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The Perfection of Yoga
that “Failure is the pillar of success.” In the spiritual life especially, failure is not discouraging. Kṛṣṇa very clearly states that even if there is failure, there is no loss either in this world or in the next. One who takes to this auspicious line of spiritual culture is never completely vanquished.
Now what actually happens to the unsuccessful spiritualist? Śrī Kṛṣṇa specifically explains:
prāpya puṇya-kṛtām lokān uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ śucīnām śrīmatām gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo'bhijayate athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām etaddhi durlabhataram loke janma yad īdṛśam
“The unsuccessful  yogī , after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy. Or he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Verily, such a birth is rare in this world.” (Bg. 6.41-42) There are many planets in the universe, and on the higher planets there are greater comforts, the duration of life is longer, and the inhabitants are more religious and godly. Since it is said that six months on earth is equal to one day on the higher planets, the unsuccessful  yogī  stays on these higher planets for many, many years. Vedic literatures describe their lifetimes as lasting 10,000 years. So even if one is a failure, he is promoted to these high-