Devanagari
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति ।
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मण: पथि ॥ ३८ ॥
Verse text
kaccin nobhaya-vibhraṣṭaś
chinnābhram iva naśyati
apratiṣṭho mahā-bāho
vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi
Synonyms
kaccit
—
whether
;
na
—
not
;
ubhaya
—
both
;
vibhraṣṭaḥ
—
deviated from
;
chinna
—
torn
;
abhram
—
cloud
;
iva
—
like
;
naśyati
—
perishes
;
apratiṣṭhaḥ
—
without any position
;
mahā-bāho
—
O mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa
;
vimūḍhaḥ
—
bewildered
;
brahmaṇaḥ
—
of transcendence
;
pathi
—
on the path.
Translation
O mighty-armed Kṛṣṇa, does not such a man, who is bewildered from the path of transcendence, fall away from both spiritual and material success and perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
38. Does he not disappear like a fragmented cloud, the yogī who fails in both ways, not having achieved the goal, and bewildered about the method of achieving Brahman,?
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
38. Does he who is bewildered about the method of achieving Brahman, who fails in both ways, not having achieved the goal, not disappear like a fragmented cloud?
Purport
There are two ways to progress. Those who are materialists have no interest in transcendence; therefore they are more interested in material advancement by economic development, or in promotion to the higher planets by appropriate work. When one takes to the path of transcendence, one has to cease all material activities and sacrifice all forms of so-called material happiness. If the aspiring transcendentalist fails, then he apparently loses both ways; in other words, he can enjoy neither material happiness nor spiritual success. He has no position; he is like a riven cloud. A cloud in the sky sometimes deviates from a small cloud and joins a big one. But if it cannot join a big one, then it is blown away by the wind and becomes a nonentity in the vast sky. The brahmaṇaḥ pathi is the path of transcendental realization through knowing oneself to be spiritual in essence, part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, who is manifested as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the fullest manifestation of the Supreme Absolute Truth, and therefore one who is surrendered to the Supreme Person is a successful transcendentalist. To reach this goal of life through Brahman and Paramātmā realization takes many, many births ( bahūnāṁ janmanām ante ). Therefore the supermost path of transcendental realization is bhakti-yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the direct method.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Kvacit indicates only a question. Having failed on both sides, having given up the path of karma and taken completely to the path of yoga, and having given that up also, does he not disappear like a cloud which separates from the original cloud and does not become another cloud, but instead disappears in the middle of the sky? The difficulty is that from having entered the path of yoga, one develops a desire of give up enjoyment of material objects, and because of lack of real detachment also, has a desire to enjoy those objects. Because of not doing activities leading to Svargaloka and also not completing the practice of yoga leading to liberation, he attains neither Svarga nor liberation. Thus, becoming bewildered in the method of attaining Brahman, not having achieved the goal (apratiṣtḥaḥ), does he get destroyed or not? This I ask You.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
In this verse Arjuna elaborates on his question.
He does not get svarga by his execution of niṣkāma karma, nor does he get a vision of the ātmā from perfecting yoga. Not having grasped either of these, does he perish or not? Will he be destroyed like a cloud which separates from one cloud and disappears before joining another cloud? Why should he have this worry? Because he is bewildered about the method of attaining brahman.
Surrender Unto Me
Such a person has given up his prescribed duties to practice yoga. He has given up the results coming from such prescribed duties and then is taking to the yoga practice, he is gone to the forest... and then gives up yoga. What happens with such a person? He is not a materialist and is spiritualist. Will he become like a riven cloud without any position in any sphere?
Arjuna continues,