Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 60: Triśaṅku Blessed
Text 1.60.24
अयं राजा महाभाग गुरुशापपरिक्षतः।
सशरीरो दिवं यातुं नार्हत्येव तपोधन॥
ayaṁ rājā mahā-bhāga guru-śāpa-parikṣataḥ
saśarīro divaṁ yātuṁ nārhaty eva tapo-dhana
ayam = this; rājā = king; mahā-bhāga = O greatly opulent one; guru-śāpa-parikṣataḥ = destroyed by the curse of his gurus; sa-śarīraḥ = in his own body; divam = to the heavens; yātum = to go; na arhati eva = does not deserve; tapaḥ-dhana = enriched with asceticism.
O greatly opulent one enriched with asceticism, this king, destroyed by the curse of his gurus, does not deserve to go to the heavens in his own body.
1 Those who were nondefective brāhmaṇas or kṣatriyas or vaiśyas by quality on earth are eligible to reside in the heavenly planetary systems.
Svarga is meant to be populated by nondefective members of the higher three varṇas.1
NOTE. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa notes the following about the eligibility to reside in Svarga:
trai-vidyā māṁ soma-pāḥ pūta-pāpā
yajñair iṣṭvā svar-gatiṁ prārthayante
te puṇyam āsādya surendra-lokam
aśnanti divyān divi deva-bhogān
“Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on the pious, heavenly planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights.”
Triśaṅku had offended both Vasiṣṭha and Vasiṣṭha’s sons and so was not deemed sufficiently purified of sinful reactions to reside in the pious world of Indra. Viśvāmitra accepts this argument of the devas.