Shloka 41

अक्षरब्रह्मयोगः | Akṣara-Brahma-Yoga

The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman

Devanagari script

प्राप्य पुण्यकृतां लोकानुषित्वा शाश्वती: समा: । शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे योग भ्रष्टोईभिजायते,योगश्रष्ट पुरुष? पुण्यवानोंके लोकोंको अर्थात्‌ स्वर्गादि उत्तम लोकोंको प्राप्त होकर, उनमें बहुत वर्षोतक निवास करके फिर शुद्ध आचरणवाले श्रीमान्‌ पुरुषोंके घरमें जन्म लेता है

Transliteration

prāpya puṇyakṛtāṁ lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate ||

Translation

Having attained the worlds won by the doers of merit, and having dwelt there for many long years, one who has fallen from Yoga is born again in the home of the pure and the prosperous.

Word by Word

प्राप्यhaving attained

पुण्यकृताम्of the doers of merit

लोकान्worlds (realms)

अनुषित्वाhaving dwelt (there)

शाश्वतीःeternal, lasting

समाःyears

शुचीनाम्of the pure (in conduct)

श्रीमताम्of the prosperous, illustrious

गेहेin (a) house

योगभ्रष्टःone fallen from yoga (a lapsed yogin)

अभिजायतेis born (again)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

puṇyakṛtāṁ lokāḥ (realms of the meritorious, e.g., svarga)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Spiritual effort is never wasted: even if one’s yogic discipline breaks off before completion, its merit carries the person to higher realms and then to a supportive rebirth among the pure and prosperous, enabling renewed practice and ethical living.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is questioning the fate of a practitioner who begins the path of Yoga but fails to reach final realization. This verse states one outcome: after enjoying meritorious realms for a long time, such a person is reborn into a virtuous and fortunate household.