Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.19.28

yady atra naḥ svarga-sukhāvaśeṣitaḿ

sviṣṭasya sūktasya kṛtasya śobhanam

tenājanābhe smṛtimaj janma naḥ syād

varṣe harir yad-bhajatāḿ śaḿ tanoti

SYNONYMS

yadi — if; atra — in this heavenly planet; naḥ — of us; svarga-sukha-avaśeṣitam — whatever remains after the enjoyment of heavenly happiness; su-iṣṭasya — of a perfect sacrifice; su-uktasya — of diligently studying the Vedic literature; kṛtasya — of having performed a kind act; śobhanam — the resultant actions; tena — by such a resultant action; ajanābhe — in the land of Bhārata-varṣa; smṛti-mat janma — a birth enabling one to remember the lotus feet of the Lord; naḥ — of us; syāt — let there be; varṣe — in the land; hariḥ — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yat — wherein; bhajatām — of the devotees; śam tanoti — expands the auspiciousness.

TRANSLATION

We are now living in the heavenly planets, undoubtedly as a result of our having performed ritualistic ceremonies, pious activities and yajñas and having studied the Vedas. However, our lives here will one day be finished. We pray that at that time, if any merit remains from our pious activities, we may again take birth in Bhārata-varṣa as human beings able to remember the lotus feet of the Lord. The Lord is so kind that He personally comes to the land of Bhārata-varṣa and expands the good fortune of its people.

PURPORT

It is certainly as a result of pious activities that one takes birth in the heavenly planets, but from those planets one must nevertheless come down again to earth, as stated in Bhagavad-gītā (kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaḿ viśanti [Bg. 9.21]). Even the demigods must return to earth to work like ordinary men when the results of their pious activities expire. Nevertheless, the demigods desire to come to the land of Bhārata-varṣa if even a small portion of the merits of their pious activities remains. In other words, to take birth in Bhārata-varṣa, one must perform more pious activities than the demigods. In Bhārata-varṣa one is naturally Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if one further cultivates his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa he certainly expands his good fortune by becoming perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and very easily going back home, back to Godhead. In many other places in the Vedic literature it is found that even the demigods want to come to this land of Bhārata-varṣa. A foolish person may desire to be promoted to the heavenly planets as a result of his pious activities, but even the demigods from the heavenly planets want to come to Bhārata-varṣa and achieve bodies that may be very easily used to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu repeatedly says:

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

[Cc. Ādi 9.41]

A human being born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa has the special prerogative to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore those already born in Bhārata-varṣa should take lessons from the śāstras and guru and should fully take advantage of the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in order to be fully equipped with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By taking full advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one goes back home, back to Godhead (yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām). The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore spreading this facility to human society by opening many, many centers all over the world so that people may associate with the pure devotees of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, understand the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and ultimately go back home, back to Godhead.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness