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Did you know that your distance to hell is 100.000 yojanas and the distance to the spiritual planets 5.555.555.555.250.000.000 yojanas?
We use yojanas because Krishna created the universe using these units (See subheading 108 later; then we see that the universe is created). And it is the metric unit of the gods. The Vedas (and the Srimad bhagavatam) is a scripture for gods.
The descriptions and numbers in this text are of the subtle level of the universe, as perceived by mystics and godly beings.
In the gross dimension there is the use of 8 miles for a yojana.

There are 14 planetary systems. These are horizontal planes, parallel to the orbit of the sun around the earth, as seen from the earth, and extend to close to the inner layer of the spherically shaped universe.

130.000 yojanas beneath the bhumandala - the great earth, or the round flat disk-form of the planetary system to which the planet earth belongs - begins the Garbha ocean (see figure). Just above this ocean are the countless Narakalokas or hellish planets. The area where these planets are orbiting has like the other planetary levels, the form of a disk, like a thick CD. On all these planets, living entities are punished according to the principle of “paying the sinner in his own coin." These planets are described in Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 5, chapter 26, verse 8 - 36. (S.B. 5.26.8-36).

Above the hellish planets are seven planetary systems, called bila-svarga (underground heavenly planets). Bila means dark, a den, or grotto. These planetary systems are beneath the bhumandala. Instead of sunlight, they are lit by shining jewels on the heads of serpents. The demons living there can enjoy heavenly sense-gratification because of their karma. These  planets are described in the S.B. 5.24.8-31.

The bhumandala itself comprises planets placed in ring form with, in-between each ring, ring-shaped oceans of salt water (lavanoda), sugar cane juice (iksura), strong drinks (suroda), ghi (ghrtoda), milk (ksiroda), yoghurt (dadhyoda) and very tasty sweet water (svadudaka).

The oceans still have also the properties of water, except its taste. Each ring of land has at the gross level millions of planets.

At the centre is Jambudvipa (dvipa means: island). It is surrounded by salt water. It is divided in nine varsas (planets, provinces or islands) and one of them is bharata-varsa. This is the (only) planet where the bharata (light) of the Veda can and does shine.

The other varsas and dvipas  are called bhauma-svarga or paradisiacal areas in the bhumandala. The description of these heavens and life there is in S.B. 5.16.12-25 and S.B. 5.20. The inhabitants of these varsas are at least part-time devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Bhauma-svarga and the oceans in-between are not visible with gross senses; they are higher dimensional. However, these dimensions are connected with each other. For example, the farthest point of the orbit of the planet Uranus (measured from bharata-varsa) is the same as aloka varsa (= uninhabited area, see figure). The farthest point of the orbit of Saturn is in adarsa-talopama (= the land with a surface like a mirror) that lies before the lokaloka mountain. The nearest point of the orbit of Jupiter is in the golden land. The farthest point of the orbit of Mercury is the ring inside of Puskara Dwipa and the nearest point of the orbit of Mercury is in the ocean of milk.

Above the bhumandala is the Antariksa. Then begins bhuvarloka: the middle heaven where the lokas (= planets) belong to different entities, also known to ufologists. These entities sometimes come to the bhumandala in vimanas unidentified flying objects. They come for example from Raksasa-loka (hairy monsters), pretaloka (ghosts), Bhutaloka (associates of Shiva), Pisacaloka (witches, female ghosts), Yaksaloka (half pious ghosts and associates of Kuvera) or from Siddhaloka (also in Bhuvarloka), antariksa. Everyone at Siddhaloka is born with twenty-three yoga-siddhis, mystical perfections (see Bhagavad Gita 6.20, purport and S.B. 11.15.4-13).

Beyond Siddhaloka is Caranaloka (the planet of angels and heavenly musicians) and then Vidyadharaloka (where the inhabitants have great material knowledge, vidya). Sometimes UFOs come from bilasvargas talatalaloka (S.B.2.7.37).

100.000 yojanas (1,28 million km) above the bhumandala is the sun. From the sun (who is svarga-dvara the door to the heaven or material the first planet one meets ascending up in the universe). The divya-svarga or heavenly planetary system starts - also called devalokas or bhogalokas because the demigods enjoy them (bhoga means enjoyment). The distance from the sun to bharatavarsa at the bhumandala is however 150 million km at the physical level, because the orbit of the sun (around the Sumeru Mountain) is sakadvipa, (dividing the island in two). The moon is a gross planet which we can all see in the sky but there is also a heavenly dimension to this. This moon dimension is in position that is higher dimensional and therefore it is not accessible by any human space craft, which can enter only its gross dimension.

Indraloka (one of the planets in divyasvarga) is the kingdom of Indra. Indra is the king of the demigods who reign over the cosmos. The stairs of Indra's palace are made of coral, the floors are covered with emeralds, the walls are made of crystal, the pillars of vaidurya gems, the seats are covered with diamonds and rubies, the silk bedspreads are white like foam, and there are immensely beautiful lakes, gardens and rivers. The crossroads are made of pearls; the plating of the doors of gold; the doorways of marble; the windows of golden networks; and the flags of pearls and golden stitches. All this is thousands and thousands of times more luxurious than here on the earth planet.

Everyone is very beautiful and nicely dressed. Apsaras (angels) and gandharvas (musicians) sing and dance. There are 100,000,000 vimanas for pleasure journeys. There are no atheists. There is no criminality, jealousy, violence, craftiness, false pride, lust, greed or fraud. Their lives last 3,600,000 solar years. Indra's city is surrounded by a moat of Ganges water and fortifications because sometimes asuras (asu= immediately; rama = enjoyment: those who want only temporary material enjoyment) or demons come to plunder.

Above divyasvarga are mahar-, jana-, tapa- and satyaloka where the yogis (ascetics and mystics) try to become fully absorbed in meditation, so that at the moment of leaving the material body they can attain liberation from the material universe and go back to the spiritual world.

The first wall around the universe is ten times the diameter of the universe. The second layer is ten times the thickness of the first layer. The third layer is ten times the thickness of the second layer, and so on. In this way, there are ten prison-walls totaling. Each succeeding covering or layer around the universe is composed of a different substance (see Bhagavad Gita 7.4). First solid matter, then fluid, the luminous element, the gaseous, the ethereal the mental, buddhih (intelligence), ahankara (false ego), mahat-tattva (visible primeval source matter) and then pradhana (not manifested original matter) till there is ultimately the spiritual nature. The laws of nature that are valid on bharata-varsa change in these layers; time and space bend. Therefore, the layers around the universe are beyond the reach of our earthly telescopes and spaceships.

The way out of this universe is from the bharata-varsa. At the above-mentioned divya-, bhauma- and bilasvarga and also in the heavens in-between there is too much hedonism, it is rare that someone is looking for something non-material. In the narakalokas there is only pain and there is no time for deliberation and meditation. At mahar-, jana-, tapa- and satyaloka a certain type of sattva-guna (the quality of goodness) is dominating and thus there are mainly impersonalists on these lokas. Therefore, a yogi who lives there can at best, with a lot of pain and trouble, attain only the brahmajyoti (= spiritual light) around Krishna's spiritual planets. However, from there, the yogi again falls down to the material universe because of his isolation from other souls and Krishna as well. Consequently, we can understand that there is no complete happiness. 

According to the Vedas, Bharata-varsa is the most suitable place for practicing spiritual life. In this age by chanting the holy name of God with increasing devotion, mainly: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Only souls who rejoice and take cheer in love of God can dance through these layers around the cosmos, through the spiritual light and go back to their spiritual home. In the years of the spiritual golden age that started in 1486 A.D. with the advent of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, more souls are going to Krsnaloka then to narakaloka, in spite of the fact that Krishnaloka is farther away.

The vertical cross-section of the universe.

The universe is a gigantic building or machine, created and controlled by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The universe has the form of an egg (andah-kosah) and is divided in fourteen parts. We can see it is created by looking at the rounded figures (for example 100,000 yojanas and not 161,000 yojanas or 98,000 yojanas) of the relative distances; recognizing that all the planets and stars are exactly synchronized in relation to each other and rotate harmoniously in their respective circular orbits. The planets are placed under each other. They each have their own orbit around Meru. The fourteen planetary systems to which these planets belong are placed vertically under each other and parallel to the orbit of the sun.

The layers around the universe
There are ten layers around the universe. Each successive layer is ten times thicker than the previous one.

