Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 43

Chapter 6 – Dhyana Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

तत्र तं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते पौर्वदेहिकम् ।
यतते च ततो भूयः संसिद्धौ कुरुनन्दन ॥

Transliteration

tatra taṃ buddhisaṃyogaṃ labhate paurvadehikam .
yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṃsiddhau kurunandana ॥

Meaning

There he regains the yogic understanding gained in his former body, and from there, O joy of the Kurus, he strives even harder for perfection.

Word meanings

तत्र – there
तम् – that
बुद्धिसंयोगम् – union with understanding, yogic impressions
लभते – regains
पौर्वदेहिकम् – belonging to the former body (life)
यतते – strives
च – and
ततः – thereafter, from there
भूयः – again, more
संसिद्धौ – for perfection
कुरुनन्दन – O joy of the Kuru dynasty

Anvaya (word order)

कुरुनन्दन, तत्र (सः) तं पौर्वदेहिकं बुद्धिसंयोगं लभते; ततः च भूयः संसिद्धौ यतते ।

Explanation

What happens to the fallen yogi after he is born into a pure family or a family of yogis? Krishna says he does not begin his spiritual journey from zero; he begins again from where he left off.

Tam buddhi-samyogam labhate paurvadehikam — he regains the union with understanding acquired in his former body. Buddhi-samyoga means the intellect engaged in yoga — spiritual understanding and impressions. Just as a traveller rests at an inn for the night and resumes the journey from the same place the next morning, so death is a rest, and the new birth is the next stage of the same journey. Shankara says he becomes reconnected with the yogic understanding of his former body.

This is why we sometimes see people who show, from a very young age, a natural interest in spirituality, dispassion or meditation. Indian tradition regards this as the fruit of impressions from previous lives. Such children need very little effort to learn scripture or practice, because they are in fact revising an old lesson.

Yatate cha tato bhuyah samsiddhau — and he strives even more for perfection. The experience of the unfinished journey makes him more determined. Ramanuja says that, like a person awakened from sleep resuming unfinished work, he takes up yoga once more.

Context

Verses 6.41–42 described the fallen yogi's birth in a favourable family. This verse says that there he regains the impressions of his former life. The next verse (6.44) says that this former practice draws him to yoga even without his will.

Life lesson

The good habits and knowledge you gather today will never be lost. Spiritual progress is accumulated capital; wherever and whenever you may be, it will stay with you.

Key terms

Buddhi-samyoga: the intellect engaged in yoga; spiritual impressions
Paurvadehika: belonging to the former body or life
Samsiddhi: complete perfection, liberation
Kurunandana: joy of the Kurus — Arjuna