Bhagavad Gītā · Chapter 9, Verse 21
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति।
एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते।।
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति।
एव त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते।।
te taṁ bhuktvā swarga-lokaṁ viśālaṁ
kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti
evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā
gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante
also searched as "te tam bhuktva swarga-lokam vishalam"
Translation
Having enjoyed the spacious world of heaven, they return to the world of mortals, their merit having been exhausted. Thus, those who follow the Vedic rituals and are drawn by desires come and go.
Vāṇi's rendering
They enjoy heaven's vast world; when merit runs dry, they fall back. Desire keeps them coming and going.
Word by word
| Sanskrit & transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|
| तेte | they |
| तंtaṁ | that (heaven, just described) |
| भुक्त्वाbhuktvā | having enjoyed, having consumed |
| स्वर्गलोकंsvarga-lokaṁ | the world of heaven |
| विशालंviśālaṁ | vast, spacious |
| क्षीणेkṣīṇe | when it is spent, exhausted |
| पुण्येpuṇye | the store of merit |
| मर्त्यलोकंmartya-lokaṁ | the world of mortals, the place where things die |
| विशन्तिviśanti | they enter, they re-enter |
| एवंevaṁ | thus, in this way |
| त्रयीधर्मम्trayī-dharmam | the ritual duty laid down by the three Vedas |
| अनुप्रपन्नाःanuprapannā | closely following, having taken as their course |
| गतागतंgatāgataṁ | going and returning, the round trip |
| कामकामाःkāma-kāmā | those whose desire is for desirable things |
| लभन्तेlabhante | they obtain, they get |
Frequently asked
What does Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 Verse 21 mean?
It means heaven is earned and therefore spendable. Ritual merit purchases a long, bright stay in svarga; when the merit is used up, the same person re-enters the world of mortals. Krishna is describing an account, not a home. What desire buys, desire must eventually surrender.
What does te tam bhuktva swarga-lokam vishalam teach about heaven?
That heaven's vastness is not the same as heaven's permanence. Krishna grants the ritualists their reward fully — the world they reached is real and spacious. He simply notes when it ends. Anything you enter by accumulating, you leave by exhausting.
Is Krishna criticising Vedic ritual in this verse?
No. He is measuring it. The trayī-dharma works; it delivers what it promises. But a practice aimed at enjoyment returns you to the place where enjoyment runs out. Krishna is not saying the ritual fails — he is saying its success has an expiry date.
Why does desire cause coming and going?
Because desire always names something outside you, and whatever is outside can be gained and lost. Kāma-kāmā — desiring the desirable — sets the whole motion turning. The one who wants nothing added has nowhere to travel to. Watch what you want; that is where you will next be sent.
How does this verse relate to karma and rebirth?
Merit is karma with a good flavour, and karma of any flavour must complete itself somewhere. Good acts place you high, then set you down again. Rebirth here is not punishment; it is arithmetic. Only action offered without wanting leaves nothing to be paid back.
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Commentary
Heaven here is not a destination but a balance being spent. Merit buys the stay; when merit runs dry, so does the stay, and the door swings back. Krishna is not mocking the ritualists — they receive exactly what they asked for. That is the problem. Desire sets the ceiling, and the ceiling is temporary. Ask for pleasure and you will be given pleasure, and then given the end of it. Arjuna wants a good outcome; Krishna keeps moving him toward something that does not expire. Look at what you ask for when you pray. If the answer has a shelf life, so will your peace.