Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 26
Karma-vāda Critiqued, Varṇāśrama Reframed, and the Soul’s Distinction from the Body
तावत् स मोदते स्वर्गे यावत् पुण्यं समाप्यते । क्षीणपुण्य: पतत्यर्वागनिच्छन् कालचालित: ॥ २६ ॥
tāvat sa modate svarge yāvat puṇyaṁ samāpyate kṣīṇa-puṇyaḥ pataty arvāg anicchan kāla-cālitaḥ
Solange sein Verdienst währt, erfreut er sich im Himmel. Ist das Verdienst jedoch erschöpft, fällt er, auch wider Willen, nach unten, vom Druck der Zeit bewegt.
FAQs
This verse states that heavenly enjoyment lasts only until one’s stored piety (puṇya) is exhausted; afterward the soul must fall again to lower worlds under the control of time.
In the Uddhava Gita, Kṛṣṇa teaches Uddhava the limits of fruitive merit and rituals, encouraging detachment and pursuit of devotion and liberation beyond temporary heavenly rewards.
Do good deeds without chasing temporary “heavenly” results (status, comfort, prestige), and invest in lasting spiritual practice—bhakti, self-control, and wisdom—since time inevitably changes all material gains.