FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 6.43

తత్ర తం బుద్ధిసంయోగం లభతే పౌర్వదేహికమ్ । యతతే చ తతో భూయ: సంసిద్ధౌ కురునన్దన ॥ ౪౩ ॥
tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ
[tatra tam buddhi-samyogam]
labhate paurva-dehikam
[labhate paurva-dehikam]
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ
[yatate cha tato bhooyah]
saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana
[samsiddhau kuru-nandana]
Word-for-word
tatra — thereupon tam — that buddhi - saṁyogam — revival of consciousness labhate — gains paurva - dehikam — from the previous body yatate — he endeavors ca — also tataḥ — thereafter bhūyaḥ — again saṁsiddhau — for perfection kuru - nandana — O son of Kuru .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ
tatra
thereupon
tam
that
buddhi - saṁyogam
revival of consciousness
labhate paurva-dehikam
labhate
gains
paurva - dehikam
from the previous body
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ
yatate
he endeavors
ca
also
tataḥ
thereafter
bhūyaḥ
again
saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana
saṁsiddhau
for perfection
kuru - nandana
O son of Kuru .
Important Words
  • buddhi-saṁyogam — revival of consciousness
    Buddhi + sam-yoga — 'thorough joining of intelligence.' The new birth is met with a re-yoking of the prior intelligence. Saṁyoga is not a fresh joining; it is a re-joining — the seam picks up where it left off.
  • labhate — gains
    From √labh — 'to obtain.' He gains, not regains. The verse insists: the buddhi from before is now obtained as a fresh resource in the new life. What was earned does not have to be earned again.
  • paurva-dehikam — from the previous body
    Pūrva-dehika — 'belonging to the prior body.' A specific technical adjective. The verse is theologically precise: this is consciousness carried across the body-change, not consciousness arising from the new body.
  • yatate — he endeavors
    From √yat — 'to strive.' The same root as the yatatā of 6.36. The reborn yogī picks up the work of striving. The progress is real but the work is not over.
  • bhūyaḥ — again
    Adverb — 'once more.' The verse names that the striving recurs. There is no romance of automatic perfection on rebirth; the labor continues, only from a higher starting line.
  • saṁsiddhau — for perfection
    Locative of saṁsiddhi — 'complete perfection.' The destination remains the same: full siddhi. The fall did not lower the goal; it only delayed the journey.
On taking such a birth, he revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he again tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.
Purport

King Bharata, who took his third birth in the family of a good brāhmaṇa, is an example of good birth for the revival of previous transcendental consciousness. King Bharata was the emperor of the world, and since his time this planet has been known among the demigods as Bhārata-varṣa. Formerly it was known as Ilāvṛta-varṣa. The emperor, at an early age, retired for spiritual perfection but failed to achieve success. In his next life he took birth in the family of a good brāhmaṇa and was known as Jaḍa Bharata because he always remained secluded and did not talk to anyone. And later on he was discovered as the greatest transcendentalist by King Rahūgaṇa. From his life it is understood that transcendental endeavors, or the practice of yoga, never go in vain. By the grace of the Lord the transcendentalist gets repeated opportunities for complete perfection in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
43. In those two situations, he attains the state of his previous birth along with faith in Paramātmā, and strives again for complete perfection, O son of the Kurus.
Commentary

In these two types of birth (tatra), he attains the state of mind of his previous life (paurva-dehikam) with faith in the Paramātmā (buddhi-saṁyogam).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
43. In those two situations, he attains the state of his previous birth and a relation with ātmā and paramātmā using his intelligence, and strives again for complete perfection, O son of the Kurus.
Commentary

The Lord then speaks of the sādhana caused by practice in his previous birth, in order to speak about his attainment of spiritual happiness. In both types of birth, he attains the state of his previous birth; and by his intelligence he develops a connection with yoga, his own ātmā and paramātmā (buddhi saṁyogam). He tries even harder to attain perfection in the form of seeing ātmā and paramātmā in his pure heart (saṁsiddhau), as if waking up from sleep, in order that he will not fall down again.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

From his previous 'samskaras' or impressions with his consciousness, he immediatly takes it up again.

