The Yoga of Meditation

Krishna explains how sincere effort benefits the practitioner even after failure. 'Prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ'—having attained (prāpya) the worlds (lokān) of the righteous (puṇya-kṛtām) and having dwelt (uṣitvā) there for many (śāśvatīḥ) years (samāḥ). This means: someone who practices yoga sincerely, even if they fail, first enjoys the fruits of their effort—they attain higher worlds, they experience the benefits of their practice. They don't just disappear—they're rewarded for their effort. 'Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate'—one who has fallen (bhraṣṭaḥ) from yoga (yoga) is born (abhijāyate) into a family (gehe) of the pure (śucīnām) and prosperous (śrīmatām). This means: after enjoying the fruits of their effort, they're reborn into favorable circumstances—a pure family, a prosperous family, an environment that supports spiritual practice. Their effort isn't wasted—it leads to a better rebirth, better circumstances, better opportunities to continue. This is how sincere effort benefits you even if you fail—you get favorable conditions to try again.