Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 45

प्रयत्नाद्यतमानस्तु योगी संशुद्धकिल्बिषः | अनेकजन्मसंसिद्धस्ततो याति परां गतिम् ||

prayatnād yatamānas tu yogī saṁśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ aneka-janma-saṁsiddhas tato yāti parāṁ gatim

But the yogi who strives with effort, having purified all sins and perfected through many births, then attains the supreme destination.

Krishna explains how accumulated merits lead to perfection. 'Prayatnād yatamānas tu yogī'—but (tu) the yogi (yogī) who strives (yatamānaḥ) with effort (prayatnāt). This means: the yogi who continues to practice, who keeps striving, who doesn't give up. 'Saṁśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ'—having purified (saṁśuddha) all sins (kilbiṣaḥ). This means: through practice, the yogi has removed all impurities, all sins, all obstacles. They're clean, pure, free from hindrances. 'Aneka-janma-saṁsiddhas'—perfected (saṁsiddhaḥ) through many (aneka) births (janma). This means: the yogi has accumulated merits from many lifetimes—not just one birth, but many. Each birth contributes, each effort accumulates, each practice builds on the previous. 'Tato yāti parāṁ gatim'—then (tataḥ) attains (yāti) the supreme (parām) destination (gatim). This means: with accumulated merits, purified sins, and continued striving, the yogi attains the highest state—perfection, liberation, union with the divine. This is the culmination: effort accumulates, sins are purified, perfection is attained.