Goloka (Sanskrit:गोलोक) orGoloka Vrindavan (IAST:Goloka Vṛndāvana) is the celestial abode of theHindu godKrishna and his chief consortRadha.[1][2] In theBhagavata Purana[3] andGarga Samhita, Krishna is portrayed as the highest person who resides in Goloka along with Radha.[4]
Goloka is often represented as the celestial realm containing flowing streams and lovely gardens, and is inhabited by cows and enchanting maidens –Gopis.[5]
Goloka is revered in variousVaishnavism traditions includingGaudiya Vaishnavism,Swaminarayan Sampradaya,Pranami Sampraday,Pushtimarg andNimbarka Sampradaya. BesidesBhagvata Purana, Goloka is also mentioned inSanskrit scriptures such as thePancharatra texts,[6]Garga Samhita,[7]Brahma Samhita,Brahma Vaivarta Purana,[8] andDevi-Bhagavata Purana.[9]
Goloka literally means "World of cows".[10] The Sanskrit wordgo refers to "cow" andloka is translated as "realm".
Krishna is also known asGaulokvihari (vihari means "a resident of") since he is a resident of Goloka and his consort Radha is calledRadhika.[11]
A description of Goloka can be found in theBrahma Samhita, verse 5.29:
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of devotees resembling goddesses of fortune.[12]
— Brahma Samhita, Verse 5.29
Sanatana Goswami, an author of a number of important works in the bhakti tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, states, "Sri Goloka is considered the ultimate destination of spiritual endeavour."[13]
TheBrahma Vaivarta Purana explicitly describes Goloka Vrindavan to be about 500 millionyojanas (4 billion miles) above Vaikuntha loka and to expand to 30 million yojanas (240 million miles). The depiction is similar to a verse found in Brahma Samhita verse 5.43.[8]
Acharyas of Gaudiya Vaishnavaism explain it to be limitless. BothVaikuntha and Goloka are considered to beNitya Dhama (the eternal realm of existence) which are not prone to annihilation even after the whole cosmic dissolution. Krishna in his two-armed form eternally resides in the realm of Goloka and in his four-armed form, asVishnu he eternally resides in the realm of Vaikuntha loka.[6]
Mention of Goloka is also found in otherPuranas, such asSkanda Purana andMarkandeya Purana. InBrihad-bhagavatamrita,Sanatana Goswami explains that this verse is quoted from the Skanda Purana and is spoken by Krishna to Arjuna:
Evam bahu-vidhai rupais caramiha vasundharam brahmalokam ca kaunteya golokam ca sanatanam.
"I move about in many forms on earth, inBrahmaloka, and in eternal Goloka, O Kaunteya."[14]
In theMarkandeya Purana, Krishna declares,[citation needed]
Golokam ca parityajya lokanam trana-karanat kalau gauranga-rupena lila-lavanya-vigrahah.
"In the Kali-Yuga, I will leave Goloka and, to save the people of the world, I will become the handsome and playful Lord Gauranga."
According toJiva Goswami, Goloka, also calledVrindavan, is the highest spiritual plane and can be further manifested into three abodes, calledMathura,Dvārakā andGokul, according to the difference in the pastimes and associates of Krishna.[15] Based on Rupa Goswami'sLaghubhagavatamrita, Jiva Goswami asserts that Goloka is the transcendental prototype of the earthly Vrindavan, where Krishna performed his lilas.[16]