Hell, heaven, paradise and the afterlife

The question of whether there is an afterlife and, if so, what options it offers, having regard to the way in which one’s life has been lived on earth, was discussed in an earlier article in this column.

What follows is a somewhat similar discussion, but limited to the word ‘paradise’, and the manner it figures in the usages of different faiths and cultures across the world, in different contexts.

Paradise broadly refers to a place or condition of ultimate happiness, bliss, and delight, often associated with the ‘Garden of Eden’ or ‘Heaven’, in Christian religious and folkloric traditions. Colloquially, it describes any idyllic setting, state of mind, or environment that perfectly fulfills one’s desires.

In Islam, Paradise is called Jannah, or ‘the Garden,’ the ultimate, eternal abode of peace, joy, and reward for those who believe and do good deeds. It is described as a place of unimaginable beauty where there is no sickness, pain, aging, or sorrow.

In Hinduism, paradise exists in two main forms: Swarga (a temporary celestial realm of pleasures) and Moksha (the ultimate, eternal state of liberation). Swarga is not permanent: once your good karma is ‘used up’, you are reborn on Earth, whereas Moksha is an eternal escape from the cycle of rebirth.

This beautiful verse, ‘Even if it is resplendent with gold, Lanka does not fascinate me, O Lakshmana! Mother and motherland are far superior even to heaven itself!’ depicts what Lod Rama declared in Ramayana, after his annihilation of Ravana and conquering Lanka.

Mughal Emperor Jahangir famously declared Kashmir ‘Paradise on Earth’. He documented his profound admiration in his memoirs, Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri (or Jahangirnama), which were translated into English by Alexander Rogers. His impressions were highly detailed and lyrical, painting the valley as an unmatched natural wonder.

As a common phrase, idiom or an expression, the word paradise has several connotations in different contexts. For example, a ‘fool’s paradise’ means a state of illusory happiness or contentment based on false hopes, ignorance, or an unwillingness to accept reality; in which someone is said to be living when they are happy because they are oblivious to impending problems or the true severity of their situation. In a somewhat similar sense, the Telugu phrase of showing somebody ‘Arachethilo Vaikuntham’, (meaning Vaikuntham or paradise) in the palm, stands for making false promises or giving someone false hopes.

The words, heaven and hell lend themselves to different forms of usage in different contexts and situations. For instance, the phrase “what the hell” emerged in the 1920s, with its earliest recorded use appearing in the writings of author P G Wodehouse. It began as a hyperbolic shortening of rhetorical questions like “what the hell could go wrong?” to express frustration, surprise, or carefree indifference

‘Good heavens’, likewise, is an idiomatic exclamation used to express surprise, shock, or dismay. It emerged in the 16th century as a ‘minced oath’ , a polite euphemism people used to express astonishment without taking God’s name in vain.

‘Heaven-sent’ is another similar expression used to describe something or someone extremely fortunate that arrives unexpectedly at the exact moment they are most useful. It is synonymous with words like “providential” or “godsend,” that are often used to express relief or immense gratitude when an opportunity or solution presents itself.

The word has also figured popularly in the titles to books and movies apart from being used to describe things and places in day-to-day life. For instance, published by 17th century English poet John Milton, ‘Paradise Lost’ is a sprawling 12-book epic exploring humanity’s fall through Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Its four-book sequel, ‘Paradise Regained’, focuses on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, successfully passing the test that Adam and Eve failed

‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ is another famous expression meaning that no one is angrier or more vindictive than a woman who has been betrayed or rejected in love. The phrase is often mistakenly attributed to William Shakespeare or the Bible. It is actually an adaptation of a line from the 1697 Restoration play ‘The Mourning Bride’ by English playwright William Congreve.

Likewise, “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” is a well-known quote from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ in which the hero of the story, Hamlet, is suggesting that the human imagination is limited and that there are many things we don’t know, things that haven’t been discovered and, in fact, things we haven’t even dreamt of. That the regions in the realm of afterlife need not necessarily be only the two extremes representing reward and punishment, manifesting themselves as Paradise and Hell, Swargam and Narakam or Jannat and Jahannam in Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, respectively; but that there can be at least a theoretical possibility of the existence of hybrid has also figured in the imaginations associated with different religions.

In Christianity, the place between heaven and hell is known as Purgatory. Rooted primarily in Catholic theology, it serves as a temporary, intermediary state or realm where souls are cleansed and purified of minor sins so they can become fit to enter Heaven. It is an intermediate state after death for the souls of those who die in God’s grace but are not yet free from minor imperfections and serves as a final, merciful process of purification to achieve the absolute holiness required to enter Heaven.

In Islam ‘Barzakh’ is the dimension or waiting period between an individual’s death and the Day of Judgment

A story in Hindu mythology goes that Sage Vishwamitra creates a new heaven to fulfil the wish of King Trishanku to ascend to Heaven while still in his mortal body. Earlier the King approaches Sage Vasishta, and then his sons, meeting with rejection on both occasions. He approaches Sage Vishwamitra who performs a sacrifice and helps Trishanku to reach Heaven, at the entrance to which Indra, the Lord of Heaven, and the other celestial beings bar the King’s entry and declare that he should fall to the depths of the earth. It is as if when the king is falling Vishwamitra heeds his cry and holds the fall by creating Trishanku Swargam. Today, the phrase ‘Trishanku Swargam’ is frequently used as a metaphor in everyday language. It describes a state of limbo or perpetual suspension being caught in a situation where one does not belong, unable to move forward to a goal or return to one’s previous state

The situation in which King Trishanku found himself often occurs in real life as well. For example, ‘No man’s land’ refers to unowned, disputed, or uninhabited territory between borders, armies, or legal jurisdictions.

Historically popularized during World War I to describe the deadly trench zones between enemy lines, the term is now widely used metaphorically for any ambiguous area, legal vacuum, or undefined situation. It also refers to the transitional area on a tennis court between the baseline and the service line, which is generally considered an unfavourable place to stand during a rally because players are too far back to hit effective volleys and too close to the net to hit comfortable, deep groundstrokes. In other words, one is in the court and a party to the rally, but in no position to contribute somewhat like Trishanku!

It is not enough in life to find oneself approximately in the situation one wanted to be. Placing oneself properly to take full advantage of that situation is the essence.

(The writer was formerly

Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr MOHAN KANDA

Dr MOHAN KANDA[email protected]