Consciousness at death determines the soul's next destination; devotion to Krishna secures eternal return.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.49 — December 26, 1973, Los Angeles 731226SB-LOS ANGELES [39:25 Minutes] SB-01.15.49_731226SB-LOS ANGELES Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] viduro 'pi parityajya prabhāse deham ātmanaḥ kṛṣṇāveśena tac-cittaḥ pitṛbhiḥ sva-kṣayaṁ yayau [SB 1.15.49] [break]
Prabhupāda: All right. Pradyumna: viduraḥ—Vidura (the uncle of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira); api—also; parityajya—after quitting the body; prabhāse—in the place of pilgrimage at Prabhāsa; deham ātmanaḥ—his body; kṛṣṇa—the Personality of Godhead; āveśena—being absorbed in that thought; tat—his; cittaḥ—thoughts and actions; pitṛbhiḥ—along with the residents of Pitṛloka; sva-kṣayam—his own abode; yayau—departed. [break] [03:28] Translation: "Vidura, while on pilgrimage, left his body at Prabhāsa. Because he was absorbed in thought of Lord Kṛṣṇa, he was received by the denizens of the Pitṛloka, where he returned to his original post." Prabhupāda: Hm.
This Vidura was Yamarāja. So he was cursed by one muni to go down and take birth in śūdra family. Yamarāja was very exalted post, but still... Yamarāja means the superintendent of death.
There is Pitṛloka, Yamaloka, different planets. And where each planet is situated, how many miles, yojana... The Sanskrit is called yojana. Yojana means eight miles.
So how many yojana is one planet situated from the another planet, that is all described in the Bhāgavata, Fifth Canto. So there is a Pitṛloka, Yamaloka. Just like the moon planet, we are trying to go there, but there are different lokas, planets, and you can go—not by the sputnik, by force. No. You'll have to qualify yourself.
Just like to come to your country, to take the permanent visa, I had to qualify in so many ways the immigration department, not by force. Even in this planet, you cannot enter any country without being permitted. How you can enter other planets? Simply by force?
No, that is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān [Bg. 9.25]. A person can go to the planets of the demigods, devān. There are many demigods: Indra, Candra, Varuṇa, Vāyu.