Text 11] The Descent of the River Ganges 133
TRANSLATION
Among the nine varsas, the tract of land known as Bharata-varsa
is understood to be the field of fruitive activities. Learned scholars
and saintly persons declare the other eight varsas to be meant for
very highly elevated pious persons. After returning from the
heavenly planets, they enjoy the remaining results of their pious
activities in these eight earthly varsas.
PURPORT
The heavenly places of enjoyment are divided into three groups: the
celestial heavenly planets, the heavenly places on earth, and the bila
heavenly places, which are found in the lower regions. Among these
three classes of heavenly places (bhauma-svarga-padani), the heavenly
places on earth are the eight varsas other than Bharata-varsa. In
Bhagavad-gita (9.21) Krsna says, ksine punye martya-lokarh visanti:
when the persons living in the heavenly planets exhaust the results of
their pious activities, they return to this earth. In this way, they are ele-
vated to the heavenly planets, and then they again fall to the earthly
planets. This process is known as brahmanda bhramana, wandering up
and down throughout the universes. Those who are intelligent —in other
words, those who have not lost their intelligence—do not involve them-
selves in this process of wandering up and down. They take to the devo-
tional service of the Lord so that they can ultimately penetrate the
covering of this universe and enter the spiritual kingdom. Then they are
situated on one of the planets known as Vaikunthaloka or, still higher.
Krsnaloka (Goloka Vrndavana). A devotee is never caught in the process
of being promoted to the heavenly planets and again coming down.
Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says:
ei ripe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
Among all the living entities wandering throughout the universe. one
who is most fortunate comes in contact with a representative of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus gets the opportunity to exe-
cute devotional service. Those who are sincerely seeking the favor of
