Shloka 43
श्रेयो-धर्मकर्मविचारः
Inquiry into Śreyas, Dharma, and Karma
स देवलोके विहरत्यभीक्षणं ततकश्ष्युतो मानुषतामुपैति । संहारविक्षेपशतानि चाष्टौ मर्त्येषु तिष्ठत्यमृतत्वमेति
sa devaloke viharaty abhīkṣṇaṃ tataḥ kaścyuto mānuṣatām upaiti | saṃhāra-vikṣepa-śatāni cāṣṭau martyeṣu tiṣṭhaty amṛtatvam eti ||
毗湿摩说道：它屡屡游居天界；自彼处堕落时，便入人身。在凡世之中，它经历八百次坏灭与再展（解体与再投射）的循环，反复受生；其后凭吉祥善业，又复得天性之位——直至以至上之智（或一心之信爱）断绝来去之轮，而达解脱。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Heavenly enjoyment is not final: beings rise to devaloka by merit, fall again into human birth when that merit is exhausted, and continue through vast cosmic cycles. The only true end of this repeated movement is liberation, attained through highest knowledge or unwavering devotion.
In Bhishma’s instruction in the Shanti Parva, he describes the post-mortem trajectory of a being: repeated residence in devaloka, a fall into human existence, long continuation through cycles of dissolution and re-manifestation with repeated births, and a return to divine status through auspicious deeds—until moksha ends the cycle.