulence.. but we're talking about worlds not on earth i.e. swarga,naraka. if you say these don't exist in the Vedas, that's incorrect. Indra has several hymns in the vedas, and he is the king of swarglok. if swarg exists, so does narak. – ram Aug 05 '18 at 15:07
  • @ram let each man believe what he can. What is important is realization. Believing in this or that counts for nothing. Realize God, then you can ask Him directly as to what is and what is not. – Swami Vishwananda Aug 06 '18 at 04:46
  • @SwamiVishwananda, realization does not come first. belief comes first. we cannot jump directly to 5th floor of company, have to climb stairs. If we think 'i'll directly jump to 5th floor, THEN i will ask the CEO whether stairs exist or not", then we'll just be waiting forever on ground floor. if we believe heaven and hell exist, then slowly we will do good deeds, avoid bad, and thus reach realization. – ram Aug 06 '18 at 16:30
  • @ram disagree entirely. The whole basis of yoga is that it is dependent upon "doing" not believing. As Swami Vivekananda has pointed out, you don't become a chemist by laying in your bed and saying 'chemistry','chemistry' or saying you believe in chemistry. You become a chemist by going into a lab and trying experiments, etc. Yoga requires no belief. If you do it for some time it will come to you whether you believe in it or not. – Swami Vishwananda Aug 20 '18 at 06:45
  • @SwamiVishwananda, we were discussing the difference between realization and belief. now you changed it to the difference between belief and action. 3 different things. First you need to believe something (it may be true or not). Then act as if it is true. Then, the belief will either be proven true or false - that is realization. You said, 'Let a mean realize God and THEN ask him whether svarga / naraka exists'. That is backwards. In order to realize god, you have to first believe in swarg/narak , then avoid bad deeds and do good deeds, then actually go to swarg/narak & realize they are true – ram Aug 20 '18 at 16:03
  • @SwamiVishwananda, and once you realize swarg/narak & shastras are all true beyond doubt, your impetus to acting according to its rules will become even more strong. finally, we'll get bored of swarg/narak, and do yoga without desire of fruits, just as a person who has taken a loan simply wants to repay it and be done with the business of taking and repaying loans forever, and thus attain salvation. – ram Aug 20 '18 at 16:06
  • @ram again, belief is not necessary, it can help but not necessary. I can tell you that if we are standing in Delhi that if you walk West you will reach Mumbai. You may have never seen a map of India, or pictures of Mumbai, or read about Mumbai, but if you start walking you will reach Mumbai. You need not believe that Mumbai is real or that Mumbai is West or Delhi. Once you reach Mumbai you will have a greater and real knowledge of Mumbai than anyone who has only looked at a map or seen pictures. Likewise, a man who walks to God will reach Him. Don't study or talk about walking, walk. – Swami Vishwananda Aug 21 '18 at 05:16
  • @ram Kaivalya Upanishad verse 2 - And to him, the Grandsire (Brahma) said, "Know (this) by means of faith, devotion, and meditation. Not by work, not by progeny, nor by wealth, but by renunciation, some attained immortality." and Mundaka U. III.ii.3 says "This Atman is not to be attained by the study of the Vedas, nor by the highest intellect, nor by much learning. Whom the Atman seeks, he gets the Atman..." – Swami Vishwananda Aug 21 '18 at 08:54
  • @SwamiVishwananda, Why should I listen to you to and walk West ? Why not I walk East ? or North ? Why should I believe that Mumbai exists ? If I believe Mumbai does not exist, why would I even take the first step in any direction ? – ram Aug 21 '18 at 18:49
  • @SwamiVishwananda, even to take a medicine, we have to trust that the doctor has our best interest in his mind. we may not know how the medicine was made, how it will work, or even whether it will work. but have to take the initial FIRST leap of faith, or basic trust. This is the 'belief' I'm talking about, not the 'belief' that the medicine will cure me. Without that initial belief or hope, or whatever you want to call it, nobody will take even the first step. In order to realize God, you have to INITIALLY trust that shastras are telling for your good. Then you act accordingly, and realize. – ram Aug 21 '18 at 18:52
  • @ram The practice of yoga requires no belief, just an open mind. The truths of it become self-evident to one who tries sincerely for some time. Faith in one's guru helps, but is not required. – Swami Vishwananda Aug 22 '18 at 04:53
  • @SwamiVishwananda, if i have an 'open' mind, i can also sincerely try to be an atheist for some time. or rather a very long time. even that implies that i have slight 'belief' that god doesn't exist. if i am absolutely truly 'open' minded, then i have zero inclination to go either way. There MUST be something that tips you over to one-side. That basic miniscule 'trust' or 'faith' is definitely needed for any action. Without that, any action is impossible. You can keep on saying 'try yoga, without belief', but unless someone trusts that you're telling for their good, they'll never try it. – ram Aug 23 '18 at 00:26
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These three Lokas are mentioned in various scriptures.

