Text 28] The Island of Jambidvipa 267

let there be; varse—in the land; harih—the Supreme Personality of
Godhead; yat—wherein; bhajatam—of the devotees; Sam tanoti—ex-
pands the auspiciousness.

TRANSLATION

We are now living in the heavenly planets, undoubtedly as a
result of our having performed ritualistic ceremonies, pious ac-
tivities and yajnas and having studied the Vedas. However, our
lives here will one day be finished. We pray that at that time, if any
merit remains from our pious activities, we may again take birth in
Bharata-varsa as human beings able to remember the lotus feet of
the Lord. The Lord is so kind that He personally comes to the land
of Bharata-varsa and expands the good fortune of its people.

PURPORT

It is certainly as a result of pious activities that one takes birth in the
heavenly planets, but from those planets one must nevertheless come
down again to earth, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (ksine punye martya-
lokam viganti). Even the demigods must return to earth to work like or-
dinary men when the results of their pious activities expire. Neverthe-
less, the demigods desire to come to the land of Bharata-varsa if even a
smal] portion of the merits of their pious activities remains. In other
words, to take birth in Bharata-varsa, one must perform more pious ac-
tivities than the demigods. In Bharata-varsa one is naturally Krsna con-
scious, and if one further cultivates his Krsna consciousness, by the grace
of Krsna he certainly expands his good fortune by becoming perfect in
Krsna consciousness and very easily going back home, back to Godhead.
In many other places in the Vedic literature it is found that even the
demigods want to come to this land of Bharata-varsa. A foolish person
may desire to be promoted to the heavenly planets as a result of his pious
activities, but even the demigods from the heavenly planets want to come
to Bharata-varsa and achieve bodies that may be very easily used to culti-
vate Krsna consciousness. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
repeatedly says:

bharata bhimite haila manusya-janma yara
Janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara
