Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 42

Chapter 2 – Sankhya Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः ।
वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः ॥

Transliteration

yāmimāṃ puṣpitāṃ vācaṃ pravadantyavipaścitaḥ .
vedavādaratāḥ pārtha nānyadastīti vādinaḥ ॥

Meaning

O Partha, those of little discernment who delight in the letter of the Vedas and declare ‘there is nothing else’ speak flowery words —

Word meanings

याम् – which
इमाम् – this
पुष्पिताम् – flowery, showy
वाचम् – speech
प्रवदन्ति – they utter
अविपश्चितः – the undiscerning
वेदवादरताः – delighting in the Vedic texts on rewards
पार्थ – O Partha
न अन्यत् अस्ति – there is nothing else
इति – thus
वादिनः – declaring

Anvaya (word order)

पार्थ, वेदवादरताः ‘अन्यत् न अस्ति’ इति वादिनः अविपश्चितः याम् इमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्ति — (वाक्यम् 2.44 श्लोके समाप्यते) ।

Explanation

Having spoken of the resolute intellect, Krishna now describes those whose minds have strayed. Verses 2.42 to 2.44 form a single sentence whose main statement is completed in 2.44. Here He speaks of the ‘veda-vada-ratah’, those who delight only in the portions of the Vedas describing heaven and pleasures obtained through various rituals.

‘Pushpitam vacham’ — flowery speech — is a lovely image. Flowers are beautiful and fragrant, but soon wither. Likewise, promises of heaven and enjoyment sound attractive, but their fruit is temporary. Shankara compares such speech to the blossoms of a poisonous tree, lovely to look at but harmful in effect.

‘Nanyad astiti vadinah’ — they declare that there is nothing else. This is their greatest error. They take the ritual portion of the Vedas as the final truth and ignore the Self-knowledge and liberation taught in the Upanishads.

It is important to understand that Krishna is not condemning the Vedas. All the acharyas agree that the criticism is aimed not at the Vedas but at a partial, pleasure-seeking reading of them. The Vedas themselves present ritual as a means of purifying the mind and knowledge as the final goal. The problem arises when the means is mistaken for the end.

Even today, reducing religion to outward ritual and the desire for material gain is the same mistake. True religion lifts us above mere enjoyment towards inner growth.

Context

In 2.41 Krishna distinguished the resolute from the scattered intellect. From here (2.42–2.44) He begins to describe ritual-centred seekers of pleasure. Their desires are described in 2.43 and the state of their intellect in 2.44.

Life lesson

Do not be caught by promises of material reward offered in the name of religion. Attractive words often lead to fleeting pleasure; true dharma leads to inner growth and Self-knowledge.

Key terms

Pushpita vak: flowery speech, attractive but bearing fleeting fruit
Veda-vada-rata: attached only to the Vedic passages promising rewards
Avipashchit: undiscerning, lacking deep understanding