Bhagavad Gita BG 6.44
Chapter 6, Verse 44 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
पूर्वाभ्यासेन तेनैव ह्रियते ह्यवशोऽपि सः । जिज्ञासुरपि योगस्य शब्दब्रह्मातिवर्तते ॥
purvabhyasena tenaiva hriyate hy avaso 'pi sah jijnasur api yogasya shabda-brahmatIvartate
Meaning
By that very previous practice, one is involuntarily carried along. Even the sincere seeker of yoga transcends the word-Brahman (ritual Vedic teaching).
Understanding
The power of previous yogic practice: purvabhyasena (by the previous practice from the past life) tenaiva (by that very same) — hriyate avaso 'pi sah (one is carried along INVOLUNTARILY — avasha = without one's will). The spiritual momentum from previous practice carries into the next life even without conscious memory. And even one who is merely a jijnasu (sincere seeker/inquirer) of yoga transcends shabda-brahma (the word-Brahman — the level of Vedic ritual teaching). The aspiration for yoga already elevates beyond ritual religion.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पूर्वाभ्यासेन | purvabhyasena | by previous practice (from a past life) |
| ह्रियते | hriyate | is carried, is drawn along |
| अवशः | avashaha | involuntarily, without one's own will |
| जिज्ञासुः | jijnasuh | sincere seeker, one who wishes to know |
| शब्दब्रह्म | shabda-brahma | word-Brahman, the Vedic ritual teaching level |
| तेन | tena | by that (prior practice) |
| एव | eva | alone / indeed (by that very practice) |
| हि | hi | for / indeed |
| अपि | api | even / despite himself |
| सः | saḥ | he (the fallen yogi) |
| योगस्य | yogasya | of yoga / about yoga (curious about) |
| अति | ati | beyond / transcends (even the Vedic injunctions) |
| वर्तते | vartate | goes beyond / transcends |