Shloka 4
Kapila’s Conclusion: Limits of Karma and Yoga; Supremacy of Bhakti and Qualification to Receive the Teaching
यदा चाहीन्द्रशय्यायां शेतेऽनन्तासनो हरि: । तदा लोका लयं यान्ति त एते गृहमेधिनाम् ॥ ४ ॥
yadā cāhīndra-śayyāyāṁ śete ’nantāsano hariḥ tadā lokā layaṁ yānti ta ete gṛha-medhinām
When Hari lies upon the serpent-bed of Ananta Śeṣa, all the worlds of the materialistic householders—even the heavenly realms such as the moon—are swallowed into dissolution (laya).
The materially attached are very eager to promote themselves to the heavenly planets such as the moon. There are many heavenly planets to which they aspire just to achieve more and more material happiness by getting a long duration of life and the paraphernalia for sense enjoyment. But the attached persons do not know that even if one goes to the highest planet, Brahmaloka, destruction exists there also. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that one can even go to the Brahmaloka, but still he will find the pangs of birth, death, disease and old age. Only by approaching the Lord’s abode, the Vaikuṇṭhaloka, does one not take birth again in this material world. The gṛhamedhīs, or materialistic persons, however, do not like to use this advantage. They would prefer to transmigrate perpetually from one body to another, or from one planet to another. They do not want the eternal, blissful life in knowledge in the kingdom of God.
FAQs
This verse states that when Lord Hari reclines on Ananta at dissolution, the worlds merge into annihilation—showing that the cosmos and its material arrangements are temporary and ultimately withdrawn by the Lord.
Kapila highlights that materialistic household endeavors—aimed mainly at enjoyment and worldly security—do not endure; they are swept away at pralaya, urging Devahūti toward lasting devotion to Hari.
Recognize the temporary nature of status, possessions, and plans; prioritize steady bhakti—hearing, chanting, and serving the Lord—so life’s center remains meaningful even amid change and loss.