aho bata svar-yaśasas tiraskarī kuśasthalī puṇya-yaśaskarī bhuvaḥ paśyanti nityaṁ yad anugraheṣitaṁ smitāvalokaṁ sva-patiṁ sma yat-prajāḥ
Synonyms
aho bata—how wonderful this is; svar-yaśasaḥ—celebrity of the heavenly planets; tiraskarī—that which defeats; kuśasthalī—earthly planet; puṇya—Dwarka; yaśaskarī—virtue; bhuvaḥ—famous; paśyanti—see; nityam—constantly; yat—that which; anugraha-iṣitam—to bestow benediction; smita-avalokam—glance with favour of sweet smiling; sva-patim—unto the Soul of the living being (Krishna) Sma—used to; sma—the inhabitants of the place.
Translation
Undoubtedly this is wonderful that Dwarka has defeated the glories of the heavenly planets and has enhanced the celebrity of the earth. The inhabitants of Dwarka do always see the Soul of the living beings (Krishna) constantly in his loving feature of glancing over them by favour of sweet smiling.
Purport
The heavenly planets are inhabited by demigods like Indra, Chandra, Varuna, Vayu etc. and the pious souls reach there after performance of many virtuous acts in the earth. Modern scientists agree also that the timing arrangement in higher planetary system is different from the earth. As such it is understood from the revealed scriptures that duration of life there is ten thousands of years (of our calculation). Six months of earth is equal to one day of the heavenly planets. Facilities of enjoyment are also similarly enhanced and beauty of the inhabitants is legendrical. Common men on the earth are very much fond of reaching the the heavenly planets because they have heard it that comforts of life are far greater there than on the earth, they are now trying to reach Moon planet by sputniks although it will never reach there. Considering all these the heavenly planets are more celebrated than the earth. But the celebrity of earth has defeated that of the heavenly planets on account of Dwarka, where Lord Srikrishna reigned as the King. Three places namely Vrindaban, Mathura and Dwarka are more important places than any famous planets within the universe. The places are perpetually sanctified because whenever the Lord descends on earth, He displays His trancendental activities particularly in these three places. They are perpetually the holy land of the Lord and the inhabitants still do take advantage of the holy places even though the Lord is now out their sight. The Lord is the Soul of all living beings and He desires always to have all the living beings, in their Swarupa or in the constitutional position, may participate transcendental life in His association. His attractive features and sweet smiling go deep into the heart of every one and once it is so done the living being is admitted in the Kingiom of God where going no body returns. This is confirmed in the Bhagwat Geeta.
The heavenly planets may be very much famous for offerring better facilities of material enjoyment but as we learn it from the Bhagwat Geeta (B.G. 9/20-21) that one has to come back again on the earthly planets as soon as the acquired virtue is finished. Dwarka is certainly more important than heavenly planets because whoever has been favoured with the smiling glance of the Lord shall never come back again in this rotten earth which is certified by the Lord Himself as the place of misery. Not only this earth but also all the planets of the universes are all places of miseries because it may be there are more facilities for material enjoyment but in none of the planets within the universe, there is enternal life, eternal bliss and enternal knowledge. Any person engaged in devotional service of the Lord is recommended to live in either of the above mentioned three places namely Dwarka Mathura or Vrindaban. Because devotional service in these three places is magnified potentially than in any other place and those who follow the principles in terms of instructions imparted in the revealed scriptures surely achieve the same result as they obtained during the presence of Lord Sri Krishna. His abode and He Himself are idential and a pure devotee under the guidance of another experienced devotee can obtain all the results even at present.