Chapter 9 · Shloka 21— The Yoga of Royal Knowledge & Royal Secret

te taṁ bhuktvā swarga-lokaṁ viśhālaṁ kṣhīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśhanti evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante

te

— they

tam

— that

bhuktvā

— having enjoyed

swarga-lokam

— heaven

viśhālam

— vast

kṣhīṇe

— at the exhaustion of

puṇye

— stock of merits

martya-lokam

— to the earthly plane

viśhanti

— return

evam

— thus

trayī dharmam

— the karm-kāṇḍ portion of the three Vedas

anuprapannāḥ

— follow

gata-āgatam

— repeated coming and going

kāma-kāmāḥ

— desiring objects of enjoyments

labhante

— attain

"Te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visalam ksine punye martya-lokam visanti, evam trayi-dharmam anuprapanna gatagatam kama-kama labhante." — Having enjoyed the vast heavenly world, when their merit is exhausted, they re-enter the world of mortals. Thus, following the dharma of the three Vedas, desiring objects of desire, they come and go. Krishna reveals the catch in the heaven-seeking path described in 9.20. 'Te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visalam' — having enjoyed (bhuktva) that vast (visala) heavenly world — 'ksine punye martya-lokam visanti' — when their merit (punya) is exhausted (ksina), they re-enter (visanti) the mortal world (martya-loka). The heavenly enjoyment, however vast and wonderful, lasts only as long as the merit that earned it. When that store of merit is used up, the soul falls back into the world of mortality and rebirth. The summary: 'evam trayi-dharmam anuprapanna gatagatam kama-kama labhante' — thus, following the dharma of the three Vedas (the ritualistic path aimed at rewards), 'desiring objects of desire' (kama-kama, those who desire desires), they obtain only 'gatagatam' — coming and going, repeated comings and goings, the endless round trip of rising to heaven and falling back to earth. Shankaracharya draws out the key phrase 'gatagatam' — going and coming, the round trip. This is the fate of all desire-driven worship: a perpetual cycle of attaining temporary rewards and then losing them, rising and falling, with no final arrival. The 'kama-kama' (desirers of desires) remain trapped in this oscillation because their fundamental orientation is toward temporary objects rather than the eternal Divine. This verse drives home the futility of aiming only at temporary rewards, however heavenly. The result is 'gatagatam' — an endless round trip with no real destination. You attain, you enjoy, you lose, you return, and the cycle repeats. This is precisely the cycle that the supreme goal (8.21) transcends. The teaching is a clear redirect: stop pursuing the endless round trip of temporary rewards, and aim instead for the one goal that ends the cycle — union with the eternal Divine.

Krishna delivers the key word: 'gatagatam' — coming and going, the endless round trip. Those who aim only at temporary rewards get exactly that: they attain, they enjoy, the reward runs out, they're back where they started, and the whole cycle repeats. No final arrival, just an exhausting loop. This describes a deeply familiar modern experience — the hedonic treadmill. You chase the goal, get it, enjoy the high briefly, the high fades, and you're back craving the next thing. Promotion, purchase, achievement, validation — attain, enjoy, lose the glow, repeat. It feels like progress but it's actually a round trip: you keep ending up exactly where you began, just more tired. Krishna's redirect is clear: the way out of the loop isn't to chase the rewards harder or faster — it's to stop aiming at the temporary altogether and orient toward something that doesn't run out. The treadmill has no finish line. Step off it. Aim at what actually ends the cycle.

Krishna delivers the key word: 'gatagatam' — coming and going, the endless round trip. Those who aim only at temporary rewards get exactly that: they attain, they enjoy, the reward runs out, they're back where they started, and the whole cycle repeats. No final arrival — just an exhausting loop. This describes a deeply familiar modern experience: the hedonic treadmill. You chase the goal, get it, enjoy the high briefly, the high fades, and you're back craving the next thing. Promotion, purchase, achievement, likes — attain, enjoy, lose the glow, repeat. It FEELS like progress but it's actually a round trip: you keep ending up exactly where you began, just more tired. Krishna's redirect is clear: the way out of the loop isn't chasing the rewards harder or faster — it's to stop aiming at the temporary altogether and orient toward something that doesn't run out. The treadmill has no finish line. Step off it. Aim at what actually ends the cycle.

Krishna reveals the catch in only seeking heavenly rewards: once you enjoy those wonderful heavenly pleasures and your 'good points' are used up, you come right back to the regular world again! Krishna calls this 'coming and going' — like a round trip with no final home. It's like riding a merry-go-round: you go up and down, around and around, but you never actually arrive anywhere new! It can be fun, but it just keeps repeating. The lesson: instead of chasing rewards that always run out and bring you back to start, aim for the greatest goal — lasting happiness with God that never, ever ends! Get off the merry-go-round and reach the real destination!