518 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 12

anasthitam—never achieved; te—your; pitrbhih—by forefathers; anyaih—
by others; api—even; anga—O Dhruva; karhicit—at any time; atis{ha—please
come and live there; jagatam—by the inhabitants of the universe; vandyam
—worshipable; tat—that; visnoh—of Lord Visnu; paramam—supreme; padam
—situation.

TRANSLATION

Dear King Dhruva, neither your forefathers nor anyone else before you
ever achieved such a transcendental planet. The planet known as Visnuloka,
where Lord Visnu personally resides, is the highest of all. It is worshipable
by the inhabitants of all other planets within the universe. Please come with
us and live there eternally.

PURPORT

When Dhruva Maharaja went to perform austerities he was very deter-
mined to achieve a post never dreamed of by his forefathers. His father was
Uttanapada, his grandfather was Manu, and his great-grandfather was Lord
Brahma. So Dhruva wanted a kingdom even greater than Lord Brahma
could achieve, and he requested Narada Muni to give him facility for achiev-
ing it. The associates of Lord Visnu reminded him that not only his fore-
fathers but everyone else before him was unable to attain Visnuloka, the
planet where Lord Visnu resides. This is because everyone within this
material world is either a karmi, jnani, or a yogi, but there are hardly any
pure devotees. The transcendental planet known as Visnuloka is especially
meant for devotees, not for karmis, jfanis or yogis. Great rsis or demigods
ean hardly approach Brahmaloka, and, as stated in Bhagavad-gita, Brahma-
loka is not a permanent residence. Lord Brahma’s duration of life is so long
that it is difficult to estimate even the duration of one day in his life, and
yet Lord Brahma also dies, as do the residents of his planet. Bhagavad-gita
says, dbrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar dvartino ‘rjuna: except for those who
go to Visnuloka, everyone is subjected to the four principles of material life,
namely birth, death, old age and disease (Bg. 8.16). The Lord says, yad
gatvud na nivartante tad dhadma paramam mama: the planet from which, once
going, no one returns, is My supreme abode (Bg. 15.6). Dhruva Maharaja was
reminded, ‘You are going in our company to that planet from which no
one returns to this material world.” Material scientists are attempting to go
to the moon and other planets, but they cannot imagine going to the top-
most planet, Bralimaloka, for it is beyond their imaginations. By material
calculation, traveling at the speed of light it would take forty thousand
years to reach the topmost planet. By mechanical processes we are unable