The first layer is ten times the diameter of the universe. Its predominant element is solid matter (bhumi). The demigod of this first layer is Mahasukararupa (Krishna's Varaha-rupa). The fullness, the wealth, and the bliss in this layer are a million times greater than in Satyaloka. Thus, those who want to enjoy selfishly, like some yogis or materialistic bhaktas, are kept away from the spiritual world by the temptations of this layer. In the spiritual world, there is no place for selfishness, because everyone and everything is serving Krishna and lives in unlimited wealth and bliss.

The second layer is liquid (apo). The demigod is Matsya. Here temptations are even greater.

The third is the luminous layer (nalo). Here Surya-Narayana is worshipped.

The fourth is the gaseous layer (vayu) Here Pradyumna is worshipped.

The fifth is the ether layer (kham). Here Aniruddha is worshipped.

The next three layers are those of mind (manah), intelligence (buddhi) and false ego (ahankara) and in these, Sankarsana is worshipped.

The final two layers are manifested primeval matter (mahat-tattva) where Vasudeva is worshipped and unmanifested primeval matter (pradhana) where Mohini-murti is worshipped by the demigoddess of pradhana. The female demigoddess of pradhana is a gatekeeper, the sister of and energy (sakti) of Vishnu. This area is the most attractive part of the material world.

The Number 108

The number 108 is a special number; there are 108 most essential transcendental qualities of a devotee; there are 108 most important Upanishads and of all the gopis there are 108 who are most loved by Krishna. The number 108 occurs in several other places of the cosmos. Here are some further examples. The distance from the sun to the earth is 108 times the diameter of the sun. The distance from the moon to the earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon. The distance from the sun to the earth is 10,800 yojanas. The Satya-yuga lasts 1.728.000 years (16 x 108), the Treta-yuga 1.296.000 years (12 x 108), the Dvapara-yuga 864.000 years (8 x 108), and the Kali-yuga 432.000 years (4 x 108). 

The Hellish Planets

Just above the Garbhodaka Ocean is the region of hellish planets, with a thickness of 60,000 yojanas and a diameter of 500 million yojanas. This area begins 70,000 yojanas below the bhumandala and extends to 130,000 yojanas below the bhumandala. There are 550 million hellish planets in that region. Each has its specialty.

Above the region of hellish planets and below the bhumandala are the bila-svargas, seven cubic cellars, each side 10.000 yojanas. These are the pleasure grounds of the demons. They have wonderful houses, gardens and places for sense enjoyment that are even more luxurious than those on the demigod planets. It is because of the karma of the demons that they live on the very highest level as far as sensual pleasure and wealth are concerned. Most of the inhabitants of these planets, known as the Daityas, Danavas and Nagas, live in family relationships. They are all, including women, children, friends, and relatives, completely immersed in illusory, material happiness. The demon Maya Danava, a very gifted artist and architect, has built many splendid cities with many beautiful houses, walls, gates, meeting-halls, temples, temple grounds, squares and hotels to give shelter to visitors. Additionally, he has made many vimanas (UFOs or flying saucers) in which they can travel in the universe.

The leaders of these planets have houses built of very costly jewels. There are pigeons, parrots and many other types of birds. The parks and gardens in these heavens appear more beautiful than those on the heavenly planets. The trees in these gardens are covered by climbing-plants, their branches bend under the load of fruits and flowers and they look very wonderful. Such sensuous beauty charms and delights everyone. There are many lakes and ponds with clear, transparent water, jumping fishes stir the waters, which are further beautified by splendid lilies, kuvalayas, kahlaras and red and blue lotuses. Pairs of cakravakas and many other birds have their nests on the lakes. They make pleasant, sweet songs, pleasing to the ear, because they are always in an excellent mood and thus create the right mood for sense enjoyment.

The sun does not shine in these underground planets, so time is not divided into days and nights, therefore there is no fear of the passing of time. Great snakes with brilliantly shining jewels in their heads illuminate these places, so there is no darkness. The inhabitants of these planets drink and bathe in the juices and elixirs of wonderful herbs so they are free of fear and never become ill. There is no experience of the infirmities of age, grey hair, wrinkles or disability; bodies never lose their luster, perspiration does not smell unpleasant. Even when they age, the inhabitants retain their enthusiasm and energy and remain un-fatigued. They lead a happy life and are not afraid of premature death. The fixed moment of their death is the only thing that scares because then death appears before them in the form of the effulgence of the Sudarsana-cakra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.24.8-14)

Other Planetary Systems

The next, the eighth, planetary system of the fourteen, is the bhumandala. 

