Text 36] Dhruva Maharaja Goes Back to Godhead 529

yad bhrajamdnarm sva-rucaiva sarvato
lokds trayo hy anu vibhrajanta ete

yan navrajafi jantusu ye ‘nanugraha
vrajanti bhadrani caranti ye ’nigam

yat—which planet; bhrajamaénam—illuminating; sva-rucd—by self-efful-
gence; eva—only; sarvatah—everywhere; lokah—planetary systems; trayah
—three; hi—certainly;anu—thereupon; vibhrajante—give off light; ete—these;
yat—which planet; na—not; avrajat—have reached; jantusu— to living entities;
ye—those who; ananugrahah—not merciful; vrajanti—reach; bhadrani—wel-
fare activities; caranti—engage in; ye—those who; anisam—constantly.

TRANSLATION

The self-effulgent Vaikuntha planets, by whose illumination alone all the
illuminating planets within this material world give off reflected light, can-
not be reached by those who are not merciful to other living entities. Only
persons who constantly engage in welfare activities for other living entities
can reach the Vaikuntha planets.

PURPORT

Here is a description of two aspects of the Vaikuntha planets. The first
is that in the Vaikuntha sky there is no need of the sun and moon. This is
confirmed by the Upanisads as well as Bhagavad-gita (na tad bhasayate
suryo na Sasanko na pavakah). In the spiritual world the Vaikunthalokas
are themselves illuminated; there is therefore no need of sun, moon or
electric light. It is, in fact, the illumination of the Vaikunthalokas which is
reflected in the material sky. @nly by this reflection are the suns in the
material universes illuminated; after the illumination of the sun, all the
stars and moons are illuminated. In other words, all the luminaries in the
material sky borrow illumination from Vaikunthaloka. From this material
world, however, people can be transferred to the Vaikunthaloka, if they
incessantly engage in welfare activities for all other living entities. Such in-
cessant welfare activities can really be performed only in Krsna conscious-
ness. There is no other philanthropic work within this material world but
Krsna consciousness which can engage a person twenty-four hours a day.

A Krsna conscious being is always engaged in planning how to take all
the suffering humanity back home, back to Godhead. Even if one is not
successful in reclaiming all the fallen souls back to Godhead, still, because
he is Krsna conscious, his path to Vaikunthaloka is open. He personally be-
comes qualified to enter the Vaikunthalokas, and if anyone follows such a
