(Image Courtesy Mahanidhiswami)

Utter Faith is Necessary to Achieve Goal In Spiritual Field

कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति |
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मण: पथि || 6.38||

kachchin nobhaya-vibhraṣhṭaśh chhinnābhram iva naśhyati
apratiṣhṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi|| 6.38||

Shloka Translation
BG – Ch. 6- Ver. 38:

O mighty-armed Krishna, does not a person who deviates from Yoga lose both material and spiritual success, and perish like a shattered cloud with no position in either realm?

Explanation

The jiva is driven by an inherent desire to succeed. It stems from the fact that the soul is a portion of God, who is all-perfect, and hence the soul aspires to be as perfect and successful as its source—God. Success can be found in both the material and spiritual domains. Those who believe that the world is a source of happiness strive for material progress. Those who believe that spiritual prosperity is the true treasure worth obtaining strive for it by avoiding material pursuits. However, if such spiritualists are unsuccessful, they appear to be left with neither spiritual nor material goods. Arjun wonders if the unsuccessful yogi will be left without any progress in any field.

Shri Krishna was asked by Arjuna to tell him if someone who follows the spiritual path but is unable to achieve fulfilment is on the right track. Is it worth it if a seeker commits a significant amount of time and effort to meditation but does not achieve the desired result? He could have easily spent this time pursuing worldly goals, gaining wealth, status, and thereby securing his worldly position.

Instead, from both sides, the seeker is “ubhaya-vibhrashta,” or unsuccessful. The one side is “apratishtha,” which means “lack of worldly glory,” and the other is “vimoodha brahmana pathi,” which means “distracted in spiritual advancement.” Arjuna, the astute soldier, does not wish to find himself in such a precarious situation.

Verse & what we can learn

When a person commits to the spiritual path, he no longer appreciates his previous materialistic pursuits. Simultaneously, he is not yet rooted in spiritual joys. He’s neither completely materialistic nor completely spiritual.
Doubts arise from a complete lack of understanding and commitment. A sincere student would have no such issues because he understands that his efforts will be rewarded. It’s just a matter of time.

To acquire knowledge and to implement that knowledge in life one needs to be mentally and physically active and healthy and for that daily meditation is a great tool.

There are various types of meditation like Buddhist meditation, heartfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation, meditation for stress, and each meditation benefits are countless. There are also numerous meditation techniques for beginners which help in practicing daily meditation so go ahead and start your journey towards a peaceful and balanced life.

In the Next verse, Arjuna adds one more element to the question, after which he lets Shri Krishna answer.

Let’s learn to live with “The Gita” via Meditation Affinity…