Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for Mankind | Chapter 9: Appearance of the Demon Vṛtrāsura |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.9.32
yat te gatīnāḿ tisṛṇām
īśituḥ paramaḿ padam
nārvācīno visargasya
dhātar veditum arhati
SYNONYMS
yat — which; te — of You; gatīnām tisṛṇām — of the three destinations (the heavenly planets, the earthly planets and hell); īśituḥ — who are the controller; paramam padam — the supreme abode, Vaikuṇṭhaloka; na — not; arvācīnaḥ — a person appearing after; visargasya — the creation; dhātaḥ — O supreme controller; veditum — to understand; arhati — is able.
TRANSLATION
O supreme controller, You control the three destinations [promotion to the heavenly planets, birth as a human being, and condemnation in hell], yet Your supreme abode is Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma. Since we appeared after You created this cosmic manifestation, Your activities are impossible for us to understand. We therefore have nothing to offer You but our humble obeisances.
PURPORT
An inexperienced man generally does not know what to beg from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone is under the jurisdiction of the created material world, and no one knows what benediction to ask when praying to the Supreme Lord. People generally pray to be promoted to the heavenly planets because they have no information of Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Śrīla Madhvācārya quotes the following verse:
deva-lokāt pitṛ-lokāt
nirayāc cāpi yat param
tisṛbhyaḥ paramaḿ sthānaḿ
vaiṣṇavaḿ viduṣāḿ gatiḥ
There are different planetary systems, known as Devaloka (the planets of the demigods), Pitṛloka (the planet of the Pitās) and Niraya (the hellish planets). When one transcends these various planetary systems and enters Vaikuṇṭhaloka, he achieves the ultimate resort of the Vaiṣṇavas. Vaiṣṇavas have nothing to do with the other planetary systems.
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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness