Verse 37
Arjuna Uvaacha:
Ayatih shraddhayopeto
Yogaacchalitamaanasah;
Apraapya yogasamsiddhim
Kaam gatim krishna gacchati.
Arjuna said:
He who is unable to control himself though he has the faith, and whose
mind wanders away from Yoga, what end does he meet, having failed to
attain perfection in Yoga, O Krishna?
The journey toward God-realization begins
with Shraddha (faith). Many sincere souls develop faith in the divine knowledge
of the scriptures by virtue of the sanskara of their past lives, or the
association of saints, or reversals in the world, etc.
There can be many reasons that create the
Shraddha required to begin the journey. However, if these aspirants do not put
in the necessary effort and become ayatiḥ (lax), then the
mind remains chalita (restless).
Such aspirants are unable to complete the
journey in this life. Arjuna enquires into the fate of such sadhakas.
Verse 38
Kacchinnobhayavibhrashtash
Cchinnaabhramiva nashyati;
Apratishtho mahaabaaho
Vimoodho brahmanah pathi.
Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, support less, O
mighty-armed (Krishna), deluded on the path of Brahman?
Chinmaya writes,
"In summer, mushroom-shaped floating
castles of clouds arise from behind the mountains to peep into the valleys
below. At the touch of some strong current of wind the mass takes to flight,
leaving along its trail, small bits of fleecy cloudlets. Those little ones,
torn away from the parental bulk, get knocked about and are at the mercy of
every puff of breeze.
Such summer cloudlets, aimlessly kicked about
according to the whims and fancies of the winds, can never fulfil the
expectations of the farmers, or the clamor of the thirsty. Unfulfilling
themselves, they get tossed hither and thither without any haven for
themselves. "LIKE THE RENT CLOUD," Arjuna asks,
"will not the aspiring self in the seeker be forced to roam about and
ultimately get lost in the vast theatre of the Universe?"
Dear All,
Firstly, an aspirant having exclusively
offered all activities unto the Supreme Lord without having performed any
activities for attaining the heavenly spheres does not arrive there.
Secondly failing to obtain success in yoga or
the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the
ultimate consciousness by dhyana or meditation one does not attain moksha or
liberation from the material existence either.
Thus, not qualified for both and deluded on
the path leading to the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all
existence and atma tattva or realization of the soul.
Arjuna here represents the world of Spiritual
aspirants in all times, past and present, when he asks this question to
Sri Krishna,
Does such a one perish or does such a one
escape death?
Love.
