Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 6, Verse 40
Verse 40
Hard VerseThe Yoga of Meditation
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Son, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.
Context & Meaning
Krishna's reassurance is categorical: no sincere spiritual effort is ever lost. One who does good — who genuinely strives toward the Supreme, even without completing the path — does not perish. No effort on the spiritual path goes to waste.
Scholar Commentaries
1 commentary · Public domainRamanujacharya
VishishtadvaitaThis is one of the most consoling verses in all of scripture. Ramanuja emphasizes that "kalyāṇakṛt" — one who does good, who sincerely strives — is never overcome by evil, neither in this life nor in the next. The spiritual journey accumulates across lives. Partial progress is real progress. The fallen yogi of 6:37–38 is not lost; they will resume from where they left off in a future birth. The Supreme does not waste a single sincere effort.