258 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 15

dravya-stiksma-vipakah—the paraphernalia offered as oblations in
the fire, such as food grains mixed with ghee; ca—and; dhimah—
turned to smoke, or the demigod in charge of smoke; rdtrih—the
demigod in charge of night; apaksayah—in the dark fortnight of the
moon; ayanam—the demigod in charge of the passing of the sun;
daksinam—in the southern zone; somah—the moon; darsah—return-
ing; osadhi—plant life (on the surface of the earth); virudhah—vegeta-
tion in general (the birth of lamentation); annam—food grains; retah—
semen; iti—in this way; ksma-isa—O King Yudhisthira, lord of the
earth; pitr-yanam—the way of taking birth from the father’s semen;
punah-bhavah—again and again; eka-ekasyena—one after another;
anuptirvam—successively, according to the gradation; bhitva—taking
birth; bhutvd —again taking birth; iha—in this material world; jayate—
one exists in the materialistic way of life.

TRANSLATION

My dear King Yudhisthira, when oblations of ghee and food
grains like barley and sesame are offered in sacrifice, they turn
into celestial smoke, which carries one to successively higher
planetary systems like the kingdoms of Dhuma, Ratri, Krsnapaksa,
Daksinam and ultimately the moon. Then, however, the perfor-
mers of sacrifice descend again to earth to become herbs, creepers,
vegetables and food grains. These are eaten by different living en-
tities and turned to semen, which is injected into female bodies.
Thus one takes birth again and again.

PURPORT
This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.21):

te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visdlam
ksine punye martya-lokam visanti
evar trayi-dharmam anuprapanna

gatdgatarn kima-kama labhante

“When those who follow the pravrtti-mdrga have enjoyed heavenly
sense pleasure, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through
the Vedic principles, they achieve only flickering happiness.” Following
