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In the Hindu scriptures, there are many stories of people travelling to other lokas like the Patalas, Svarga, Naraka, Gandharva loka etc. and meeting various supernatural creatures. But the stories do not describe how they travelled there, only that they travelled.

My question is, are there any mentions in any Hindu text or commentary on how travel is done to these other lokas?

Ikshvaku
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  • I'm not putting this as an answer as I can't recall where I read it but in certain tantra texts mentioning siddhi of bhutinis, yoginis, apsaras etc (can't recall which category) the feminine deity so accomplished takes you on a tour through certain lokas. Also if rebirth counts as travel, according to BG 9.25 one is reborn in the loka of the deity one worships. – chhatra Mar 06 '21 at 18:09
  • I think you need to do some tapasya to get into these loka – Dark Knight Mar 06 '21 at 18:25
  • Related : https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/35459/22556 – Dark Knight Mar 06 '21 at 18:28
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    @chhatra I mean travel within this life-time. There are a few questions. Where is swarga? Can we see it with human eyes? If so, can we travel to it? How can we travel? – Ikshvaku Mar 07 '21 at 00:17
  • One story maybe known to many: Sant Tukaram went to vaikuntha in his mortal form. A pushpak-viman came to take him to it. – Second Mar 07 '21 at 03:04
  • @Ikshvaku most of the people who traveled to different lokas traveled there because they were getting help by some celestial sages or they were very powerful sages on earth (maharishi). This Might be the way. – Dark Knight Mar 07 '21 at 05:43
  • @Ikshvaku Then the first part of my previous comment is applicable. I think the text was 'Bhoot Damar Tantra' or somesuch but I don't have a copy at hand. It mentions the deity carrying the sadhak to swarg etc. on her back, spending a thousand years with him and making him be reborn as a prince thereafter etc. --- very fanciful yes, which makes me rather suspicious of the text. The piggy-backing may or may not be a reference to actual physical travel as opposed to astral travel. Maybe someone else here can clarify. – chhatra Mar 07 '21 at 11:41
  • @chhatra " It mentions the deity carrying the sadhak to swarg etc. on her back, spending a thousand years with him and making him be reborn as a prince thereafter etc." - This is talking about going to swarga after you die. If you have done lots of punya you can go to swarga after death to spend time with Apsaras. – Ikshvaku Mar 07 '21 at 12:43
  • @chhatra Whereas I'm talking about traveling there in a spaceship in this life. – Ikshvaku Mar 07 '21 at 12:43
  • @Ikshvaku "The deity piggyback" as described happens very much while you're alive, you go sightseeing with her, come back to Jambudweep, live for a thousand years, die, and are reborn as a prince. The entire point of the sadhanas is to manifest the minor deity in this world, not to go and meet her after death. – chhatra Mar 07 '21 at 12:58
  • @chhatra Oh is that so. That's new info to me. – Ikshvaku Mar 07 '21 at 15:36
  • Yes it's the Bhuta Damara Tantram where it is mentioned so. I have a hard copy of the book. Also they are not deities (Devas/Devis) but Yakshnis, Apasaras etc who sometimes carry the Sadhakas on their backs/shoulders to various heavenly lokas once the Sadhana is a success @chhatra – Rickross Mar 08 '21 at 06:13
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    @Rickross Thanks for the corroboration. I include Yakshinis and especially Apsaras in minor deities. – chhatra Mar 08 '21 at 18:30

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