Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 3.16.27
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesVaikuṇṭha Is Complete and Self-Illuminated
“Lord Brahmā said: After seeing the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the self-illuminated Vaikuṇṭha planet, the sages left that transcendental abode.”
What the purport teaches
- After seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead in Vaikuṇṭha, the sages departed from that transcendental abode.
- The spiritual planets need no sun, moon or electricity. They are self-illuminated, self-sufficient and complete.
- Lord Kṛṣṇa says that one who reaches Vaikuṇṭha never returns to the material world. Jaya and Vijaya were a different case: they came here temporarily and then returned.
Try this today
Read the translation slowly and spend a quiet moment reflecting on the Lord’s self-illuminated abode.
Ask yourself
What does Vaikuṇṭha’s completeness help me appreciate about the Lord’s abode?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.