कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति |
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मण: पथि || 38||
kachchin nobhaya-vibhraṣhṭaśh chhinnābhram iva naśhyati
apratiṣhṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi
kachchin nobhaya-vibhrashtash chhinnabhram iva nashyati
apratishtho maha-baho vimudho brahmanah pathi
Translation
BG 6.38: Does not such a person who deviates from Yog get deprived of both material and spiritual success, O mighty-armed Krishna, and perish like a broken cloud with no position in either sphere?
Commentary
The desire to attain success is natural to the jīva. It comes from being a part of God, who is all-perfect, and hence the soul too wishes to be perfect and successful like its source—God. Success can be attained in two realms—material and spiritual. Those who consider the world to be a source of happiness strive for material advancement. And those who consider spiritual wealth to be the real treasure worthy of possessing, strive for it by rejecting material endeavors. However, if such spiritualists fail in their attempt, they are apparently left with neither spiritual nor material assets. Thinking in this manner, Arjun asks whether their position is like that of a broken cloud. A cloud, which breaks away from the group of clouds, becomes worthless. It neither offers sufficient shade, nor does it increase its weight and become rain-bearing. It merely blows in the wind and perishes like a non-entity in the sky. Arjun asks whether the unsuccessful yogi suffers a similar fate, with no position in any sphere.
