Chapter 9, Verse 21 (Bhagavad Gita 9.21)
Chapter 9: Rāja Vidyā Yog – Yoga through the King of Sciences
Sanskrit Shloka
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति। एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते
Transliteration
te taṁ bhuktvā swarga-lokaṁ viśhālaṁ kṣhīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśhanti evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante
Word Meanings
te—they; tam—that; bhuktvā—having enjoyed; swarga-lokam—heaven; viśhālam—vast; kṣhīṇe—at the exhaustion of; puṇye—stock of merits; martya-lokam—to the earthly plane; viśhanti—return; evam—thus; trayī dharmam—the karm-kāṇḍ portion of the three Vedas; anuprapannāḥ—follow; gata-āgatam—repeated coming and going; kāma-kāmāḥ—desiring objects of enjoyments; labhante—attain
Translation
Having enjoyed the vast heavenly realms, they return to this mortal world when their merits are exhausted; thus, those who follow the injunctions of the three Vedas and are filled with desires for worldly objects attain only the cycle of birth and death.
Meaning & Commentary
In this verse, Bhagwan Shri Krishna reveals the limitations of seeking material or celestial rewards through ritualistic piety. He explains that even the highest heavenly enjoyment is merely a temporary residence, for it is tied to the exhaustion of 'punya' or merit. Yogeshwar Krishna calls humanity to transcend these temporary gains, urging a shift from selfish desire to selfless surrender unto Him. True liberation is not found in the cycles of celestial pleasure, but in attaining the eternal abode of Shri Krishna, which lies beyond the reach of the wheel of birth and death. By attachment to worldly results, the soul remains caught in the trap of 'gata-gatam'—the endless coming and going of reincarnation.