For example, in ChAndogya Upanishad 2.17.1:

prithivi hingkArohantariksham prastAvo dayurudgitho
disho pratihArah samudro nidhanmetAh shakkaryo lokeshuu protAh ||


Prithvi is the HingkAra. Antariksha is PrastAva, Dyuloka is Udgitha, the directions are PratihAra and the ocean is Nidhana. This SAman named Sakkari is established in these worlds.

In this verse is prescribed a mode of worship where a SAman Mantra called Sakkari is said to be established in the various Lokas and thus it should be worshipped being viewed as identical with those Lokas (worlds).

Therefore the five components of the SAman are said to be identical with the three worlds, the directions and ocean.

So, the three Lokas are Prithivi (Earth), Antariksha (Mid-world or Sky) and Dyuloka (Heavens).

Similarly, in ChAndogya Upanishad 2.23.2 it is stated that Lord PrajApati meditated on these Lokas and as a result of which the three VedaVidyAs (Rik, Yajus and SAmans) emerged and eventually the three alphabets viz- Bhu, Bhuvah and Swah evolved.

The verse is as given below:

PrajApatirlokAnabhyatapat tebhyohabhitaptebhyas traiyvidya samprAsravat
tAmabhyatapat tasya abhitaptAyA etyAn aksharAni samprAsravanta bhurbhuvah swariti ||

These three letters, known as the Vyahriti Trayas, correspond to the three Lokas as follows:

Bhu --- The Earth, Bhuvah --- The Midworld or Sky and Swah --- The Heavens. We also say Bhurloka, Bhuvarloka and Swarloka that's why.

The same thing is mentioned in other scriptures like Manu Smriti:

2.232. He who neglects not those three, (even after he has become) a householder, will conquer the three worlds and, radiant in body like a god, he will enjoy bliss in heaven.

2.233. By honouring his mother he gains this world, by honouring his father the middle sphere, but by obedience to his teacher the world of Brahman.

If we want to include the Nether worlds (Atala,Vitala, PAtAla etc) then those will not come in the three Lokas' list but we have to consider the 14 Lokas instead (7 higher and 7 lower Lokas).

Rickross
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As per the theory of Trailokya, those regions are:

  • Kāmaloka is the world of desire, typified by base desires, populated by hell beings, preta, animals, ghosts, humans and lower demi-gods.
  • Rūpaloka is the world of form, predominately free of baser desires, populated by dhyāna-dwelling gods, possible rebirth destination for those well practiced in dhyāna.
  • Arūpaloka is the world of formlessness, a noncorporeal realm populated with four heavens, possible rebirth destination for practitioners of the four formlessness stages.

However the 3 material worlds also Could be:

  • Swarga -- Heaven -- higher (the highest is Brahmaloka)
  • Bhuloka -- Planet -- middle (we also call it the mother earth)
  • Naraka -- Hell -- lower (some call it pAtAla loka or the underworld, but not sure)

A person resides in these worlds depending on the 3 guna-s (qualities) of the Prakruti (material nature). When the Sattva increase, one goes upward. The increase Rajas binds the one in the middle and the Tamas pulls one down to the lower regions.

BG 14.18 - Those with sattva (illumination) go higher [regions]; those with rajas (passion) remain in the middle [regions]; those with tamas (ignorance), who conform to the lowest actions, go down [regions].

BTW, the region of Naraka (hell) may not be found in other scriptures, however, it's found in Gita:

अनेकचित्तविभ्रान्ता मोहजालसमावृताः। प्रसक्ताः कामभोगेषु पतन्ति नरकेऽशुचौ
BG 16.16 - Bewildered by numerous thoughts, caught in the net of delusion, (and) engrossed in the enjoyment of desirable objects, they fall into a foul hell.

Similar things are also explained in other verses.

The verse in the question suggests that the lord doesn't have any interest in either of the regions and is indifferent. Yet, he acts as per his responsibility.

BG 3.22 - In all the three worlds, O Partha, there is no responsibility for Me to fulfil; Nothing remains un-achieved or to be achieved. Still I continue in Karma.

When one acts as per his responsibility viz. Dharma, one is said to be having an increase quality of sattva. Hence, such beings ultimately liberates via heavens. Lord Krishna also went to heavens after his death as discussed in this answer.

iammilind
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