Speaker: Śrī Kṛṣṇa
मामुपेत्य पुनर्जन्म दुःखालयमशाश्वतम् ।
नाप्नुवन्ति महात्मानः संसिद्धिं परमां गताः ॥१५॥
mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ
Word for word (synonyms)
- mām
- unto Me
- upetya
- achieving
- punaḥ
- again
- janma
- birth
- duḥkha-ālayam
- place of miseries
- aśāśvatam
- temporary
- na
- never
- āpnuvanti
- attain
- mahātmānaḥ
- the great souls
- saṁsiddhim
- perfection
- paramām
- ultimate
- gatāḥ
- achieved
Translation
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.
Defined in the Gītā
Mahātmā
Who is a mahātmā, a great soul?
O son of Pṛthā, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.
Yogī
Who is a real yogī?
The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work.
Purport
Since this temporary material world is full of the miseries of birth, old age, disease and death, naturally he who achieves the highest perfection and attains the supreme planet, Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana, does not wish to return. The supreme planet is described in Vedic literature as beyond our material vision, and it is considered the highest goal. The mahātmās (great souls) receive transcendental messages from the realized devotees and thus gradually develop devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become so absorbed in transcendental service that they no longer desire elevation to any of the material planets, nor do they even want to be transferred to any spiritual planet. They only want Kṛṣṇa's association and nothing else. Such great souls in Kṛṣṇa consciousness attain the highest perfection of life. In other words, they are the supreme souls.
What this verse teaches
The study note for this verse is in editorial review.
Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures 2
- Bhagavad-gītā 8.14–15 1966-10-28 · New York
- Bhagavad-gītā 8.15–20 1966-10-31 · New York
Articles on this verse 1
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.