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Chapter 15: The Pāṇḍavas Retire Timely

Verse 47–48 of 48
SB 1.15.47-48

तद्ध्यानोद्रिक्तया भक्त्या विशुद्धधिषणाः परे तस्मिन्नारायणपदे एकान्तमतयो गतिम् अवापुर्दुरवापां ते असद्भिर्विषयात्मभिः विधूतकल्मषा स्थानं विरजेनात्मनैव हि

tad-dhyānod riktayā bhaktyā viśuddha-dhiṣaṇāḥ pare tasmin nārāyaṇa-pade ekānta-matayo gatim avāpur duravāpāṁ te asadbhir viṣayātmabhiḥ vidhūta-kalmaṣā sthānaṁ virajenātmanaiva hi

Synonyms

tatthat; dhyānotpositive meditation; riktayābeing freed from; bhaktyāby a devotional attitude; viśuddhapurified; dhiṣaṇāḥby intelligence; pareunto the transcendence; tasminin that; nārāyaṇathe Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa; padeunto the lotus feet; ekānta-matayaḥof those who are fixed in the Supreme, who is one; gatimdestination; avāpuḥattained; duravāpāmvery difficult to obtain; teby them; asadbhiḥby the materialists; viṣaya-ātmabhiḥabsorbed in material needs; vidhūtawashed off; kalmaṣāmaterial contaminations; sthānamabode; virajenawithout material passion; ātmanā evaby the selfsame body; hicertainly..

Translation

Thus by pure consciousness due to constant devotional remembrance, they attained the spiritual sky which is ruled over by the Supreme Nārāyaṇa Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is attained only by those who meditate upon the one Supreme Lord without deviation. This abode of the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, known as Goloka Vṛndāvana, cannot be attained by persons who are absorbed in the material conception of life. But the Pāṇḍavas, being completely washed of all material contamination, attained that abode in their very same bodies.

Purport

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, a person freed from the three modes of material qualities, namely goodness, passion and ignorance, and situated in transcendence can reach the highest perfection of life without change of body. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa says that a person, whatever he may be, can attain the perfection of a twice-born brāhmaṇa by undergoing the spiritual disciplinary actions under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, exactly as a chemist can turn gun metal into gold by chemical manipulation. It is, therefore, the actual guidance that matters in the process of becoming a brāhmaṇa, even without change of body, or in going back to Godhead without change of body. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī remarks that the word "hi" used in this connection positively affirms this truth, and there is no doubt about this factual position. The Bhagavad-gītā also affirms this statement of Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī when the Lord says (Bg. 14.26) that anyone who executes devotional service systematically without deviation can attain the perfection of Brahman by surpassing the contamination of the three modes of material nature, and when the Brahman perfection is still more advanced by the selfsame execution of devotional service, there is no doubt at all that one can attain the supreme spiritual planet Goloka Vṛndāvana without change of body, as we have already discussed in connection with the Lord's returning to His abode without a change of body.

Verse 47–48 of 48
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