Chapter 9 · Verse 21

Yoga through the King of Sciences

ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति। एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते
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 realm of heaven, they return to the mortal world when their merit is exhausted. Thus, those who follow the Vedic rituals, driven by desire for enjoyment, attain only the cycle of coming and going.

Commentary

ते they? तम् that? भुक्त्वा having enjoyed? स्वर्गलोकम् heavenworld? विशालम् vast? क्षीणे at the exhaustion of? पुण्ये merit? मर्त्यलोकम् the world of mortals? विशन्ति enter? एवम् thus? त्रयीधर्मम् of the three Vedas? अनुप्रपन्नाः abiding by? गतागतम् the state of goind and returning? कामकामाः desiring desires? लभन्ते attain.Commentary When the accumulated merit (the cause of heavenly pleasures) is exhausted? they descend to this world. They come and go. They have no independence.The Dharma of the three Mere Vedic ritual? enjoined by the three Vedas. KamaKamah The people whose minds are filled with Vasanas or worldly tendencies.