The Yoga of Meditation

Arjuna continues his concern with a powerful metaphor. 'Kaccin nobhaya-vibhraṣṭaś'—whether (kaccit) one who has deviated (vibhraṣṭaḥ) from both (ubhaya) paths (na). This means: someone who has deviated from both the spiritual path (yoga) and the material path (karma)—they've left both, they're in between, neither here nor there. 'Chinnābhram iva naśyati'—does he perish (naśyati) like (iva) a broken cloud (chinnābhram)? This means: Arjuna uses a beautiful metaphor—a broken cloud that disappears, dissipates, has no foundation, no support. Does such a person just disappear, perish, get lost? 'Apratiṣṭho mahābāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi'—O mighty-armed (mahābāho), without foundation (apratiṣṭhaḥ), deluded (vimūḍhaḥ) on the path (pathi) of Brahman (brahmaṇaḥ). This means: this person has no foundation—no spiritual foundation, no material foundation. They're deluded, confused, on the path of Brahman—they've lost their way. Arjuna's concern is real: is such a person just lost, like a broken cloud? This is a fear many practitioners have—what if I try but fail, and I'm lost forever?