Bhagavad Gita 2.46यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके।तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ॥
yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake
tāvānsarveṣhu vedeṣhu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ
Sanskrit recitation
A clearer mind for action · 2.39–2.46 · Teaching
Translation
To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much use as a reservoir of water would be in a place where there is a flood.
Hindi translation
सब तरफसे परिपूर्ण महान् जलाशयके प्राप्त होनेपर छोटे गड्ढों में भरे जल में मनुष्यका जितना प्रयोजन रहता है अर्थात् कुछ भी प्रयोजन नहीं रहता, वेदों और शास्त्रोंको तत्त्वसे जाननेवाले ब्रह्मज्ञानीका सम्पूर्ण वेदोंमें उतना ही प्रयोजन रहता है अर्थात् कुछ भी प्रयोजन नहीं रहता।
Meaning
Only for a sage who has realised the Self, the Vedas are of no use, because he is in possession of the infinite knowledge of the Self. This does not, however, mean that the Vedas are useless. They are useful for the neophytes or the aspirants who have just started on the spiritual path.All the transient pleasures derivable from the proper performance of all actions enjoined in the Vedas are comprehended in the infinite bliss of Selfknowledge.
After Swami Sivananda
A clearer mind for action· 2.39–2.46→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
- 2.39This, which has been taught to you, is wisdom concerning Sankhya. Now listen to wisdom…
- 2.40In this, there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm produced, nor any…
- 2.41Here, O joy of the Kurus, there is only one single-pointed determination; many-branched…
- 2.42The unwise, taking pleasure in the eulogizing words of the Vedas, utter flowery speech,…
- 2.43Full of desires, with heaven as their goal, (they speak words that are directed to ends)…
- 2.44For those who are attached to pleasure and power, whose minds are drawn away by such…
- 2.45The Vedas deal with the three attributes; be thou above these three attributes. O Arjuna,…
2.46To the Brahmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of as much use as a reservoir of…
Word-by-word→
- tāvān
- that many
- yāvān
- whatever
- arthaḥ
- purpose
- uda-pāne
- a well of water
- vedeṣhu
- Vedas
- sarvataḥ
- in all respects
- sarveṣhu
- in all
- vijānataḥ
- who is in complete knowledge
- brāhmaṇasya
- one who realizes the Absolute Truth
- sampluta-udake
- by a large lake
Read this when you feel
Related verses
- 2.29One sees this (the Self) as a wonder; another speaks of it as a wonder; another hears of…
- 4.36Even if thou art the most sinful of all sinners, yet thou shalt surely cross over all sins…
- 5.16But to those whose ignorance is destroyed by knowledge of the Self, like the sun,…
- 13.10Non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with son, wife, home, and the rest, and…