SB 11.20.12 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

स्वर्गिणोऽप्येतमिच्छन्ति लोकं निरयिणस्तथा । साधकं ज्ञानभक्तिभ्यामुभयं तदसाधकम् ॥ १२ ॥

Verse text

svargiṇo ’py etam icchanti lokaṁ nirayiṇas tathā sādhakaṁ jṣāna-bhaktibhyām ubhayaṁ tad-asādhakam

Synonyms

svargiṇaḥ — the residents of the heavenly planets ; api — even ; etam — this ; icchanti — desire ; lokam — earth planet ; nirayiṇaḥ — the residents of hell ; tathā — in the same way ; sādhakam — leading to achievement ; jṣāna — bhaktibhyām — of transcendental knowledge and love of Godhead ; ubhayam — both (heaven and hell) ; tat — for that perfection ; asādhakam — not useful .

Translation

The residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human life facilitates the achievement of transcendental knowledge and love of Godhead, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies efficiently provide such opportunities.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human life facilitates jṣāna and bhakti, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies provide such opportunities. Kṛṣṇa praises the human body for attaining liberation and prema in six verses. Human life produces jṣāna and bhakti. Heavenly or hellish bodies do not produce these.

Purport

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that in material heaven one becomes absorbed in extraordinary sense gratification and in hell one is absorbed in suffering. In both cases there is little impetus to acquire transcendental knowledge or pure love of Godhead. Excessive suffering or excessive enjoyment are thus impediments to spiritual advancement.