Verse 9.21

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 9.21:

ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्ग-लोकं विशालं क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्य-लोकं विशन्ति ।
एवं त्रयी-धर्मम् अनुप्रपन्ना गतागतं काम-कामा लभन्ते ॥ २१ ॥

te taṃ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṃ viśālaṃ kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṃ viśanti |
evaṃ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā gatāgataṃ kāma-kāmā labhante || 21 ||

te–they; tam–that; bhuktvā–having enjoyed; svarga-lokam–planets of heaven; viśālam–vast; kṣīṇe–is exhausted; puṇye–when pious merit; martya-lokam–the region of mortals; viśanti–enter; evam–thus; trayī-dharmam–the karma-kāṇḍa portions of the three Vedas (that describe obligatory duties); anuprapannāḥ–in accordance with; gata-āgatam–repeated going and coming (from Earth to heaven); kāma-kāmāḥ–those desiring sense pleasures; labhante–achieve.

When their pious merit is exhausted, they again fall to the mortal world, having enjoyed the pleasures of the immense celestial realm. In this way, those who desire sense pleasures and who perform fruitive activities as described in the three Vedas receive only repeated birth and death within this material world.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Ṭīkā

(By Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura; the innermost intention of the commentary named ‘the shower of essential meanings’)

Gata-āgatam means ‘repeated birth and death’.

Commentary: Sārārtha-Varṣiṇī Prakāśikā-vṛtti

(By Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja; the explanation that illuminates the commentary named Sārārtha-varṣiṇī)

Those who desire material pleasures, as described in the previous verse, and who are averse to Bhagavān, again fall into this earthly world after enjoying celestial pleasure. They receive the result of taking birth repeatedly.

This is also confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.32.2):

sa cāpi bhagavad-dharmāt kāma-mūḍhaḥ parāṅ-mukhaḥ
yajate kratubhir devān pitṝṃś ca śraddhayānvitaḥ

With their faith in the path of fruitive activity and being averse to the natural religion of the soul, which is worship of the Supreme Lord, such persons are bewildered by material desires and perform various types of yajñas to worship material demigods and the forefathers.

karma-vallīm avalambya tata āpadaḥ kathañcin narakād
vimuktaḥ punar apy evaṃ saṃsārādhvani vartamāno
nara-loka-sārtham upayāti evam upari gato’pi

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (5.14.41)

In this way, living beings achieve the heavenly planets by taking refuge in the creeper of fruitive activity. Thus they attain temporary relief from the miseries of hell. When their piety is exhausted, however, they again enter the world of birth and death.

tāvat sa modate svarge yāvat puṇyaṃ samāpyate
kṣīṇa-puṇyaḥ pataty arvāg anicchan kāla-cālitaḥ

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.10.26)

They enjoy the pleasures of the heavenly planets until their piety has been exhausted. They then reluctantly fall back down, being impelled by the power of time.