Are There Parallel Universes in Hindu Cosmology? What Ancient Texts Say

Modern scientific study of parallel universes that operate in parallel with our reality has gained momentum through quantum physics and cosmological investigations. Hindu cosmological theories have studied this concept for generations by recognizing it as divine reality instead of abstract theory. The Vedas alongside Puranas and Tantric scriptures explain that the universe consists of various multiple layers of existence rather than one single straight creation sequence.

According to Hindu cosmology the universe exists across multiple interconnected cycles of existence that include a virtually infinite number of worlds including beings and timelines and dimensions. Sanātana Dharma integrates the notion of parallel universes through its fundamental teachings about reality despite the recent origin of this phrase.

Hindu literature acknowledges various realms which exist through infinite cycles while revealing the multiverse nature of its thought.

1. The Multiverse of the Puranas

Three Puranas including Bhāgavata Purāṇa joined by Vishnu Purāṇa and Linga Purāṇa present an extensive cosmic realm containing several lokas or worlds or realms.

The Fourteen Lokas

Traditional Hindu cosmology describes 14 primary worlds:

• 7 higher realms (Urdhva Lokas): Satya, Tapa, Jana, Mahar, Svar (Svarga), Bhuvar, and Bhūloka (Earth)

• 7 lower realms (Adho Lokas): Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala, Rasātala, and Pātāla

Each loka is populated by distinct beings — gods, sages, demons, serpents, ancestors, and even beings who transcend human imagination. These are not metaphorical — they are fully-realized realms with their own laws of time, space, and karma.

Countless Brahmāṇḍas (Cosmic Eggs)

The Vishnu Purāṇa describes not just one universe but innumerable Brahmāṇḍas — each a cosmic egg, with its own Brahmā (creator), Vishnu (sustainer), and Rudra (dissolver).

“There are infinite universes, each with its own set of gods and rulers. Just as bubbles arise and dissolve in water, so too do universes arise and fall in the cosmic ocean.” — Vishnu Purāṇa 2.2.38

This description resonates remarkably with modern multiverse theory, where each universe may have its own laws of physics and origin.

2. Time is Relative: Parallel Yugas and Kalpas

Time in Hindu cosmology is non-linear and fractal. Each Kalpa (a day of Brahmā) spans 4.32 billion years, and each Kalpa is followed by a night of equal duration. During Brahmā’s 100-year lifespan, a trillion human years pass — and this is just one cycle.

Simultaneous Kalpas

Multiple Kalpas are said to unfold in parallel across different Brahmāṇḍas. What exists as the Satya Yuga in one universe may be the Kali Yuga in another. Creation, preservation, and dissolution happen simultaneously across cosmic space.

In the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, time is shown as subjective and contextual, a single day in one loka equals thousands of years in another.

“In one universe, a person may be born, live, and die in what is just the blink of an eye in another.” — Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, Nirvāṇa Book, Chapter 2

This suggests not just multiple timelines but timelines operating at vastly different speeds. This aligns closely with relativity and theories of alternate time streams in quantum cosmology.

3. Other Avatars, Other Realities

In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa and Padma Purāṇa, it is said that Lord Vishnu takes unlimited avatars, not just on Earth, but in infinite worlds.

Each universe has its own incarnations, stories, and divine dramas (leelas). In some universes, Rama may still be reigning. In others, Krishna may not have incarnated yet. Some may never know of the ten avatars we speak of — they may have entirely different gods or cosmic roles.

This implies:

• A multiverse of mythologies

• An infinite variation of divine expression

• Simultaneous co-existence of all stories across all dimensions

4. Yogic and Tantric Travel Between Realms

The Vedas and Tantras do not speak of these worlds as unreachable.

Advanced yogis, siddhas, and tantric practitioners were said to:

• Visit these lokas through meditative or astral travel

• Gain siddhis (powers) to shift perception of time and space

• Interact with beings from other worlds for knowledge, initiation, or assistance

In the Tripura Rahasya, a Tantric text of supreme nondual wisdom, it is said:

“When the mind is dissolved, time, body, and universe dissolve with it. You enter a state beyond death, beyond life, beyond this world and all others.”

Modern Near Death Experiences, lucid dreams, and astral projections described in mystical traditions mirror this fluidity between dimensions.

5. The Cosmic Mirror: What the Rishis Really Saw

Unlike Western narratives of alternate universes based on hypothetical physics, Hindu cosmology sees parallel realms not as theoretical but experiential.

The ancient rishis weren’t guessing, they experienced these realities. Through deep meditation, tapasya, and inner stillness, they saw beyond time.

They taught:

The same soul may exist in multiple worlds simultaneously

The self is not confined to one timeline, one body, or one universe

Liberation (moksha) is not just freedom from rebirth, but freedom from the illusion of singularity

Conclusion: Yes, Hindu Cosmology Believes in the Multiverse

But it doesn’t stop at belief. It maps it, names it, describes it, and teaches you how to navigate it.

The Hindu multiverse isn’t random — it is sacred, patterned, and alive. Each universe is a mirror of divine play, each loka a field of consciousness, each moment a point of entry.

So when modern physics wonders, “Are there other worlds like ours?”, Hindu cosmology gently replies:

“There always have been. There always will be. And you are in more than one of them right now.”