|| 6.42 ||
अथवा योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम्। एतद्धि दुर्लभतरं लोके जन्म यदीदृशम्।।
athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām etad dhi durlabhataraṁ loke janma yad īdṛśam
Word by Word
athavā (or) — yoginām (of learned practitioners) — eva (certainly) — kule (in the family) — bhavati (he takes birth) — dhīmatām (of those who are endowed with great wisdom) — etat (this) — hi (certainly) — durlabha-taram (very rare) — loke (in this world) — janma (birth) — yat (which) — īdṛśam (like this)
Translation
Or [if unsuccessful after long practice] he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world.
Meaning
Kṛṣṇa describes a second, even more fortunate destination for the ‘failed’ yogī. If a person was very advanced but fell just short of perfection, they might take their birth directly in a family of ‘dhīmatām yoginām’—wise and spiritually realized practitioners.
Kṛṣṇa says that such a birth is ‘durlabhataraṁ’, or extremely rare in this world. To have parents who are already devotees or sages is the greatest possible fortune. Such a child is raised from day one in an atmosphere of truth and devotion. They don’t have to waste half their life searching for the path; they are born on it.
This verse emphasizes that God tailors the next life to the specific needs of the soul. If you still have material desires, He gives you a rich family. If you only have spiritual desires but lack the final effort, He gives you a saintly family. Every soul is given exactly what they need to continue their journey back to Him.