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

COMMON THEME: After getting opportunities in the appropriate families, they begin their yoga practice

from wherever they left off

One revives the divine consciousness of their previous lives
Automatically they are attracted to yogic principles – Even without seeking them
They always stand above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures
Thus they try to make further progress to achieve complete success

Focus of Learning

(a) Examples of family of transcendentalists

Acharyas and Goswamis
Srila A.C Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktsiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja taking birth in Vaishnava families

(b) Nowdays the Acharyas and Goswamis families have degenerated – due to ‘insufficient education’

and ‘training’

(a) The real purpose of yoga-practice – To achieve the highest perfection of Krishna consciousness

(Ref. Bg. 6.47)

(b) What about those who fail to reach that goal because of material allurements

By grace of the Lord they are allowed to make full utilization of their material propensities in the heavenly planets
Then they are given prosperous lives in righteous or aristocratic families
One must take advantage of these facilities and try to elevate to Krishna consciousness

LINK BETWEEN TEXTS 6.44 & 6.45:

Finally, the next verse explains how and when the yogi will achieve his ultimate goal

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
6.43 Tatra, there, in the family of yogis; labhate, tam buddhisamyogam, he becomes endowed with that wisdom; paurva-dehikam, acired in the previous body. And yatate, he strives; bhuyah, more intensely; tatah, than before, more intensely than that tendency acired in the previous birth; samsiddau, for, for the sake of, perfection; kuru-nandana, O scion of the Kuru dynasty. How does he become endowed with the wisdom acired in the previous body? That is being answered:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
6.43 - 6.44 There, in that existence, he regains the mental disposition for Yoga that he had in the previous birth. Like one awakened from sleep, he strives again from where he had left before attaining complete success. He strives so as not to be defeated by impediments. This person who has fallen away from Yoga is borne on towards Yoga alone by his previous practice, i.e., by the older practice with regard to Yoga. This power of Yoga is well known. Even a person, who has not engaged in Yoga but has only been desirous of knowing Yoga, i.e., has failed to follow it up, acries once again the same desire to practise Yoga. He then practises Yoga, of which the first stage is Karma Yoga, and transcends Sabda-brahman (or Brahman which is denotable by words). The Sabda-brahman is the Brahman capable of manifesting as gods, men, earth, sky, heaven etc., namely, Prakrti. The meaning is that having been liberated from the bonds of Prakrti, he attains the self which is incapable of being named by such words as gods, men etc., and which comprises solely of knowledge and beatitude. After thus describing the glory of Yoga the verse says:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
6.43 See Comment under 6.45
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
6.43 Thee he comes in touch with the knowledge acired in his former body and strives more than before for perfection, O Arjuna.
Commentary

6.43 तत्र there? तम् that? बुद्धिसंयोगम् union with knowledge? लभते obtains? पौर्वदेहिकम् acired in his fomer body? यतते strives? च and? ततः than that? भूयः more? संसिद्धौ for perfection? कुरुनन्दन O son of the Kurus.Commentary When he takes a human body again in this world his previous exertions and practice in the path of Yoga are not wasted. They bear full fruit now? and hasten his moral and spiritual evolution.Our thoughts and actions are left in our subconscious minds in the form of subtle Samskaras or impressions. Our experiences in the shape of Samskaras? habits and tendencies are also stored up in our subconscious mind. These Samskaras of the past birth are revivified and reenergised in the next birth. The Samskaras of Yogic practices and meditation and the Yogic tendencies will compel the spiritual aspirant to strive with greater vigour than that with which he attempted in the former birth. He will endeavour more strenuously to get more spiritual experiences and to attain to higher planes of realisation than those acired in his previous birth.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
6.43 There he becomes endowed with that wisdom acired in the previous body. and he strives more than before for perfection, O scion of the Kuru dynasty.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
6.43 Then the experience acquired in his former life will revive, and with its help he will strive for perfection more eagerly than before.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 4.9 BG 6.44 BG 8.6 SB 1.5.17 SB 5.19.27 SB 3.31.22 CC Madhya 22.25 CC Madhya 20.122 CC Madhya 24.194 Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 4.4.5Chāndogya Upaniṣad 4.10.5
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Endowed with consciousness from his previous body, he reactivates his prior spiritual progress and strives further.
Practical Applications
  • Trust that no spiritual effort is lost; it returns.
  • Recognize spiritual instincts as remembrance, not invention.
  • Strive 'further' rather than 'from scratch.'
Reflection Questions
  • What spiritual instincts of mine feel like remembrance?
  • What does 'striving further' look like, vs. 'starting over'?
Analogy

A musician who left his instrument in the corner before sleeping picks it up in the morning and his hands remember the scale before his mind does. The reborn yogī's consciousness, on contact with the new body, does that same picking up. The previous progress is muscle-memory at the level of the soul.

Stories
Prahlāda from the Womb

Prahlāda, while still in his mother Kayādhū's womb, had received teachings on Viṣṇu from Nārada Muni. Born, he emerged with that consciousness intact, devoted to the Lord from infancy in defiance of his demon-father.

The Bhāgavatam offers him as a paradigm of buddhi-saṁyogam paurva-dehikam — the revival, at birth, of consciousness from a previous body's spiritual contact. His sādhana did not start in childhood; it resumed there. The verse is his autobiography compressed to two lines.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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