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: