FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 6.41

ప్రాప్య పుణ్యకృతాం లోకానుషిత్వా శాశ్వతీ: సమా: । శ‍ుచీనాం శ్రీమతాం గేహే యోగభ్రష్టోఽభిజాయతే ॥ ౪౧ ॥
prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān
[praapya punya-kritaam lokaan]
uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
[ushitvaa shaashvateeh samaah]
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
[shucheenaam shreemataam gehe]
yoga-bhraṣṭo ’bhijāyate
[yoga-bhrashto ’bhijaayate]
Word-for-word
prāpya — after achieving puṇya - kṛtām — of those who performed pious activities lokān — planets uṣitvā — after dwelling śāśvatīḥ — many samāḥ — years śucīnām — of the pious śrī - matām — of the prosperous gehe — in the house yoga - bhraṣṭaḥ — one who has fallen from the path of self-realization abhijāyate — takes his birth .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān
prāpya
after achieving
puṇya - kṛtām
of those who performed pious activities
lokān
planets
uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
uṣitvā
after dwelling
śāśvatīḥ
many
samāḥ
years
śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe
śucīnām
of the pious
śrī - matām
of the prosperous
gehe
in the house
yoga-bhraṣṭo ’bhijāyate
yoga - bhraṣṭaḥ
one who has fallen from the path of self-realization
abhijāyate
takes his birth .
Important Words
  • prāpya — after achieving
    Gerund of pra-√āp — 'having attained.' The fallen yogī attains something, not nothing. Arjuna feared an emptiness; the answer begins with an attainment.
  • puṇya-kṛtām — of those who performed pious activities
    Puṇya — 'merit'; kṛt — 'doer.' Genitive plural — the planets of the merit-makers. Even a yogī who fell from yoga has accumulated puṇya. The accumulated good takes him somewhere good.
  • śāśvatīḥ samāḥ — many years
    Śāśvatīḥ — 'long-lasting, perennial'; samāḥ — 'years.' The duration of the heavenly stay is substantial. The verse acknowledges that the unfinished yogī does enjoy a real interval of celestial life before returning.
  • śrī-matām — of the prosperous
    Śrī-mat — 'one endowed with Śrī (Lakṣmī, prosperity).' The next birth is in a rich house. Note the wording: not just rich, but graced. Śrī is auspicious wealth, not mere money.
  • yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ — one who has fallen from the path of self-realization
    Bhraṣṭa — 'fallen.' The technical Gītā term for the seeker who started and did not finish. The verse names him explicitly so there is no ambiguity about whom this promise covers.
  • abhijāyate — takes his birth
    Abhi-√jan — 'to be born forth, to be born onto.' The fall is into a new birth, not into oblivion. The verb is gentle: 'is born,' not 'is hurled.'
The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.
Purport

The unsuccessful yogīs are divided into two classes: one is fallen after very little progress, and one is fallen after long practice of yoga. The yogī who falls after a short period of practice goes to the higher planets, where pious living entities are allowed to enter. After prolonged life there, one is sent back again to this planet, to take birth in the family of a righteous brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇava or of aristocratic merchants. The real purpose of yoga practice is to achieve the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as explained in the last verse of this chapter. But those who do not persevere to such an extent and who fail because of material allurements are allowed, by the grace of the Lord, to make full utilization of their material propensities. And after that, they are given opportunities to live prosperous lives in righteous or aristocratic families. Those who are born in such families may take advantage of the facilities and try to elevate themselves to full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
41. After attaining the worlds of the pious and living there for long years, the fallen yogī is born in the house of the religious and wealthy.
Commentary

Then what destination does he attain? He attains the planet where those who perform aśvamedha sacrifices go (puṇya-kṛtān lokān). The result of yoga is both liberation and material enjoyment. In this case, the imperfect yogī, having desire for enjoyment, having fallen from yoga, attains material enjoyment. The perfected yogī however, because of not having desires for material enjoyment, attains liberation. Some yogīs, even though perfected, by fate have a desire to enjoy, and then accept such enjoyment. Examples are Kardama Muni and Saubhari. Such fallen yogīs (after enjoying materially) are born in the houses of those performing proper religious acts (śucīnām) and who are wealthy merchants or kings (śrīmatām).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
41. After attaining the worlds of the pious and living there for long years, the fallen yogī is born in the house of the religious and wealthy.
Commentary

This verse speaks of the fallen yogī’s acquisition of material happiness. Becoming lax in performance of his dharma because of material desires, he attains and enjoys those desirable objects, the worlds of those who offer horse sacrifices (puṇya kṛtām lokān), through the power of his execution of his niṣkāma dharma aiming at the ātmā. Staying on those planets many years (śāśvatīḥ samāḥ usitvā), enjoying until his desire for enjoyment ceases, that fallen yogī, with no more desires, going from those planets, is born in the house of a wealthy person (śrīmatām) who engages in dharma, suitable for yoga practice (śucīnām), by the power of his incomplete yoga practice. This verse shows the result for the yogī who fell after practicing for a very short time.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

