What exactly does Arjuna encountering higher realms while going north refer to?

The Mahabharata states that Arjuna went north, encountered higher beings and turned back. How do we make sense of this?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Question from Sirish Kumar. When you mentioned in a class that when Arjuna went towards the north, he encountered the higher realms like the heavenly planets and he was told that he cannot go any further and he should return back. So, what exactly does this mean? Answer.
Actually, there are certain parts of the universe which connect in a mystical way with certain parts of the earth. For example, we know generally that the Bhulok Vrindavan is connected with the Golok Vrindavan. This is the connection between directly the material world and the spiritual world.
So, this is certainly an example of an extraordinary connection from material to spiritual. But there are also connections between material to material to certain level. For example, we know the Ganga comes from the heavenly planets.
From the material point of view, the Ganga dominates in both the Himalayas. So, there is a subtle connection between the celestial Ganga and the terrestrial Ganga on the earth. Similarly, there are certain areas, for example, there is a Kailash Parvat on the earth.
But then there is also a Kailash Parvat, that is the abode of Lord Shiva. And if you look at the dimensions of the Kailash Parvat that are described as the abode of Lord Shiva in the Bhagavatam, they are much much bigger. So, that indicates that Lord Shiva’s abode has multiple manifestations and they are mystically connected.
So, those people who have the yogic qualifications, they can utilize the mystical connections to go from one level to another level. So, there is a corresponding similar concept in modern science. In modern science, when vast distances are to be covered, they are not possible through normal rules of physics.
Because normal rules of physics, they limit us to the speed of light. And even the nearest star is so far away that interstellar travel would be impossible, given the current limitations, not just of technology, but of physics itself. Therefore, many scientists have proposed a concept called space-time wormholes.
So, currently scientists envision space-time to be not a flat surface, but a circular surface. So, just as a worm can go across a circular surface, that will take the worm much longer time. The worm can penetrate through the surface, and if it makes a hole and goes through, it will go much faster.
So, this is the staple of most science fiction movies now about how space travel is possible. And many scientists feel that in future, it may work out that through wormholes, distant areas of the universe may be accessible. So, wormholes are basically an idea by which the normal limitations of space-time are avoided or transcended through materials.
So, the devotee scientists explain that there is something similar, not exactly, but something similar. So, the idea that there can be mystical connections or mystical or mysterious connections between different levels or different areas of the universe is something which has parallels in modern science also. But in the Vedic context, these connections are not just mechanical connections, they are connections which are also overseen by higher agencies.
So, there are examples like this of beings, say somebody enters into the Ganga over here, and there are stories in the Puranas, for example, Indra Maharaj enters into a river, and from that river, he is transported to Varanadagu. Now, Varanadagu is not simple, simplistic, we just go at the bottom of the river and there is Varunas. Varunas palace is so big, sometimes bigger than even the size of the river also, at least the breadth of the river, the depth of the river.
So, actually, through there, he goes over. So, there are references to this sort of mystical transfers, quite common in the Puranas. So, these are explained as higher connections which are there.
So, these connections may be material-spiritual or they may be material-subtle. So, when Arjuna went physically upwards, physically he came up to a limit, and then he was told that you cannot go beyond this limit. So, Arjuna respected that order, and he said that he wants to establish Yudhishthira as a ruler of the earth, and that part was not considered to be a part of the earth.
Therefore, he came back, and the king also said that we have no objection to accepting Yudhishthira as the ruler of the world. So, we offer you our blessings and our good wishes for this purpose. So, basically, the point I was making is that there are references in the Mahabharata that there are areas where we cannot access in the universe, and it requires a certain kind of qualification which earthly beings do not have for connecting with Yudhishthira.
So, what is it that Krishna sanctions,