yad bhrÄjamÄnaá¹ sva-rucaiva sarvato
lokÄs trayo hy anu vibhrÄjanta ete
yan nÄvrajañ jantuá¹£u ye 'nanugrahÄ
vrajanti bhadrÄṇi caranti ye 'niÅ›am
yat - which planet; bhrÄjamÄnam - illuminating; sva-rucÄ - by self-effulgence; eva - only; sarvataḥ - everywhere; lokÄḥ - planetary systems; trayaḥ - three; hi - certainly; anu - thereupon; vibhrÄjante - give off light; ete - these; yat - which planet; na - not; avrajan - have reached; jantuá¹£u - to living entities; ye - those who; ananugrahÄḥ - not merciful; vrajanti - reach; bhadrÄṇi - welfare activities; caranti - engage in; ye - those who; aniÅ›am - constantly.
Here is a description of two aspects of the Vaikuṇá¹ha planets. The first is that in the Vaikuṇá¹ha sky there is no need of the sun and moon. This is confirmed by the Upaniá¹£ads as well as Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (na tad bhÄsayate sÅ«ryo na Å›aÅ›Äá¹…ko na pÄvakaḥ). In the spiritual world the Vaikuṇá¹halokas are themselves illuminated; there is therefore no need of sun, moon or electric light. It is in fact the illumination of the Vaikuṇá¹halokas which is reflected in the material sky. Only by this reflection are the suns in the material universes illuminated; after the illumination of the sun, all the stars and moons are illuminated. In other words, all the luminaries in the material sky borrow illumination from Vaikuṇá¹haloka. From this material world, however, people can be transferred to the Vaikuṇá¹haloka, if they incessantly engage in welfare activities for all other living entities. Such incessant welfare activities can really be performed only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no philanthropic work within this material world but Kṛṣṇa consciousness that can engage a person twenty-four hours a day.
A Kṛṣṇa conscious being is always engaged in planning how to take all of suffering humanity back home, back to Godhead. Even if one is not successful in reclaiming all the fallen souls back to Godhead, still, because he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, his path to Vaikuṇá¹haloka is open. He personally becomes qualified to enter the Vaikuṇá¹halokas, and if anyone follows such a devotee, he also enters into Vaikuṇá¹haloka. Others, who engage in envious activities, are known as karmÄ«s. KarmÄ«s are envious of one another. Simply for sense gratification, they can kill thousands of innocent animals. JñÄnÄ«s are not as sinful as karmÄ«s, but they do not try to reclaim others back to Godhead. They perform austerities for their own liberation. YogÄ«s are also engaged in self-aggrandizement by trying to attain mystic powers. But devotees, Vaiṣṇavas, who are servants of the Lord, come forward in the actual field of work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to reclaim fallen souls. Only Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are eligible to enter into the spiritual world. That is clearly stated in this verse and is confirmed in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ, wherein the Lord says that there is no one dearer to Him than those who preach the gospel of Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ to the world.