FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.42-43

యామిమాం పుష్పితాం వాచం ప్రవదన్త్యవిపశ్చితః । వేదవాదరతాః పార్థ నాన్యదస్తీతి వాదినః ॥ ౪౨ ॥ కామాత్మానః స్వర్గపరా జన్మకర్మఫలప్రదామ్ । క్రియావిశేషబహులాం భోగైశ్వర్యగతిం ప్రతి ॥ ౪౩ ॥
yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ
[yaam imaam pushpitaam vaacham]
pravadanty avipaścitaḥ
[pravadanty avipashchitah]
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha
[veda-vaada-rataah paartha]
nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
[naanyad asteeti vaadinah]
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā
[kaamaatmaanah svarga-paraa]
janma-karma-phala-pradām
[janma-karma-phala-pradaam]
kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ
[kriyaa-vishesha-bahulaam]
bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati
[bhogaishvarya-gatim prati]
Word-for-word
yām imām — all these puṣpitām — flowery vācam — words pravadanti — say avipaścitaḥ — men with a poor fund of knowledge veda - vāda - ratāḥ — supposed followers of the Vedas pārtha — O son of Pṛthā na — never anyat — anything else asti — there is iti — thus vādinaḥ — the advocates kāma - ātmānaḥ — desirous of sense gratification svarga - parāḥ — aiming to achieve heavenly planets janma - karma - phala - pradām — resulting in good birth and other fruitive reactions kriyā - viśeṣa — pompous ceremonies bahulām — various bhoga — in sense enjoyment aiśvarya — and opulence gatim — progress prati — towards .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ
yām imām
all these
puṣpitām
flowery
vācam
words
pravadanty avipaścitaḥ
pravadanti
say
avipaścitaḥ
men with a poor fund of knowledge
veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha
veda - vāda - ratāḥ
supposed followers of the Vedas
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
nānyad astīti vādinaḥ
na
never
anyat
anything else
asti
there is
iti
thus
vādinaḥ
the advocates
kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā
kāma - ātmānaḥ
desirous of sense gratification
svarga - parāḥ
aiming to achieve heavenly planets
janma-karma-phala-pradām
janma - karma - phala - pradām
resulting in good birth and other fruitive reactions
kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ
kriyā - viśeṣa
pompous ceremonies
bahulām
various
bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati
bhoga
in sense enjoyment
aiśvarya
and opulence
gatim
progress
prati
towards .
Important Words
  • puṣpitām — flowery
    Past participle of √puṣp — to bloom. The Vedas' karma-kāṇḍa portions are *in bloom* — fragrant with promises of heaven, sons, wealth. The blossoms are real; mistaking them for the whole tree is the error.
  • avipaścitaḥ — those of little knowledge
    A + vipaścit — un-discriminating, dull-witted. The technical insult: not 'wicked' but 'shallow'. They quote scripture without seeing what scripture is for.
  • veda - vāda - ratāḥ — delighting in the words of the Vedas
    Compound — *attached to the Veda-words*. Not 'attached to the Vedas' but to the *words* — the verbal surface, the ritual injunctions, the promises of reward. Letter without spirit.
  • kāma - ātmānaḥ — whose very selves are desire
    Compound — *kāma-souled*. Their innermost self has become kāma. Identity has collapsed into appetite. The diagnosis is precise and severe.
  • bhoga - aiśvarya - gatim — leading to enjoyment and opulence
    Compound — *whose destination is enjoyment and lordship*. The result aimed at is named without disguise. There is no higher horizon in this mode of religion.
Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this.
Purport

People in general are not very intelligent, and due to their ignorance they are most attached to the fruitive activities recommended in the karma-kāṇḍa portions of the Vedas. They do not want anything more than sense gratificatory proposals for enjoying life in heaven, where wine and women are available and material opulence is very common. In the Vedas many sacrifices are recommended for elevation to the heavenly planets, especially the Jyotiṣṭoma sacrifices. In fact, it is stated that anyone desiring elevation to heavenly planets must perform these sacrifices, and men with a poor fund of knowledge think that this is the whole purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to be situated in the determined action of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As fools are attached to the flowers of poisonous trees without knowing the results of such attractions, unenlightened men are similarly attracted by such heavenly opulence and the sense enjoyment thereof. In the karma-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas it is said, apāma somam amṛtā abhūma and akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati. In other words, those who perform the four-month penances become eligible to drink the soma-rasa beverages to become immortal and happy forever. Even on this earth some are very eager to have soma-rasa to become strong and fit to enjoy sense gratifications. Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices. They are generally sensual, and they do not want anything other than the heavenly pleasures of life. It is understood that there are gardens called Nandana-kānana in which there is good opportunity for association with angelic, beautiful women and having a profuse supply of soma-rasa wine. Such bodily happiness is certainly sensual; therefore there are those who are purely attached to such material, temporary happiness, as lords of the material world.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

