ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino ’rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate
ā-brahma-bhuvanāt — up to the abode of Brahma;
lokāḥ — worlds;
punaḥ āvartinaḥ — subject to rebirth;
arjuna — Arjun;
mām — mine;
upetya — having attained;
tu — but;
kaunteya — Arjun, the son of Kunti;
punaḥ janma — rebirth;
na — never;
vidyate — is
This verse talks about the different places where souls can exist and the nature of life in those places. It says that no matter how high you go in the material world, whether it's the highest heaven-like planet (often associated with Brahma) or even the lower realms, all these places are not permanent. They all involve a cycle where souls are born, live, die, and are then reborn.
For example, think about life on Earth. We can see that people are born, they grow up, they experience good and bad times, and eventually they pass away. After death, the belief here is that they could be reborn again, possibly in another body, based on their actions—this is called the cycle of birth and death, or samsara.
The verse contrasts this with a special place referred to as Krishna’s abode, where one can go and never come back to the cycle of birth and death. This means that if someone is able to reach this spiritual realm, they experience lasting peace and happiness. It is a final destination where they do not need to worry about being reborn or suffering again. The idea is that to reach this higher state or realm, one must cultivate a deep devotion, known as bhakti or Krishna consciousness.
It is mentioned that people can reach high planets (like Brahmaloka or Indraloka), but if they do not develop devotion to Krishna while they are there, they will eventually come back down to Earth. Therefore, even if someone performs various spiritual practices or rituals to elevate themselves, they must also embrace this feeling of devotion to Krishna to ensure they do not have to return to the cycle of rebirth. If they focus on loving and serving Krishna, even if they start at a high level, when this universe eventually ends, they will be taken to the eternal spiritual realm based on their pure devotion.
In simpler terms, this verse encourages everyone to think beyond just trying to reach higher places or better conditions in life. The ultimate goal should be about connecting with a higher spiritual truth, which leads to a permanent state of happiness and liberation from the endless struggle of life.