artho 'yam brahma-sutranam - Suhotra Maharaja Archives

anupurvasah--consecutively; atma-yaji--one who is eager for selfrealization;
upasanta-atma--completely free from all material desires;
hi--indeed; atma-sthah--situated in his own self; na--not; nivartate--
does return.
TRANSLATION
This gradual process of elevation for self-realization is meant
for those who are truly aware of the Absolute Truth. After repeated
birth on this path, which is known as deva-yana, one attains these
consecutive stages. One who is completely free from all material
desires, being situated in the self, need not traverse the path of
repeated birth and death.
7.15.50-51
dravya-suksma-vipakas ca
dhumo ratrir apaksayah
ayanam daksinam somo
darsa osadhi-virudhah
annam reta iti ksmesa
pitr-yanam punar-bhavah
ekaikasyenanupurvam
bhutva bhutveha jayate
dravya-suksma-vipakah--the paraphernalia offered as oblations in the
fire, such as food grains mixed with ghee; ca--and; dhumah--turned to
smoke, or the demigod in charge of smoke; ratrih--the demigod in charge
of night; apaksayah--in the dark fortni ght of the moon; ayanam--the
demigod in charge of the passing of the sun; daksinam--in the southern
zone; somah--the moon; darsah--returning; osadhi--plant life (on the
surface of the earth); virudhah--vegetation 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; anupurvam--successively, according to
the gradation; bhutva--taking birth; bhutva--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, Krsna paksa, Daksinam and
ultimately the moon. Then, however, the performers of sacrifice descend
again to earth to become herbs, creepers, vegetables and food grains.
These are eaten by different living entities and turned to semen, which
is injected into female bodies. Thus one takes birth again and again.
From the purport:
This is explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.21):
te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visalam
ksine punye martya-lokam visanti
evam trayi-dhamaam anuprapanna
gatagatam kama-kama labhante
"When those who follow the pravrtti-marga have enjoyed heavenly
sense pleasure, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through
the Vedic principles, they achieve only flickering happiness."
Following the pravrtti-marga, the living entity who desires to be
promoted to the higher planetary systems performs sacrifices
regularly, and how he goes up and comes down again is described here
in Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as in Bhagavad-gita. It is also said,
traigunya-visaya vedah: "The Vedas deal mainly with the three modes of
material nature." The Vedas, especially three Vedas, namely Sama, Yajur
and Rk, vividly describe this process of ascending to the higher
planets and returning. But Krsna advises Arjuna, traigunya-visaya veda