prāpya puṇya-kṛitāṁ lokān uṣhitvā śhāśhvatīḥ samāḥ
śhuchīnāṁ śhrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣhṭo’bhijāyate
prāpya — attain;
puṇya-kṛitām — of the virtuous;
lokān — abodes;
uṣhitvā — after dwelling;
śhāśhvatīḥ — many;
samāḥ — ages;
śhuchīnām — of the pious;
śhrī-matām — of the prosperous;
gehe — in the house;
yoga-bhraṣhṭaḥ — the unsuccessful yogis;
abhijāyate — take birth;
This verse tells us about what happens to yogis who do not succeed in their practice of yoga. It explains that if a yogi, someone trying to achieve spiritual growth, does not fully succeed, they still have a chance for a good next life. There are two kinds of unsuccessful yogis.
The first type is someone who has just started their journey in yoga but hasn't progressed much. This person might not have spent much time practicing and therefore doesn’t develop deep understanding or skills. Because they have tried, they get the opportunity to go to a better place after death, which is often thought of as a heavenly realm where kind and good people go. They stay there for a while and enjoy the good results of their past good deeds.
After this nice period, they come back to Earth, but the good news is that they are born into a better family than they had before. They might be born into the home of a virtuous family, like a family of scholars or very kind people. This gives them a good foundation to continue their spiritual learning in the next life because they have a supportive environment.
The second type of unsuccessful yogi is someone who has really put in a lot of time and effort into their yoga practice, maybe even several lifetimes. They have made more progress yet still have not achieved their ultimate goals. After spending many years enjoying the rewards of their good actions on the higher planets, they, too, return to Earth. However, they are reborn into a wealthy or highly respected family, such as one of noble or cultured individuals.
The point of this verse is to show that even if someone does not complete their spiritual goals in one life, all of their efforts are not wasted. Instead, they will have better circumstances in their next life. They get a head start to continue their spiritual journey because of the good family they are born into. This ongoing cycle provides them with the opportunity to learn and practice yoga further until they eventually succeed. This verse encourages us by showing that every effort matters, and there is always hope for improvement in future lives.