Chapter 6, Verse 38 (Bhagavad Gita 6.38)
Chapter 6: Dhyān Yog – Path of Meditation
Sanskrit Shloka
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति। अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि
Transliteration
kachchin nobhaya-vibhraṣhṭaśh chhinnābhram iva naśhyati apratiṣhṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi
Word Meanings
kachchit—whether; na—not; ubhaya—both; vibhraṣhṭaḥ—deviated from; chhinna—broken; abhram—cloud; iva—like; naśhyati—perishes; apratiṣhṭhaḥ—without any support; mahā-bāho—mighty-armed Krishna; vimūḍhaḥ—bewildered; brahmaṇaḥ—of God-realization; pathi—one on the path
Translation
O Mighty-armed Krishna, does not a man who deviates from the path of Yoga, failing to achieve steady realization, perish like a fragmented cloud, lost to both worldly success and spiritual liberation, being supportless and deluded?
Meaning & Commentary
This verse captures the profound existential anxiety of a seeker who fears that half-hearted spiritual pursuit leaves them stranded between two worlds. It highlights the psychological struggle of balancing material duties with the high demands of self-realization. Krishna addresses the human tendency to worry about 'wasted' efforts, teaching that the path to Brahman is fragile if approached with doubt. Ultimately, it emphasizes that spiritual progress is never truly lost; the fear of 'perishing' is merely the ego's inability to see the continuity of the soul's journey beyond a single lifetime.