स्वधर्मनिष्ठः शतजन्मभिः पुमान्विरिंचतामेति ततः परं हि माम् अव्याकृतं भागवतो ऽथ वैष्णवं पदं यथाहं विबुधाः कलात्यये
sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ śata-janmabhiḥ pumān viriñcatām eti tataḥ paraṁ hi mām avyākṛtaṁ bhāgavato 'tha vaiṣṇavaṁ padaṁ yathāhaṁ vibudhāḥ kalātyaye
Synonyms
sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ—one who is situated in his own dharma or occupation; śata-janmabhiḥ—for one hundred births; pumān—a living entity; viriñcatām—the post of Lord Brahmā; eti—gets; tataḥ—thereafter; param—above; hi—certainly; mām—attains me; avyākṛtam—without deviation; bhāgavataḥ—unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; atha—therefore; vaiṣṇavam—a pure devotee of the Lord; padam—post; yathā—as; aham—I; vibudhāḥ—demigods; kalā-atyaye—after the annihilation of the material world..
Translation
A person who executes his occupational duty properly for one hundred births becomes qualified to occupy the post of Brahmā, and if he becomes more qualified, he can approach Lord Śiva. A person who is directly surrendered to Lord Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu in unalloyed devotional service is immediately promoted to the spiritual planets. Lord Śiva and other demigods attain these planets after the destruction of this material world.
Purport
The highest perfection of the evolutionary process, as described by the Vaiṣṇava poet Jayadeva Gosvāmī, is given herein. Pralaya-payodhi jale dhṛtavān asi vedam. The evolutionary process begins from the point of devastation (pralaya) when the whole universe is filled with water. At that time there are many fishes and other aquatics, and from these aquatics evolve creepers, trees, etc. From these, insects and reptiles evolve, and from them birds, beasts, and then human beings. Finally civilized human beings evolve, and at present these civilized human beings are at a junction where they can make further evolutionary progress in spiritual life. Here it is stated (sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ) that when a living entity comes to a civilized form of life, there must be sva-dharma, social divisions according to one's work and qualifications. This is indicated in Bhagavad-gītā:
cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ
guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ
"According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me." (Bg. 4.13)
In civilized human society there are the divisions of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra, and everyone must properly execute his occupational duty in accordance to his division. Here it is described (sva-dharma-niṣṭhaḥ) that it doesn't matter whether one is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya or śūdra. If one sticks to his position and properly executes his particular duty, he is considered a civilized human being. Otherwise he is no better than an animal. It is also mentioned herein that whoever executes his occupational duty (sva-dharma) for one hundred births (for instance, if a brāhmaṇa continues to act as a brāhmaṇa), becomes eligible for promotion to Brahmaloka, the planet where Lord Brahmā lives. There is also a planet called Śivaloka, or Sadāśivaloka, which is situated in a marginal position between the spiritual and material worlds. If, after being situated in Brahmaloka, one becomes more qualified, he is promoted to Sadāśivaloka. Similarly, when one becomes even more qualified, he can attain the Vaikuṇṭhalokas. The Vaikuṇṭhalokas are targets for everyone, even the demigods, and they can be attained by a devotee who has no desire for material benefit. As indicated in Bhagavad-gītā, one does not escape material miseries even if he is elevated to Brahmaloka.
ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino 'rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
"From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again." (Bg. 8.16)
Similarly, one is not very safe even if he is promoted to Śivaloka, because the planet of Śivaloka is marginal. However, if one attains Vaikuṇṭhaloka (mām upetya tu kaunteya punar janma na vidyate, Bg. 8.16), he attains the highest perfection of life and the end of the evolutionary process. In other words, it is confirmed herein that a person in human society who has developed consciousness must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to be promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, or Kṛṣṇaloka, immediately after leaving the body. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā:
janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so 'rjuna
"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." (Bg. 4.9)
A devotee who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who is not attracted by any other loka, or planet, including Brahmaloka and Śivaloka, is immediately transferred to Kṛṣṇaloka (mām eti). That is the highest perfection of life and the perfection of the evolutionary process.