In a comment above, I wrote:
“In other contexts, paraloka could mean different things.
- When a human dies, the gandhabba comes out and stays in that state for many years until entering another womb. In that case, it is said that the person has gone to paraloka, meaning from the world we can see to “the world of gandhabbas.” This is a somewhat common saying in Sri Lanka.”
The following sutta gives an example of this usage: “Mogharājamāṇavapucchā (Snp 5.16).”
“Ayaṁ loko paro loko, brahmaloko sadevako; Diṭṭhiṁ te nābhijānātigotamassa yasassino.” OR
“Regarding this world, the other world, and the realms of Brahmas and Devas, I’m not familiar with that worldview of the renowned Gotama.”
- The first two refer to the human realm (with a physical body and “the other world” referring to the gandhabba state).
