Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 8: Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations

Chapter 11: King Indra Annihilates the Demons. Text 5

आरुरुक्षन्ति मायाभिरुत्सिसृप्सन्ति ये दिवम् ।
तान्दस्यून्विधुनोम्यज्ञान्पूर्वस्माच्च पदादधः ॥५॥

Äruruká¹£anti mÄyÄbhir
utsisá¹›psanti ye divam
tÄn dasyÅ«n vidhunomy ajñÄn
pÅ«rvasmÄc ca padÄd adhaḥ

 Äruruká¹£anti - persons who desire to come to the upper planetary systems; mÄyÄbhiḥ - by so-called mystic power or material advancement of science; utsisá¹›psanti - or want to be liberated by such false attempts; ye - such persons who; divam - the higher planetary system known as Svargaloka; tÄn - such rogues and ruffians; dasyÅ«n - such thieves; vidhunomi - I force to go down; ajñÄn - rascals; pÅ«rvasmÄt - previous; ca - also; padÄt - from the position; adhaḥ - downward.


Text

Those fools and rascals who want to ascend to the upper planetary system by mystic power or mechanical means, or who endeavor to cross even the upper planets and achieve the spiritual world or liberation, I cause to be sent to the lowest region of the universe.

Purport

There are undoubtedly different planetary systems for different persons. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ (14.18), Å«rdhvaá¹ gacchanti sattva-sthÄḥ: persons in the mode of goodness can go to the upper planets. Those in the modes of darkness and passion, however, are not allowed to enter the higher planets. The word divam refers to the higher planetary system known as Svargaloka. Indra, King of the higher planetary system, has the power to push down any conditioned soul attempting to go from the lower to the higher planets without proper qualifications. The modern attempt to go to the moon is also an attempt by inferior men to go to Svargaloka by artificial, mechanical means. This attempt cannot be successful. From this statement of Indra it appears that anyone attempting to go to the higher planetary systems by mechanical means, which are here called mÄyÄ, is condemned to go to the hellish planets in the lower portion of the universe. To go to the higher planetary system, one needs sufficient good qualities. A sinful person situated in the mode of ignorance and addicted to drinking, meat-eating and illicit sex will never enter the higher planets by mechanical means.