9.21 Their merit exhausted Krishna speaks
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
Having enjoyed that wide heaven, their merit exhausted, they return to the world of mortals. Those who seek pleasure by following the rites come and go.
Explanation
Merit runs out, and then so does heaven.
Having enjoyed that wide heaven, their merit exhausted, they return. Those who seek pleasure by the rites come and go.
Exactly 8.16's objection to Brahma's world. The Gita's complaint about religion done for reward is never that it fails — it is that it works, temporarily.
Word by word
- 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
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