Bhagavad Gita 6.42

athavā yoginām eva

kule bhavati dhīmatām

etad dhi durlabhataraṁ

loke janma yad īdṛśam

 

“Or else, they’re born where yogis dwell,

Among the wise who know truth well.

Such a birth is indeed rare to gain,

A precious blessing in the earthly plane.”

 

My dear Lord, you ensure that those whose spiritual progress is halted by death are never lost, or even impeded on their spiritual growth journey.

If someone pursues spiritual growth earnestly but runs out of time, you, my Lord, grant them birth among families that are already spiritually dedicated. Since such souls are rare, to be born in a family of such souls is an extremely rare fortune.

Through such a birth, their spiritual cultivation begins right from the womb—the spiritual consciousness of the mother creates deep impressions within the child. Thus, my Lord, you place them in a super-conducive environment that reinforces the spiritual attraction they had cultivated in their previous life.

By your mercy, O Lord, such souls can focus on spiritual growth undistracted. Neither are they distracted by worldly desires carried over from previous lives. Nor do they carry the burden of conditionings imposed upon them by a materialistic family environment. Thus, by your mercy, O Lord, they build upon what they already carry within, and march steadily closer to you—life’s eternal destination and ultimate perfection.

O Lord, let me remember how merciful you are even toward those subjected to catastrophic events like death. Why, then, should I lose hope in your mercy amid life’s routine dualities?

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06.42 Or [if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga] he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world.