Bhagavad Gita · 6.40 · Path of Meditation·40 of 47
श्री भगवानुवाच पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते।नहि कल्याणकृत्कश्िचद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ॥
śhrī bhagavān uvācha pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśhas tasya
vidyate na hi kalyāṇa-kṛit kaśhchid durgatiṁ tāta gachchhati
Sanskrit recitation
When the mind will not stay · 6.33–6.47 · Teaching
Translation
The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next will there be destruction for him; none, indeed, who does good, O my son, ever comes to grief."
Meaning
He who has not succeeded in attaining to perfection in Yoga in this birth will not be destroyed in this world or in the next world. Surely he will not take a birth lower than the present one. What will he attain, then, This is described by the Lord in verses 41, 42, 43 and 44. Tata: son. A disciple is regarded as a son.
After Swami Sivananda
When the mind will not stay· 6.33–6.47→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 6.33Arjuna said, "O Krishna, I do not see how this Yoga of equanimity, which you have taught me, can be maintained steadily, due to the restlessness of the mind."
- 6.34The mind is indeed restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding, O Krishna; I consider it as difficult to control as controlling the wind.
- 6.35The Blessed Lord said, "Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but with practice and dispassion, it can be restrained."
- 6.36I think Yoga is hard to be attained by one with an uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one can attain it by the appropriate means.
- 6.37Arjuna said, "He who is unable to control himself, even though he has faith, and whose mind wanders away from Yoga, what end does he meet, having failed to attain perfection in Yoga, O Krishna?"
- 6.38Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, supportless, O mighty-armed one, deluded on the path of Brahman?
- 6.39O Krishna, please completely dispel this doubt of mine, for it is not possible for anyone but You to do so.
6.40The Blessed Lord said, "O Arjuna, neither in this world nor in the next will there be destruction for him; none, indeed, who does good, O my son, ever comes to grief."
- 6.41Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and having dwelt there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is born in a house of the pure and wealthy.
- 6.42Or he is born in a family of even the wisest of yogis; verily, such a birth is very difficult to obtain in this world.
- 6.43Then he comes into contact with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives even more for perfection, O Arjuna.
- 6.44By that same former practice, he is borne on in spite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga goes beyond the Brahmanic word.
- 6.45But the Yogi who strives assiduously, purified of sins and perfected gradually over many births, reaches the highest goal.
- 6.46The yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics, even superior to those who have knowledge obtained through the study of scriptures; he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be thou a yogi, O Arjuna.
- 6.47And among all the Yogis, he who, full of faith and with his inner self merged in Me, worships Me is deemed by Me to be the most devoted.
Word-by-word→
- hi
- certainly
- na
- never
- iha
- in this world
- tasya
- his
- tāta
- my friend
- amutra
- in the next world
- na eva
- never
- pārtha
- Arjun, the son of Pritha
- vidyate
- exists
- durgatim
- evil destination
- kaśhchit
- anyone
- gachchhati
- goes
- vināśhaḥ
- destruction
- kalyāṇa-kṛit
- one who strives for God-realization
- śhrī-bhagavān uvācha
- the Supreme Lord said
Related verses
- 1.30The Gandiva slips from my hand, and my skin burns all over; I am unable to stand, and my…
- 6.10Let the yogi constantly strive to keep the mind steady, remaining in solitude, alone, with…
- 6.33Arjuna said, "O Krishna, I do not see how this Yoga of equanimity, which you have taught…
- 6.34The mind is indeed restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding, O Krishna; I consider it…