When those who are well-read in the three Vedas and who know the prescriptions laid down for the rituals, perform those sacred acts of devotion and sacrifice with a desire to enjoy the celestial bliss, “THEY COME TO ENJOY, IN HEAVEN, THE DIVINE PLEASURES OF THE DEVAS.”

The Soma drink is the milky juice of a creeper-plant which is used in the rituals and taken in very small quantities at the end of the function. Thus, the phrase “DRINKING THE SOMA-JUICE” is to be understood as ‘when the performance of the ritual has concluded.’

These desire-prompted ritualisms yield finite results and Krishna indicates that these ego-centres, after having enjoyed in the celestial realms, “ENTER THE MORTAL WORLD ON EXHAUSTION OF THEIR MERITS.”The disgust which the Lord feels for such men and their unintelligent seeking for the finite, is clearly expressed when He concludes how these ritualists, ”

ABIDING BY THE INJUNCTIONS OF THE THREE VEDAS, DESIRING DESIRES. THEY REPEATEDLY COME AND GO.”

WHAT ABOUT THOSE MEN WHO WORSHIP THE ETERNAL WITH DESIRELESS LOVE, AS THE SUBSTRATUM FOR THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE?

Bhuktva, after having enjoyed; tam, that: visalam, vast; svargalokam, heavenly world; te, they; visanti, enter into; this martyalokam, human world; ksine, on the exhaustion; of their punye, merit. Evam, thus, indeed; anuprapannah, those who follow in the manner described; trai-dharmyam, [A variant reading is trayi-dharmam.-Tr.] the rites and duties prescribed in the three Vedas-merely the Vedic rites and duties; and are kama-kamah, desirous of pleasures; labhante, attain; only gata-agatam, the state of going and returning, but never that of independence. This is the meaning.