टीका

Commentary

This verse describes the second path — the pitriyana or path of the ancestors, also called the path of darkness. In contrast to the luminous conditions of the previous verse, here the conditions are characterized by their relative obscurity: smoke (dhooma), night (raatri), the dark fortnight (krishna paksha), and Dakshinayana (the six months when the sun moves southward).

The yogi who departs under these conditions does not attain the supreme destination but reaches Chandraloka — the realm of the moon. This is not the physical moon as understood by modern astronomy, but the celestial plane presided over by the moon-god, Chandra. There, according to the Vedic understanding, elevated souls enjoy heavenly pleasures for extended periods before eventually exhausting their pious credits and returning to earthly existence.

Srila Prabhupada references the Srimad Bhagavatam’s third canto, where Kapila Muni explains that those who are expert in fruitive activities (karma-kanda) and sacrificial rites (yajna-kanda) attain Chandraloka upon death. These great souls dwell on the moon for approximately ten thousand years (by the reckoning of the demigods), enjoying the pleasures of life and drinking soma-rasa — the celestial nectar. However, eventually they return to earth.

The key lesson is clear: even elevated spiritual attainments within the material cosmos are temporary. The yogi who reaches Chandraloka comes back — nivartate. Only the path described in verse 24 leads to permanent liberation, and even that path is surpassed by pure devotion to Krishna, which guarantees the supreme abode regardless of any external circumstance.

The Impermanence of Heavenly Attainment

This verse reinforces a teaching that appears throughout the Gita: all material destinations, no matter how exalted, are temporary. Chandraloka represents the highest attainment of the karma-yogi — a place of celestial pleasure and extended lifespan. Yet even this is subject to the law of return. The soul that reaches Chandraloka enjoys enormously, but ultimately falls back to earthly existence when its accumulated merit is exhausted. Only the supreme abode of Krishna is truly eternal.