TEXT 26
śukla-kṛṣṇe gatī hy ete
jagataḥ śāśvate mate
ekayā yāty anāvṛttim
anyayāvartate punaḥ
śukla – light; kṛṣṇe – and darkness; gatī – ways of passing; hi – certainly; ete – these two; jagataḥ – of the material world; śāśvate – of the Vedas; mate – in the opinion; ekayā – by one; yāti – goes; anāvṛttim – to no return; anyayā – by the other; āvartate – comes back; punaḥ – again.
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world – one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
The same description of departure and return is quoted by Ācārya Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa from the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (5.10.3–5). Those who are fruitive laborers and philosophical speculators from time immemorial are constantly going and coming. Actually they do not attain ultimate salvation, for they do not surrender to Kṛṣṇa.