Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 3 Chapter 32 Verse 3

Canto 3: The Status Quo | Chapter 32: Entanglement in Fruitive Activities

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 3.32.3

tac-chraddhayākrānta-matiḥ

pitṛ-deva-vrataḥ pumān

gatvā cāndramasaḿ lokaḿ

soma-pāḥ punar eṣyati

SYNONYMS

tat — to the demigods and forefathers; śraddhayā — with reverence; ākrānta — overcome; matiḥ — his mind; pitṛ — to the forefathers; deva — to the demigods; vrataḥ — his vow; pumān — the person; gatvā — having gone; cāndramasam — to the moon; lokam — planet; soma-pāḥ — drinking soma juice; punaḥ — again; eṣyati — will return.

TRANSLATION

Such materialistic persons, attracted by sense gratification and devoted to the forefathers and demigods, can be elevated to the moon, where they drink an extract of the soma plant. They again return to this planet.

PURPORT

The moon is considered one of the planets of the heavenly kingdom. One can be promoted to this planet by executing different sacrifices recommended in the Vedic literature, such as pious activities in worshiping the demigods and forefathers with rigidity and vows. But one cannot remain there for a very long time. Life on the moon is said to last ten thousand years according to the calculation of the demigods. The demigods' time is calculated in such a way that one day (twelve hours) is equal to six months on this planet. It is not possible to reach the moon by any material vehicle like a sputnik, but persons who are attracted by material enjoyment can go to the moon by pious activities. In spite of being promoted to the moon, however, one has to come back to this earth again when the merits of his works in sacrifice are finished. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.21): te taḿ bhuktvā svarga-lokaḿ viśālaḿ kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaḿ viśanti.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness