Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 6: The Path of Meditation

Bhagavad Gita 6.45

prayatnādyatamānastu yogī saṃśuddhakilbiṣaḥ | anekajanmasaṃsiddhastato yāti parāṃ gatim ||

But the yogi who strives with real effort, cleansed of faults and perfected over many births, then reaches the supreme goal.

Modern context

The goal is reached, but over 'many births'. This is both humbling and freeing. It is humbling because real transformation takes far longer than we want it to. It is freeing because there is no deadline. Nobody has to become perfect by Friday. The task is simply to keep striving sincerely, cleaning out one fault at a time, and trust that the work accumulates.