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Hinduism’s views on the afterlife are multifaceted, influenced by texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, and Puranas, emphasizing karma, reincarnation (samsara), and ultimate liberation (moksha). There is no singular doctrine, but a spectrum of beliefs reflecting diverse schools of thought.

After death, the soul (atman) departs the body and, based on karma (accumulated actions), enters new forms—human, animal, or divine—through rebirth. This cycle continues until moksha is achieved, freeing the soul from samsara to merge with Brahman, the ultimate reality, in a state of eternal bliss and oneness, beyond dualities like pleasure and pain.

Intermediate realms include Svarga (heaven), a temporary paradise ruled by Indra, where virtuous souls enjoy sensual delights, divine music, and longevity, but eventually return to earth when merits exhaust. Naraka (hell), governed by Yama, is a purgatory of torments—boiling oils, thorns, and beasts—for expiating sins, also temporary, leading back to rebirth. The Garuda Purana details 28 hells tailored to specific transgressions.

Some traditions describe Pitrloka, an ancestral realm, or other lokas (worlds) like Vaikuntha (Vishnu’s abode) or Kailasa (Shiva’s heaven) for devotees. The Bhagavad Gita teaches that paths of light lead to higher realms for the pious, while paths of darkness lead to lower ones for the ignorant. Ultimately, the afterlife motivates dharma (righteous duty), bhakti (devotion), and jnana (knowledge) to attain moksha, transcending heaven and hell as transient illusions in the grand cosmic play (lila).