Prabhupāda: There are many. Aurobindo’s . . . Aurobindo’s philosophy is also like that: Once you get human form of life, then you don’t degrade. (laughter)
Pradyumna: Hmm. Theosophists also think like that.
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, theosophists. They are similar.
Pradyumna: (indistinct) . . . his point was that if someone was in third grade and they don’t pass, then they don’t go down to second grade, but they just stay in third grade, and they may go on to fourth.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Pradyumna: If he is in a grade in school, he is in the first, second and third year of school, but if he does not go on to fourth year, he just stays in third, but he does not go back to second. But I . . . whatever they . . . therefore I always say that if someone in school, he may not go on to fourth, but he may be so bad that he’s thrown out of school altogether, what to speak of going back to second.
Prabhupāda: That is his creation—his concoction, his creation. But Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṇa says, dehāntara-prāpti: transformation of another body. So another body may be in the second class or third class or any class. Dehāntara. Never says human body. Human body is guaranteed only for the yogīs, those who are trying to advance spiritually. Their next body is guaranteed, human being. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41).
But others, dehāntara-prāpti, another transformation of body. And that is confirmed also, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke (BG 8.6):
At the time of death the mental condition will give you another body. There is proof also, just like Mahārāja Bharata. He was advancing in spiritual life—he left his kingdom—but at the time of death he was thinking of a deer, so he became a deer. Such an advanced . . . of course, he did not forget himself. Therefore he was speaking always amongst the saintly persons, their association. He was remembering that "I was King Bharata. Now I have assumed this body." But the nature’s process is that at the time of death, whatever you think, you get a body like that. So how is again guaranteed? It is guaranteed for yogīs. Either jñāna-yogīs, haṭha-yogīs . . . (indistinct) . . . yogīs, Their whole life they devote, maybe impersonal Brahman, so he can be merged into the impersonal feature of the Lord. Paramātmā. The yogīs, all kinds of yogīs, they are guaranteed next life. And all these yogīs, after many, many such births, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), he becomes a devotee.
Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ: such saintly person is very rare. Brahmaṇi pasamāsana: taking shelter of the Supreme.