Vaikuṇṭha's eternal spiritual perfection far transcends material advancement, which is merely paper and illusion.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.1–12 — April 29, 1972, Tokyo 720429SB-TOKYO [44:27 Minutes] SB-02.09.01–12_720429SB-TOKYO Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting, etc.] [Prabhupāda and devotees respond] śrī-śuka uvāca ātma-māyām ṛte rājan parasyānubhavātmanaḥ na ghaṭetārtha-sambandhaḥ svapna-draṣṭur ivāñjasā [SB 2.9.1] bahu-rūpa ivābhāti māyayā bahu-rūpayā ramamāṇo guṇeṣv asyā mamāham iti manyate [SB 2.9.2] yarhi vāva mahimni sve parasmin kāla-māyayoḥ rameta gata-sammohas tyaktvodāste tadobhayam [SB 2.9.3] ātma-tattva-viśuddhy-arthaṁ yad āha bhagavān ṛtam brahmaṇe darśayan rūpam avyalīka-vratādṛtaḥ [SB 2.9.4] sa ādi-devo jagatāṁ paro guruḥ svadhiṣṇyam āsthāya sisṛkṣayaikṣata tāṁ nādhyagacchad dṛśam atra sammatāṁ prapañca-nirmāṇa-vidhir yayā bhavet [SB 2.9.5] sa cintayan dvy-akṣaram ekadāmbhasy upāśṛṇod dvir-gaditaṁ vaco vibhuḥ sparśeṣu yat ṣoḍaśam ekaviṁśaṁ niṣkiñcanānāṁ nṛpa yad dhanaṁ viduḥ [SB 2.9.6] niśamya tad-vaktṛ-didṛkṣayā diśo vilokya tatrānyad apaśyamānaḥ svadhiṣṇyam āsthāya vimṛśya tad-dhitaṁ tapasy upādiṣṭa ivādadhe manaḥ [SB 2.9.7] divyaṁ sahasrābdam amogha-darśano jitānilātmā vijitobhayendriyaḥ atapyata smākhila-loka-tāpanaṁ tapas tapīyāṁs tapatāṁ samāhitaḥ [SB 2.9.8] tasmai sva-lokaṁ bhagavān sabhājitaḥ sandarśayām āsa paraṁ na yat-param vyapeta-saṅkleśa-vimoha-sādhvasaṁ sva-dṛṣṭavadbhir puruṣair abhiṣṭutam [SB 2.9.9] pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ na yatra māyā kim utāpare harer anuvratā yatra surāsurārcitāḥ [SB 2.9.10] śyāmāvadātāḥ śata-patra-locanāḥ piśaṅga-vastrāḥ surucaḥ supeśasaḥ sarve catur-bāhava unmiṣan-maṇipraveka-niṣkābharaṇāḥ suvarcasaḥ [SB 2.9.11] Prabhupāda: [aside] Leave it. [devotees chant verse]
Devotee: What is that word bharaṇāḥ, ābharaṇāḥ, niṣkābharaṇāḥ? Pradyumna: Niṣkābharaṇāḥ. [more devotees chant verse, with Prabhupāda correcting pronunciation] [break] Pradyumna: "...ants of the Vaikuṇṭha planets are described as having a glowing sky-bluish complexion. Their eyes resemble the lotus flower, their dress is of yellowish color, and their bodily features very attractive.
They are just the age of growing youth. They all have four hands, they are all nicely decorated with pearl necklaces with ornamental medallions, and they all appear to be effulgent." Prabhupāda: So, still you are not prepared to go to Vaikuṇṭha? If we get this body, if we go to Vaikuṇṭha, four hands, catur-bāhavaḥ, four hands. You cannot see any human being here with four hands.
Although Kṛṣṇa is two-handed, but Nārāyaṇa, He is four-handed. Therefore when the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes on this platform... You have seen two hand, not four hand. Four hand is not for human being; it is only...
Brahmā has got four hand, and above him, in the spiritual world, all the inhabitants, they have got exactly the form like Viṣṇu. You cannot distinguish who is Viṣṇu and who is ordinary living being. But Viṣṇu has got some special feature on His chest. So by seeing that, He is recognized by the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī. Otherwise, just like here, if some big man comes, president, he looks like ordinary man, but he has got his badge.
By that badge one can understand that he is president or some big man. From generally body feature, bodily feature, one cannot understand distinction between Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, and the devotees. But there are special features of Lord Viṣṇu by which He can be... Then? Pradyumna: Purport: "The inhabitants in Vaikuṇṭhaloka are all personalities with spiritual bodily features not to be found in the material world. We can find the descriptions in the revealed scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Impersonal descriptions of transcendence in the scriptures indicate that the bodily features in Vaikuṇṭha are never to be seen in any part of the universe. As there are different bodily features in different places of a particular planet, or as there are different bodily features between bodies in different planets, similarly the bodily features of the inhabitants of the Vaikuṇṭhalokas are completely different from those in the material universe. For example, the four hands are distinct from two hands in this world." Prabhupāda: So in other planets also there are different types of body. Some of the bodies are prominent in earth, earthly body.