'Prapya punya‑krtam lokan' ‑ what happens to him? He goes to the place where pious performers of the 'asvamedha‑ yajna' goes. He goes to the planets of the pious entities and enjoys delights. Then, he takes either a pious birth (sucinam) or a prosperous birth (sri‑matam) ‑ this is the one who is fallen after a short practice, from the yoga practice. Srila Prabhupada says in his Purport: "The unsuccessful yogis are divided into two classes: one is fallen after very little progress, and one is fallen after long practice of yoga. The yogi who falls after a short period of practice goes to the higher planets, where pious living entities are allowed to enter. After prolonged life there, one is sent back again to this planet, to take birth in the family of a righteous brahmana vaisnava or of aristocratic merchants. The real purpose of yoga practice is to achieve the highest perfection of Krsna consciousness, as explained in the last verse of this chapter. But those who do not persevere to such an extent and who fail because of material allurements are allowed, by the grace of the Lord, to make full utilization of their material propensities. And after that, they are given opportunities to live prosperous lives in righteous or aristocratic families. Those who are born in such families may take advantage of the facilities and try to elevate themselves to full Krsna consciousness."

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

Fate of unsuccessful yogi who falls after short practice:

Enjoys on heavenly planets for many many years
Then again he is sent to this planet and takes birth in a rich (aristocratic merchants) or pious (righteous Brahman vaishnavas) family – to use the facilities to elevate to Krishna Consciousness LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 6.41 & 6.42: The destination of the more advanced yogis is explained as follows.
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
6.41 Prapya, attaining, reaching, lokan, the worlds; punya-krtam, of the righteous, of the performers of the Horse-sacrifice, etc.; and usitva, residing there, enjoying the stay; for sasvatih, eternal; samah, years; (then,) when the period of enjoyment is over, the yoga-bhrastah, man fallen from Yoga, the one who had set out on the path Yoga, i.e. a monk-as understood from the force of the context [From Arjuna's estion it minght appear that he was asking about the fate of people who fall from both the paths, viz that of Karma and of Meditation. But the possibility of getting ruined by performing actios (rites and duties) according to Vedic instructions does not arise, since their results are inevitable. However, the estion of ruin is relevant in the case of a monk, for on the one hand he has renounced actions, and on the other he may fail to attain perfection in Yoga in the present life. Hence, the Lord's answer relates to the fall and ruin of a monk alone.]; abhijayate, is born; gehe, in the house; sucinam, of the pious, who perform actions according to scriptural instructions; and srimatam, who are prosperous.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
6.41 This person, who had wandered away from Yoga because of desire for whatever kind of enjoyments, he will gain those very enjoyments through the excellence of Yoga alone. Having attained to the worlds of those who do meritorious acts, he will dwell there for a long time, i.e., till his desire for such enjoyments gets exhausted. Then, devoid of desire for these enjoyment, this person who has swerved from Yoga at the very beginning of Yoga, is born, by virtue of the excellence of Yoga, in a family of those who are competent to practise Yoga.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
6.41 Prapya etc. Of Sasvata of Visnu (personal god). [His] years : three years of Visnu. Of the pure persons : of those whose mind is prone to touch (to meditate upon) the body (amsa) of the Lord.
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
6.41 Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and having dwelt there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is rorn in a house of the pure and wealthy.
Commentary

6.41 प्राप्य having attained? पुण्यकृताम् of the righteous? लोकान् worlds? उषित्वा having dwelt? शाश्वतीः everlasting? समाः years? शुचीनाम् of the pure? श्रीमताम् of the wealty? गेहे in the house? योगभ्रष्टः one fallen from Yoga? अभिजायते is born.Commentary Yogabhrashta one who has fallen from Yoga? i.e.? one who was not able to attain perfection in Yoga? or one who climbed a certain height on the ladder of Yoga but fell down on account of lack of dispassion or slackness in the practice (by becoming a victim to Maya or his turbulent senses).The righteous Those who tread the path of truth? who do virtuous actions such as charity? Yajna? rituals? worship of the Lord? and who act in accordance with the prescribed rules of the scriptures.Everlasting years means only a considerably long period but not absolutely everlasting.The pure those who lead a pure? moral life those who have a pure heart (free from jealousy? hatred? pride? greed? etc.). (Cf.IX.20?21)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
6.41 Attaining the worlds of the righteous, and residing there for eternal years, the man fallen from Yoga is born in the house of the pious and the properous.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
6.41 Having reached the worlds where the righteous dwell, and having remained there for many years, he who has slipped from the path of spirituality will be born again in the family of the pure, benevolent and prosperous.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 9.20 BG 6.43 BG 8.25 SB 3.32.2 SB 5.19.22 SB 11.23.56 CC Madhya 24.178 CC Madhya 22.44 CC Madhya 8.128 Chāndogya Upaniṣad 5.10.7Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.5
Concepts
YajnaDharma
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The unsuccessful yogi, after enjoying many years on the planets of the pious, takes birth in a household of righteous, prosperous people.
Practical Applications
  • Trust that even partial progress carries forward across lives.
  • Don't measure success by this life alone.
  • Plant seeds knowing the harvest may come in another season.
Reflection Questions
  • What seeds have I been impatient to harvest?
  • What would changing my time-horizon free?
Analogy

An apprentice who must leave the workshop before finishing his piece is not banished — he is sent on holiday until his hands are rested, and then welcomed back with a better master. The fallen yogī's interval on the higher planets is exactly such a holiday. The work resumes. The continuity is not broken; it is paused.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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