kaccin nobhaya-vibhraṣṭaś chinnābhram iva naśyati apratiṣṭho mahā-bāho vimūḍho brahmaṇaḥ pathi
"Having fallen from both, does one not perish like a scattered cloud, without foundation, O mighty-armed one, bewildered on the path to Brahman?"
What This Means:
Arjuna's fear deepens: Does the failed yogi lose both worlds, the material pleasures they gave up AND the spiritual realization they didn't achieve? Like a cloud that breaks apart and vanishes?
Going Deeper:
Ubhaya-vibhrashta (fallen from both) is the nightmare scenario: worldly enjoyments were renounced but liberation wasn't attained. Chinna-abhra (torn cloud) is a powerful image, a cloud that breaks off can't return to the main cloud or become rain; it just dissipates.
How To Apply This:
This fear, losing both worlds, often keeps people from commitment. They hedge bets, never fully engaging either material or spiritual life. Arjuna brings this universal anxiety to Krishna.
Key Sanskrit Terms: