Vitala - Where Shiva’s Grace Becomes the Wealth of Asuras

The seven nether worlds: Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talatala, Mahatala, Rasatala, Patala.

Among these the second one - Vitala -

Below Atala lies a world more dazzling, more deceptive, more dangerous:
Vitala.

This is not a land of darkness.
It shines. It glitters.
But not with light — with gold.

Here resides none other than Bhagavan Shiva, in his radiant form as Hatakeshvara, the Lord of Hataka-gold.
He is not alone.
He is surrounded by his fierce attendants — the bhutas, the wild energies of nature — and his beloved, Bhavani, sits beside him as the Divine Consort.

They do not sit idle.
Their union here is sacred — it fuels creation itself, strengthening the subtle energies that support all living beings.

From this mystic union flows a river —
Not of water, but of essence —
A celestial stream called Hataki, more potent than fire, more vibrant than life itself.

And what happens then?

From that sacred stream, infused with Shiva’s virya (seed-power) and Bhavani’s shakti,
the Sun — Chitrabhanu — draws his strength.
He drinks from it, igniting his flames with divine vigor, burning bright in the skies above.

But what remains after the Sun sips the essence?
The residue of this divine stream hardens into gold —
not ordinary gold, but Hataka-gold, glowing with otherworldly brilliance.

This gold does not reach the sages.
It is claimed by the asuras —
Demon kings and their dazzling queens.
They wear it proudly.
They deck their bodies with it.
Their palaces glisten, their crowns flash, their pride swells.

To them, this gold is power.
But to the wise, it is a warning.

Vitala is that realm inside every man
— where spiritual energy gets hijacked by ego,
— where the fire of creation gets diverted into ambition,
— where divine union becomes lust for control and pleasure.

It is the realm where even Shiva’s energy —
meant for liberation —
gets harvested by the asuric mindset for decoration, for domination.

The ornaments worn by the asuras in Vitala are not just gold —
They are ego’s trophies.

When a man begins to use divine gifts for personal gain,
when his spiritual power turns into social show,
when his insights become tools for manipulation —
he has entered Vitala.

And if he does not wake up,
he will sink further.

For beneath Vitala, lie five more worlds,
each darker, heavier, and more binding than the last...

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi