The Brahma Samhita also confirms that the Lord, even though He is in the eternal abode of Goloka, is omnipresent, and that everything is going well (Goloka ena nivasatya khilātma bhūtaḥ). In the Vedas (Svetasvataro Upanishad 6.8) it is said: “Parasyashakti: variegata shruyate /svabhaviki jñāna balakriya cha” meaning that His powers are so widespread that even though the Lord is far away, they are guiding everything in the universe smoothly without any
yatra – what; kale – during the time; tu – and; anavrittim – will not return; avrittim – will return; ca – also; eva – certainly; yoginah – different types of yogis; prayatah – going away; yanti – will obtain; tam – that; kalam – time; vakshyam – I will explain; bharata rishabha – O best of the descendants of Bharata.
O best of the Bharatas! I will now explain to you at what times a yogi, having departed from this world, returns or does not return.
Purport: The devotees of the Lord, who are completely surrendered, do not care when or how they will give up their bodies. They leave everything in the hands of Krishna and go to the abode of the Lord very easily and comfortably. But those who are not devotees of the Lord, who rely on spiritual processes such as karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, and hatha-yoga, must give up their bodies at the appropriate time in order to decide whether or not to come to this world of birth and death.
If the Yogi is perfect, he chooses the right time and situation to leave this world. But if he is not very skillful, his success depends on his death at the right time, as a divine gift. The Lord has explained the right times to leave the body and not return in the coming sorrow. According to the opinion of Acharya Baladeva Vidya Bhushan, the Sanskrit word “kaalamu” used here refers to the god of time.
Agni: jyotih – light; ahah – day; suktaah – the new moon; shab maasu – then; prayatah – those who die; gachani – go; Brahma Parabrahma is six months, Uttarayana is when the sun travels north; tatra – for thought; brahma vidah – those who know Brahman; janah – people.
Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Brahman by leaving this world under the influence of the fire god, in the light, in the auspicious time of the day, in the Shuka Paksha, during the six months when the sun travels north.
Commentary: When fire, light, wind, and the new moon are mentioned, it should be understood that they have presiding deities and that they make arrangements for the departure of the living entity. At the time of death, the mind takes the living entity to another life path. As mentioned above, if a person leaves the body at a fixed time, either by divine decree or by arrangement, it is possible to attain the formless Brahmajyoti. Yogis who have advanced in the practice of yoga are able to decide the time and place for the departure of the body. Others have no control over it. If they leave the body at an auspicious time by divine decree, they will not return to the cycle of birth and death. Otherwise, there is a great chance that they will return. However, a pure devotee in Krishna consciousness, whether he leaves the body at an auspicious or inauspicious time, whether it is by divine decree or by special arrangement, has no fear of returning.
The smoke of the night is Krishna’s month, and the moon is in the south. | In that month, the Jyotiryogi attains enlightenment.
dhūmah – smoke; rattiḥ – night; tatha – similarly, krishnaḥ – the dark fortnight; shat masāḥ – six months, dakshina ayanam – when the sun travels in the south; tatra – there; dastramasam – to the moon world; jyotiḥ – the light; yogi – a yogi; prapya – having attained; nivartate – returns.
