Bhagavad Gita · Dhyana Yoga (Atma-samyama Yoga)Chapter 6, Shloka 38 (6.38)
Original Sanskrit · अर्जुनः
कच्चिन्नोभयविभ्रष्टश्छिन्नाभ्रमिव नश्यति
अप्रतिष्ठो महाबाहो विमूढो ब्रह्मणः पथि
॥ 6.38 ॥
kaccinnobhayavibhraṣṭaśchinnābhramiva naśyati
apratiṣṭho mahābāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi
Translation
"O mighty-armed one, strayed on the path of Brahman, without support, fallen from both (paths) — does such a one perish, like a broken-off cloud?"
Interpretation
"Ubhaya-vibhraṣṭa" — fallen from which two?
Shankaracharya. Karma-mārgāt yoga-mārgāc ca vibhraṣṭaḥ — fallen from the path of action (rites for heaven and the like) and from the path of yoga; chinnābhram iva naśyati kiṃ vā na naśyati — does one perish like a torn cloud, or not; apratiṣṭhaḥ nirāśrayaḥ.
Acharya Ramanuja — the image expanded. Yathā megha-śakalaḥ pūrvasmāt mahato meghāt chinnaḥ paraṃ mahāntaṃ megham aprāpya madhye vinaṣṭo bhavati — just as a piece of cloud breaks away from a large cloud and vanishes midway without reaching the next large cloud. Being fallen from both: svargādi-sādhana-bhūtaṃ karma phalābhisandhi-rahitasya … pratiṣṭhā na bhavati — having given up desire for the fruit, the rites for heaven and the like are no longer a support for this person (apratiṣṭha); and prakrānte brahmaṇaḥ pathi vimūḍhaḥ — has also strayed from the path of Brahman they had begun.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.