श्रीभगवानुवाच | पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते | न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद्दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति || ४० ||
śrī bhagavān uvāca pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśas tasya vidyate na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatiṃ tāta gacchati
śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Supreme Lord said; pārtha—O son of Pritha; na eva—never; iha—in this material world; na—never; amutra—in the next life; vināśaḥ—destruction; tasya—his; vidyate—exists; na—never; hi—certainly; kalyāṇa-kṛt—one who is engaged in auspicious activities; kaścit—anyone; durgatim—to degradation; tāta—my friend; gacchati—goes.
“The Blessed Lord said: O Partha, there is no destruction for that person — neither in this world nor in the next. My friend, no one who does good ever comes to grief.”
Krishna's opening answer is a profound declaration of the safety of the spiritual path. No effort toward good, no genuine movement toward the Divine, is ever lost. The universe's moral fabric ensures that kalyāṇa-kṛt — one who performs good actions — cannot come to durgatim (degradation). The fallen yogi's sincere spiritual effort does not vanish; it is preserved, like a seed, to bear fruit in a future circumstance more conducive to its full blossoming.
Every genuine spiritual effort you make — every meditation, every act of service, every moment of conscious loving — is permanently recorded in the fabric of your being. It is not lost at death. This teaching gives enormous courage to the imperfect, struggling practitioner. Begin. Keep going. Nothing is wasted.