आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन।
मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते।।8.16।।
।।8.16।।हे अर्जुन ब्रह्मलोकतक सभी लोक पुनरावर्ती हैं परन्तु हे कौन्तेय मुझे प्राप्त होनेपर पुनर्जन्म नहीं होता।
8.16 O Arjuna, all the lokah, worlds; abrahma-bhuvanat, together with the world of Brahma-bhuvana is that (place) in which creatures are born, and brahma-bhuvana means the world of Brahma; punah avartinah, are subject to return, are by nature liable to come again; Tu, but; kaunteya, O son of Kunti, na vidyate, there is no; punarjanma, rirth; upetya, after reaching; mam, Me alone. Why are all the worlds together with the realm of Brahma subject to return? Becuase they are limited by time. How?
8.16 A Brhma etc. [This verse] has been interpreted by all as There is rirth even for those who have reached the world of Brhma (the personal god). If this interpretation is accepted, then it would amount to the proposition that going to the worlds that are higher than that [of Brahma], is emancipation [from rirth]. However according to us, with our inner sight blurred by the powerful darkness of doubt, this interpretation does not seem to touch the heart [of the text]. Hence, the following is the wick of the lamp brought from the Agama literature : Till Brahman : Till the status of the Supreme Brahman is attained. Till then all are subject to return (to rirth) from each and every world, whether it lies adjacently, or above or below [the world of Brahman]; men run round like a wheel wandering without stop from one place to another. But who knows in this manner viz., from all the world there is return ? For, it is heard [in the Puranas] that [the personal gods like] Brahma etc., themselves exist indeed for a very long period. How is it that they too are subject to return again ? If they are subject to return, will they not be of the nature of having birth and death ? Expecting this objection, [the Lord] says :
8.16 All the worlds, from the realm of Brahma included in the Brahmanda (cosmic sphere), are spheres in which experiences conferring Aisvarya (prosperity and power) can be obtained. But they are destructible and those who attain them are subject to return. Therefore destruction, i.e., return is unavoidable for the aspirants for Aisvarya, as the regions where it is attained perish. On the contrary there is no rirth to those who attain Me, the Omniscient, who has true resolves, whose sport is creation, sustentation and dissolution of the entire universe, who is supremely compassionate and who is always of the same form. For these reasons there is no destruction in the case of those who attain Me. He now elucidates the time-period settled by the Supreme Persons will in regard to the evolution and dissolution of the worlds upto the cosmic sphere of Brahma and of those who are within them.
Aabrahmabhuvanaallokaah punaraavartino’rjuna; Maamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate.
ā-brahma-bhuvanāt—up to the abode of Brahma; lokāḥ—worlds; punaḥ āvartinaḥ—subject to rebirth; arjuna—Arjun; mām—Mine; upetya—having attained; tu—but; kaunteya—Arjun, the son of Kunti; punaḥ janma—rebirth; na—never; vidyate—is
