Text 3
tac-chraddhayākrānta-matiḥ
pitṛ-deva-vrataḥ pumān
gatvā cāndramasaṁ lokaṁ
soma-pāḥ punar eṣyati
tat — to the demigods and forefathers; śraddhayā — with reverence; ākrānta — overcome; matiḥ — his mind; pitṛ — to the forefathers; deva — to the demigods; vrataḥ — his vow; pumān — the person; gatvā — having gone; cāndramasam — to the moon; lokam — planet; soma-pāḥ — drinking soma juice; punaḥ — again; eṣyati — will return.
Such materialistic persons, attracted by sense gratification and devoted to the forefathers and demigods, can be elevated to the moon, where they drink an extract of the soma plant. They again return to this planet.
The moon is considered one of the planets of the heavenly kingdom. One can be promoted to this planet by executing different sacrifices recommended in the Vedic literature, such as pious activities in worshiping the demigods and forefathers with rigidity and vows. But one cannot remain there for a very long time. Life on the moon is said to last ten thousand years according to the calculation of the demigods. The demigods’ time is calculated in such a way that one day (twelve hours) is equal to six months on this planet. It is not possible to reach the moon by any material vehicle like a sputnik, but persons who are attracted by material enjoyment can go to the moon by pious activities. In spite of being promoted to the moon, however, one has to come back to this earth again when the merits of his works in sacrifice are finished. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (9.21): te taṁ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālaṁ kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti.