FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 6.42

अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् । एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम् ॥ ४२ ॥
atha vā yoginām eva
[atha vaa yoginaam eva]
kule bhavati dhīmatām
[kule bhavati dheemataam]
etad dhi durlabha-taraṁ
[etad dhi durlabha-taram]
loke janma yad īdṛśam
[loke janma yad eedrisham]
Word-for-word
atha vā — or yoginām — of learned transcendentalists eva — certainly kule — in the family bhavati — takes birth dhī - matām — of those who are endowed with great wisdom etat — this hi — certainly durlabha - taram — very rare loke — in this world janma — birth yat — that which īdṛśam — like this .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
atha vā yoginām eva
atha vā
or
yoginām
of learned transcendentalists
eva
certainly
kule bhavati dhīmatām
kule
in the family
bhavati
takes birth
dhī - matām
of those who are endowed with great wisdom
etad dhi durlabha-taraṁ
etat
this
hi
certainly
durlabha - taram
very rare
loke janma yad īdṛśam
loke
in this world
janma
birth
yat
that which
īdṛśam
like this .
Important Words
  • yoginām — of learned transcendentalists
    Genitive plural — 'of yogīs.' The family the bhraṣṭa enters is itself a family of yogīs. Not merely pious or wealthy but actively spiritual. The next life is among one's true peers.
  • dhī-matām — of those endowed with great wisdom
    Dhī — 'intellect, wisdom'; mat — 'possessor.' The family is not only spiritual but wise. The double qualification protects against the misreading that any religious family qualifies.
  • durlabha-taram — very rare
    Dur-labha — 'hard to attain'; -taram — comparative suffix. 'Even rarer.' The previous verse named one option as the destination; this verse names a second, rarer one. The grading is deliberate.
  • loke — in this world
    Locative of loka — 'world.' Such a birth is rare in the loka. The verse acknowledges that this circumstance, were it common, would empty the world of seekers. Its very rarity is part of how the system works.
  • janma yat īdṛśam — birth such as this
    Janma — birth; yat — which; īdṛśa — 'of-this-kind.' The grammar lingers on the demonstrative: a birth like this one. The verse points at it carefully, signaling the high stakes.
Or [if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga] he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
An even rarer option: instead of detour through heaven, birth directly into a family of dhīmant yogīs. Such a household is the ideal continuing school. The verse explicitly says: this kind of birth is the rarest of all.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Yogināṁ kule — a family of yogīs — is the chapter's quiet vindication of spiritual lineage. Not 'śrīmant' this time but 'dhīmant' (wise): wealth is not necessary, wisdom is. This passage is later read by Vaiṣṇavas as forecasting birth into a devotee family (cf. Bhāgavata 1.5.17).
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
अथवा धीमताम् योगिनाम् एव कुले भवति; हि एतत् ईदृशं यत् जन्म, तत् लोके दुर्लभ-तरम्।
athavā dhīmatām yoginām eva kule bhavati; hi etat īdṛśaṃ yat janma, tat loke durlabha-taram|
Or else, he is born into the very family of wise yogīs; for such a birth, of this kind, is exceedingly rare in the world.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अथवा योगिनाम् एव कुले भवति धीमताम् । एतत् हि दुर्लभ-तरं लोके जन्म यत् ईदृशम् ॥
athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām | etat hi durlabha-taraṃ loke janma yat īdṛśam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
अथवा athavā ind. (indeclinable) or else
योगिनाम् yoginām योगिन् (m.) gen.pl. (genitive plural) of yogīs
एव eva ind. (indeclinable) emphatic very
कुले kule कुल (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the family
भवति bhavati √भू pres. (present) 3sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) is born
धीमताम् dhīmatām धीमत् (adj.) gen.pl. (genitive plural)m. of the wise
एतत् etat एतद् (dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. this
हि hi ind. (indeclinable) indeed
दुर्लभ-तरम् durlabha-taram दुर्लभ (adj.) + तर (compar. (comparative)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n., karmadhāraya cpd. (compound) very rare
लोके loke लोक (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in the world
जन्म janma जन्मन् (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) birth
यत् ईदृशम् yat īdṛśam रel. + adj. nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. such as this
Purport

Birth in a family of yogīs or transcendentalists – those with great wisdom – is praised herein because the child born in such a family receives a spiritual impetus from the very beginning of his life. It is especially the case in the ācārya or gosvāmī families. Such families are very learned and devoted by tradition and training, and thus they become spiritual masters. In India there are many such ācārya families, but they have now degenerated due to insufficient education and training. By the grace of the Lord, there are still families that foster transcendentalists generation after generation. It is certainly very fortunate to take birth in such families. Fortunately, both our spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and our humble self had the opportunity to take birth in such families, by the grace of the Lord, and both of us were trained in the devotional service of the Lord from the very beginning of our lives. Later on we met by the order of the transcendental system.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
42. Or, if he has practiced a long time, he is born in the family of intelligent yogīs. Such a birth is more difficult to obtain in this world.
Commentary

