Bg. 6.42

BG 6.42
Srila Prabhupada

Devanagari

अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् । एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम् ॥ ४२ ॥

Verse text

atha vā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām etad dhi durlabha-taraṁ loke janma yad īdṛśam

Synonyms

atha vā or ; yoginām of learned transcendentalists ; eva certainly ; kule in the family ; bhavati takes birth ; dhī-matām of those who are endowed with great wisdom ; etat this ; hi certainly ; durlabha-taram very rare ; loke in this world ; janma birth ; yat that which ; īdṛśam like this.

Translation

Or [if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga] he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

42. Or, if he has practiced a long time, he is born in the family of intelligent yogīs. Such a birth is more difficult to obtain in this world.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

42. Or, if he has practiced a long time, he is born in the family of skilful yogīs. Such a birth is more difficult to obtain in this world.

Purport

Birth in a family of yogīs or transcendentalists – those with great wisdom – is praised herein because the child born in such a family receives a spiritual impetus from the very beginning of his life. It is especially the case in the ācārya or gosvāmī families. Such families are very learned and devoted by tradition and training, and thus they become spiritual masters. In India there are many such ācārya families, but they have now degenerated due to insufficient education and training. By the grace of the Lord, there are still families that foster transcendentalists generation after generation. It is certainly very fortunate to take birth in such families. Fortunately, both our spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and our humble self had the opportunity to take birth in such families, by the grace of the Lord, and both of us were trained in the devotional service of the Lord from the very beginning of our lives. Later on we met by the order of the transcendental system.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The destination of yogīs who fell after doing a little practice has been described in the previous verse. This verse describes the different destination of yogīs who fell after practicing for a long time. They are born in the families of yogīs such as Nimi.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

This verse describes the result of the yogī who fell after practicing a long time. He is born in a family of yoga teachers (dhīmatām), in a family which practices yoga (yogīnām). He then praises these two types of birth. Such a birth in a family suitable for yoga (previous verse) or in a family practicing yoga, because of the strength of impressions of previous yoga practice, is very rare for normal men.

Surrender Unto Me

Then what happens after taking such a birth?