Text 30] Maharaja Prthu’s Going Back Home 1013

PURPORT

According to Vedic scriptures, a woman who dies with her husband, or
enters into the fire in which her husband is burning, also enters the same
planet her husband attains. In this material world there is a planet known
as Patiloka, just as there is a planet known as Pitrloka. But in this verse
the word pati-loka does not refer to any planet within this material uni-
verse, for Prthu Maharaja, being topmost amongst self-realized souls, cer-
tainly returned home, back to Godhead, and attained one of the Vaikuntha
planets. Queen Arci also entered patiloka, but this planet is not in the
material universe, for she actually entered the planet which her husband
attained. In the material world also, when a woman dies with her husband,
she again unites with him in the next birth. Similarly, Maharaja Prthu and
Queen Arci united in the Vaikuntha planets. In the Vaikuntha planets
there are husbands and wives, but there is no question of their giving birth
to children nor having sex life. In the Vaikuntha planets both husbands and
wives are extraordinarily beautiful, and they are attracted to one another,
but they do not enjoy sex life. Indeed, they consider sex not to be very
relishable because both husband and wife are always absorbed in Krsna
consciousness and in glorifying and chanting the glories of the Lord.

According to Bhaktivinoda Thakura also, a husband and wife can turn
the home into a place as good as Vaikuntha, even while in this material
world. Being absorbed in Krsna consciousness, even in this world husband
and wife can live in Vaikuntha simply by installing the Deity of the Lord
within the home and serving the Deity according to the directions of the
Sdstras. In this way, they will never feel the sex urge. That is the test
of advancement in devotional service. One who is advanced in devotional
service is never attracted by sex life, and as soon as one becomes detached
from sex life and proportionately attached to the service of the Lord, he
actually experiences living in the Vaikuntha planets. In the ultimate issue,
there is actually no material world, but when one forgets the service of the
Lord and engages himself in the service of his senses, he is said to be living
in the material world.

TEXT 30
sat Oy: aT ATT: |
wid Te sage «F132

itthambhutanubhavo ‘sau
prthuh sa bhagavattamah