The destination of yogīs who fell after doing a little practice has been described in the previous verse. This verse describes the different destination of yogīs who fell after practicing for a long time. They are born in the families of yogīs such as Nimi.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
42. Or, if he has practiced a long time, he is born in the family of skilful yogīs. Such a birth is more difficult to obtain in this world.
Commentary

This verse describes the result of the yogī who fell after practicing a long time. He is born in a family of yoga teachers (dhīmatām), in a family which practices yoga (yogīnām). He then praises these two types of birth. Such a birth in a family suitable for yoga (previous verse) or in a family practicing yoga, because of the strength of impressions of previous yoga practice, is very rare for normal men.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

Then what happens after taking such a birth?

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Fate of unsuccessful yogi who falls after long practice:

Birth in the family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom (6.42)
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
6.42 Athava, or; bhavati, he is born; kule, in the family; dhimatam, of wise; yoginam, yogis; eva, only, who are poor-which is different from the family of the prosperous. Etat janma, such a birth; yat idrsam, as is of this kind-a birth that is in the family of poor yogis, in a family as described; is hi, surely; durlabha-taram, more difficult to get, as compared with the earlier one; loke, in the world. Becuase,
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
6.42 If one swerves from the right path at an advanced stage of Yoga, he will be born in a family of wise Yogins who practise Yoga and are themselves capable of teaching Yoga. Thus, these two types of birth - one in the family of those who are fit to practise Yoga and the other in that of accomplished Yogins - are hardly met with among common people in this world. But Yoga is of such great potentiality that even this rare blessing is achieved through it.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
6.42 Atha va etc. If emancipation is destined to come to him by way of difference (or in grades), then he is rorn nowhere but in a family of the men of Yoga. That is why (the Lord) says : 'For, this birth is more difficult ot get'. Indeed in the house of the rich there are necessarily many obstacles.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
6.42 Or he is born in a family of even the wise Yogis; verily a birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.
Commentary

6.42 अथवा or? योगिनाम् of Yogis? एव even? कुले in the family? भवति is born? धीमताम् of the wise? एतत् this?,हि verily? दुर्लभतरम् very difficult? लोके in the world? जन्म birth? यत् which? ईदृशम् like this.Commentary A birth in a family of wise Yogis is more difficult to obtain than the one mentioned in the preceding verse.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
6.42 Or he is born in the family of wise yogis [Persons possessing knowledge of Brahman. (S. concedes that some rare householders also can have this knowledge, and he cites the instances of Vasistha, Agastya, Janaka and Asvapati of olden days, and Vacaspati and the author of Khanada of recent times.)] only. Such a birth as is of this kind is surely more difficult to get in the world.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
6.42 Or, he may be born in the family of the wise sages, though a birth like this is, indeed, very difficult to obtain.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Maitri (Friendship / Goodwill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 6.43 BG 9.33 BG 18.71 SB 4.21.43 SB 5.13.21 SB 11.14.13 CC Madhya 22.54 CC Madhya 19.151 CC Madhya 24.178 Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.10.7Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.11
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Or one is born in a family of transcendentalists with great wisdom — such birth is even more difficult to obtain.
Practical Applications
  • If born into devotional family, recognize the rare grace.
  • Don't take such birth for granted.
  • Use it accordingly — with seriousness.
Reflection Questions
  • Have I appreciated the grace of my circumstances?
  • What seriousness does that grace require?
Analogy

A scholar who could not finish his book in one lifetime is reborn into a family of scholars — the library is already open when he arrives. The yoga-bhraṣṭa born into a family of transcendentalists is that scholar. The unfinished manuscript is on the desk. The dictionary is already at hand. The verse calls such a birth rarer than rare for exactly this reason.

Stories
Vyāsadeva's Lineage

Śukadeva, the speaker of the Bhāgavatam, was born to Vyāsadeva — a literal birth in a family of transcendentalists 'great in wisdom.' Vyāsa was the compiler of the Vedas; his son walked out of the womb as a paramahaṁsa, requiring no instruction, only the right setting for his pre-existing realization to manifest.

The Bhāgavatam (1.4) frames Śukadeva's birth precisely as the durlabha-taram of this verse — a kind of birth so rare that even the Vedas catalogue it as exceptional. Yoga-bhraṣṭa from a previous life, reactivated in the most fertile possible soil.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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