Beyond this, there are the planets of the upadevas (bhurloka, the ninth planetary system) and that of the devas (svarloka, the tenth planetary system) (Srimad Bhagavatam 8.15.12-22).

SB 8.15.12: King Indra's city was full of pleasing orchards and gardens, such as the Nandana garden. Because of the weight of the flowers, leaves and fruit, the branches of the eternally existing trees were bending down. The gardens were visited by pairs of chirping birds and singing bees. The entire atmosphere was celestial.

SB 8.15.13: Beautiful women protected by the demigods sported in the gardens, which had lotus ponds full of swans, cranes, cakravakas and ducks.

SB 8.15.14: The city was surrounded by trenches full of Ganges water, known as Akasa-ganga, and by a high wall, which was the color of fire. Upon this wall were parapets for fighting.

SB 8.15.15: The doors were made of solid gold plates, and the gates were of excellent marble. These were linked by various public roads. The entire city had been constructed by Visvakarma.

SB 8.15.16: The city was full of courtyards, wide roads, assembly houses, and not less than one hundred million airplanes. The crossroads were made of pearl, and there were sitting places made of diamond and coral.

SB 8.15.17: Everlastingly beautiful and youthful women, who were dressed with clean garments, glittered in the city like fires with flames. They all possessed the quality of syama.

SB 8.15.18: The breezes blowing in the streets of the city bore the fragrance of the flowers falling from the hair of the women of the demigods.

SB 8.15.19: Apsaras passed on the streets, which were covered with the white, fragrant smoke of aguru incense emanating from windows with golden filigree.

SB 8.15.20: The city was shaded by canopies decorated with pearls, and the domes of the palaces had flags of pearl and gold. The city always resounded with the vibrations of peacocks, pigeons and bees, and above the city flew airplanes full of beautiful women who constantly chanted auspicious songs that were very pleasing to the ear.

SB 8.15.21: The city was filled with the sounds of mridangas, conchshells, kettledrums, flutes and well-tuned stringed instruments all playing in concert. There was constant dancing and the Gandharvas sang. The combined beauty of Indrapuri defeated beauty personified.

SB 8.15.22: No one who was sinful, envious, violent toward other living entities, cunning, falsely proud, lusty or greedy could enter that city. The people who lived there were all devoid of these faults.

In the eleventh planetary system, Maharloka, thousands of sages perform huge fire sacrifices to Yajnesvara or Krishna. Yajnesvara, shining with the light of millions of suns, appears from the fire and accepts the offerings with His transcendental hands, giving it back as prasadam. These sages are the prajapatis, the sons of Brahma: Bhrgu Muni, Pulaka, Angira, Marici, Pulastya, etc. The glory and perfections are millions of times better than in the divya-svarga (svarloka), where the demigods live. No rivalry is experienced here unlike in all other planets below. The planetary systems below Maharloka are for those who indulge in illicit sexuality.

In Janaloka and Tapaloka are naisthiki brahmacaris (lifelong celibates) and vanaprasthas (renunciants who retired from family life but who, in their married life, have followed the rules of the Holy Scriptures). They live as yogis in a solitary place and meditate on Lord Narayana in their heart. The bliss and the qualities of matter are millions of times bigger than on Maharloka. As one goes to the higher levels in the universe, above the Bhumandala (each higher level is, like all other planetary systems parallel to the orbit of the sun), the sattvaguna quality of the material energy becomes stronger and more intense. The smells, colors, and the other sense objects are of an increasingly better, higher quality. They are also different in that they are not accessible to the gross senses, but only to the subtle senses.

These higher dimensions are not imaginary but can be experienced, just like the subtle body (mind, intelligence, false ego.) really exist. These dimensions are also a part of this cosmos. One can perceive these dimensions by developing siddhis, mystical abilities, or attain this place on giving up the gross body after death.

Above Tapaloka is Brahmaloka. Lord Brahma shines with golden light because everything there is made of buddhi (intelligence). Nearby there is a Vaikuntha-planet where Brahma worships Narayana. Brahma touches His hands and glorifies Him. Narada Muni sings and dances. Sometimes Brahma goes to his own planet, Brahmaloka, to fulfill his duties in managing the universe.