BHAGAVAD-GITA 15:6

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 15:6

 

na tad bhasayate suryo

na sasanko na pavakah

yad gatva na nivartante

tad dhama paramam mama

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

na--not; tat--that; bhasayate--illuminates; suryah--the sun; na--nor;

sasankah--the moon; na--nor; pavakah--fire, electricity; yat--where;

gatva--going; na--never; nivartante--they come back; tat dhama--that

abode; paramam--supreme; mama--My.

 

TRANSLATION

 

That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by

fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material

world.

 

PURPORT

 

The spiritual world, the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

Krsna--which is known as Krsnaloka, Goloka Vrndavana--is described

here. In the spiritual sky there is no need of sunshine, moonshine,

fire or electricity, because all the planets are self-luminous. We

have only one planet in this universe, the sun, which is

self-luminous, but all the planets in the spiritual sky are

self-luminous. The shining effulgence of all those planets (called

Vaikunthas) constitutes the shining sky known as the brahmajyoti.

Actually, the effulgence is emanating from the planet of Krsna, Goloka

Vrndavana. Part of that shining effulgence is covered by the

mahat-tattva, the material world. Other than this, the major portion

of that shining sky is full of spiritual planets, which are called

Vaikunthas, chief of which is Goloka Vrndavana.

 

As long as a living entity is in this dark material world, he is in

conditional life, but as soon as he reaches the spiritual sky by

cutting through the false, perverted tree of this material world, he

becomes liberated. Then there is no chance of his coming back here. In

his conditional life, the living entity considers himself to be the

lord of this material world, but in his liberated state he enters into

the spiritual kingdom and becomes an associate of the Supreme Lord.

There he enjoys eternal bliss, eternal life, and full knowledge.

 

One should be captivated by this information. He should desire to

transfer himself to that eternal world and extricate himself from this

false reflection of reality. For one who is too much attached to this

material world, it is very difficult to cut that attachment, but if he

takes to Krsna consciousness there is a chance of gradually becoming

detached. One has to associate himself with devotees, those who are in

Krsna consciousness. One should search out a society dedicated to

Krsna consciousness and learn how to discharge devotional service. In

this way he can cut off his attachment to the material world. One

cannot become detached from the attraction of the material world

simply by dressing himself in saffron cloth. He must become attached

to the devotional service of the Lord. Therefore one should take it

very seriously that devotional service as described in the Twelfth

Chapter is the only way to get out of this false representation of the

real tree. In Chapter Fourteen the contamination of all kinds of

processes by material nature is described. Only devotional service is

described as purely transcendental.

 

The words paramam mama are very important here. Actually every nook

and corner is the property of the Supreme Lord, but the spiritual

world is paramam, full of six opulences. The Katha Upanisad (2.2.15)

also confirms that in the spiritual world there is no need of

sunshine, moonshine or stars (na tatra suryo bhati na candratarakam),

for the whole spiritual sky is illuminated by the internal potency of

the Supreme Lord. That supreme abode can be achieved only by surrender

and by no other means.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.