आब्रह्मभुवनाल्लोकाः पुनरावर्तिनोऽर्जुन ।मामुपेत्य तु कौन्तेय पुनर्जन्म न विद्यते ॥
ābrahmabhuvanāl lokāḥ punarāvartino 'rjuna | mām upetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate ||
- आब्रह्मभुवनात् · ābrahmabhuvanāt
- up to the world of Brahma
- लोकाः · lokāḥ
- worlds
- पुनरावर्तिनः · punarāvartinaḥ
- subject to return
- अर्जुन · arjuna
- O Arjuna
- माम् उपेत्य · mām upetya
- having reached me
- तु · tu
- but
- कौन्तेय · kaunteya
- O son of Kunti
- पुनर्जन्म · punarjanma
- rebirth
- न विद्यते · na vidyate
- does not exist
“All worlds up to the world of Brahma are subject to return, O Arjuna. But having reached me, O Kaunteya, there is no rebirth.”
— Original plain-language translation
Even the highest heaven within time is still within time — return applies there too. Only arrival at Krishna stands outside the cycle. The verse quietly subordinates cosmic grandeur to devotion's goal.
— Reader's notes (original)