Prapya Punyakritam Lokan

Krishna begins to describe what actually happens to the yogi whose practice was left incomplete. First, that soul reaches the higher realms — the worlds earned by virtuous beings. There, it dwells in comfort for a very long time. This is not punishment. It is a rest stop on a longer journey.

Then the soul returns to earth. And where does it land? In a family that is both pure (shuchi) and prosperous (shrimat). A household with good values and stable means. The conditions are set for the next stage of growth.

This is Krishna's first scenario. The incomplete yogi does not drift into oblivion. The effort becomes a seed. It travels across lifetimes and sprouts again in fertile ground.

This shloka is the first of two 'rebirth scenarios' Krishna offers. In 6.41, the yogi is born into a virtuous and prosperous family. In 6.42, the rarer and higher option: birth into a family of wise yogis. Both paths continue the spiritual journey.

In Indian philosophical tradition, this reflects the principle of 'samskara-continuity' — impressions from one life carry forward into the next. What was practiced sincerely is never truly lost.