Bhagavad Gita BG 6.42
Chapter 6, Verse 42 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् । एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम् ॥
athava yoginam eva kule bhavati dhimatam etad dhi durlabhataram loke janma yad idrisham
Meaning
Or else, he is born into the family of wise yogis. Indeed, such a birth as this is very difficult to obtain in this world.
Understanding
Verse 41 describes the first alternative — rebirth in a prosperous householder's family. Verse 42 presents the superior alternative: birth into a family of dhimatam yoginam (wise yogis). 'Athava' (or else) introduces this higher possibility. The key teaching is 'etad dhi durlabhataram loke janma yad idrisham' — such a birth is indeed rarer and harder to obtain in the world. Being born into a family of practicing yogis means that the spiritual atmosphere — the conversations, the practices, the example of elders — creates exactly the environment needed for rapid spiritual development. The child's own inner samskaras (impressions) from past lives find immediate resonance in the outer environment. This is why such a birth is called 'durlabhataram' — more difficult (comparative of durlabha, hard to obtain) — not just durlabha but more so. The grace of being raised in a spiritually alive family is considered rarer than even birth in a wealthy family.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| अथवा | athava | or else, alternatively |
| योगिनाम् | yoginam | of yogis, among yogis |
| धीमताम् | dhimatam | of the wise, of the intelligent (genitive plural) |
| दुर्लभतरम् | durlabhataram | more difficult to obtain (comparative of durlabha) |
| इदृशम् | idrisham | such as this, of this kind |
| एव | eva | indeed / or else (alternatively) |
| कुले | kule | in a family / in the lineage |
| भवति | bhavati | is born / comes to be |
| एतत् | etat | this (birth — among the wise) |
| हि | hi | for / indeed (this is rare) |
| लोके | loke | in the world |
| जन्म | janma | birth / such a birth |
| यत् | yat | which / such as this |