mām upetya punar janma
duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam
nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ
saḿsiddhiḿ paramāḿ gatāḥ
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 8.15
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Since this temporary material world is full of the miseries of birth, old age, disease and death, naturally he who achieves the highest perfection and attains the supreme planet, Krishnaloka, Goloka Vrindavana, does not wish to return. The supreme planet is described in Vedic literature as avyakta and akshara and parama gati; in other words, that planet is beyond our material vision, and it is inexplicable, but it is the highest goal, the destination for the mahatmas (great souls). The mahatmas receive transcendental messages from the realized devotees and thus gradually develop devotional service in Krishna consciousness and become so absorbed in transcendental service that they no longer desire elevation to any of the material planets, nor do they even want to be transferred to any spiritual planet. They only want Krishna and Krishna’s association, and nothing else. That is the highest perfection of life. This verse specifically mentions the personalist devotees of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. These devotees in Krishna consciousness achieve the highest perfection of life. In other words, they are the supreme souls.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
What happens to the person who attains you? Attaining me, they do not attain birth again, which is full of suffering (duhkhalayam) and temporary, but attain a birth similar to mine, which is full of joy, because it is eternal. According to the Amara Kosa, sasvata means certain, eternal, continual, everlasting. When 1 take my birth, which is full of joy, spiritual, and eternal, in the house of Vasudeva, my devotees, being my eternal associates, will also take such birth, and not at other times. Other devotees attain perfection, but those who exclusively think of me (ananya cetah), attain the very highest perfection (paramam samsiddhim) – a position as an assistant in my pastimes. This indicates the observable superiority of kevala bhakta above all other types of devotees mentioned.
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
8.15 Having attained Me, they are not subject to rebirth, which leads to a condition that is transient and an abode of sorrow. These great souls, i.e., men of noble minds, worship and attains Me as the sorrow object of attainment; because they possess knowledge of My essential nature as it really is; they are unable to maintain or sustain themselves without Me, as I am exceedingly dear to them. With their minds deeply attached to Me and completely dependent on Me, they reach Me as the supreme goal. Sri Krsna next teaches the reason for the return to Samsara of those aspirants for Aisvarya (prosperity) and for the non-return to Samsara of those who have reached the Lord:
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Although the Lord Krishna is easily attainable by His devotees what does it mean? This is being answered here. The mahatmanah or great souls are His devotees and having attained Him they are released from samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and death having realised the purpose of human existence and reaching the highest perfection in Him are automatically granted moksa or liberation from the material existence and promotion to Vaikuntha the eternal spiritrual worlds.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
In this verse Lord Krishna praises that state of attainment itself. Attaining the Supreme Lord is solely the ultimate goal.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Just as the Lord Krishna is easily attainable by His exclusive devotees; other gods must be easily attainable to their votaries as well and grant them all their desires objects. If this is the case what is the difference between Lord Krishna’s devotees and the votaries of any other god? Lord Krishna answers this with the words mam upetya meaning having attained Him. Having attained the Supreme Lord what comes of it? The mahatmas or great souls are not subjected to rebirth ever again in the material existence for they have attained paramam samsiddhim the highest perfection. Because of their extraordinary discriminating powers such great, noble souls have correctly come to the ultimate conclusion that Lord Krishna is the ultimate goal for all living entities. Always thinking of Him, consciously performing all actions in propitiation to Him, having Him exclusively as their nearest and dearest, by the grace of the Supreme Lord who is eternal bliss personified one has qualified to join Him in His lilas or divine pastimes and eternally perform transcendental pastimes with Him in loving devotion. Attaining this automatically achieves moksa or liberation and released from the excruciating pangs of material existence beginning with 10 months of imprisonment in the womb of a mother then born in a house of sorrows known as the physical body and subjected to disease, old age and death again and again endlessly. No other god, gods or demigods can bequeath liberation from material existence except Lord Krishna and no other god, gods or demigods can sanction promotion to the eternal spiritual worlds except the Supreme Lord Krishna.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
8.15 Upetya mam, as a result of reaching Me who am God-as a result of realizing My nature; mahatmanah, the exalted ones, the monks; gatah, who have attained; the paramam, highest; samsiddhim, perfection, called Liberation; na, do not; apnuvanti, get; this kind of punarjanama, rebirth. As to what kind of rebirth they do not get, the Lord states its characteristics-duhkhalayam, which is an abode of sorrows, a resort of physical and other sorrows, i.e. a birth to which sorrows adhere. It is not merely an abode of sorrows, but also asavatam, impermanent, having no fixity of nature. On the other hand, those who do not reach Me, they come again. Again, ‘Is it that those who attain someone other than You return?’ This is being answered:
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
8.15 Mam upetya etc. In the next verse it is going to be asserted that from all others (other goals) one has to return back. But [in the present verse it is declared that ] ‘having attained Me, the Yogins do not again suffer from fear of rebirth etc.’
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
mām — Me; upetya — achieving; punaḥ — again; janma — birth; duḥkha-ālayam — place of miseries; aśāśvatam — temporary; na — never; āpnuvanti — attain; mahā-ātmānaḥ — the great souls; saḿsiddhim — perfection; paramām — ultimate; gatāḥ — having achieved.