This was discussed on the Karma‑kanda Section previously. Here the Vedas are mentioned for the first time. Now Krsna is going to speak against this "Karma‑kanda" mentality of using the Vedas simply for fruitive purposes. There are 100,000 lacks of verses in Vedic literature and out of these, 96,000 lacks refer to Karma‑kanda or fruitive activities. 4000 lacks are the Upanisads, or Jnana‑kanda pushes one towards transcendental knowledge. So 96% of the Vedas deal with Karma‑kanda and there is a reason for that.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study Key verse
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Buddhi-yoga vs Karma-kanda

PURPOSE OF COMPARISION: To sharpen Arjuna’s intelligence and avoid his attempt to renounce 1. Karma-kanda mentality is condemned as less intelligent path and is compared to “fools getting attached to the poisonous flowers of a tree” (2.42 – 2.43) 2. Material opulence and sense gratification are the two obstacles to Krishna consciousness (2.44) 3. Buddhi-yoga is transcendental to Vedic Karma-kanda rituals (2.45 – 2.46) 4. Sankirtana-yajna or Krishna consciousness fulfills the purpose of the Vedas

Focus of Learning

(a) Definitions of Faith

Strong faith that Krishna consciousness will elevate one to highest perfection of life – This is called as “Vyavasayatmika Intelligence” – Ref. CC: “Sraddha Sabde...”(study purport)
Faith means ‘unflinching trust in something sublime’

(b) Elaborations on ‘Firm faith’ – It implies that one engaged in Krishna consciousness has:

No obligations in material world
No longer endeavors for fruitive activities
Krishna conscious activities on absolute plane – no longer subject to dualities of good/bad

(c) In conclusion firm faith implies:

“Renunciation of material concept of life” – As highest perfection of Krishna consciousness
How to achieve such renunciation – Automatically by progressive Krishna consciousness

(d) Foundation of “Resolute Determination”

Knowledge of soul – Whole process ultimately depends on – perfect knowledge of soul beyond conception of body, not only theoretically but practically, with no chance of sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities
Knowledge of Vasudeva as the cause of all causes and as all in all (Ref. Bg. 7.19 – “bahunam janamanam...”)
Analogy: Watering the root satisfies all the parts

(e) Best practice of service to Krishna – Service to Guru (Supporting Ref. “yasya prasada…”) because:

He knows the nature of student
Can guide how to act in Krishna consciousness
One should act firmly and take instructions as mission in life
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.42 Partha, O son of Prtha; those devoid of one-pointed conviction, who pravadanti, utter; imam, this; yam puspitam vacam, flowery talk, which is going to be stated, which is beautiful like a tree in bloom, pleasant to hear, and appears to be (meaningful) sentences [Sentences that can be called really meaningful are only those that reveal the self.-Tr.]; who are they? they are avipascitah, people who are undiscerning, of poor intellect, i.e. non-discriminating; veda-vada-ratah, who remain engrossed in the utterances of the Vedas, in the Vedic sentences which reveal many panegyrics, fruits of action and their means; and vadinah, who declare, are apt tosay; iti, that; na anyat, nothing else [God, Liberation, etc.]; asti, exists, apart from the rites and duties conducive to such results as attainment of heaven etc. And they are kamatmanah, have their minds full of desires, i.e. they are swayed by desires, they are, by nature, full of desires; (and) svarga-parah, have heaven as the goal. Those who accept heaven (svarga) as the supreme (para) human goal, to whom heaven is the highest, are svarga-parah. They utter that speech ( this is supplied to construct the sentence ) which janma-karma-phala-pradam, promises birth as a result of rites and duties. The result (phala) of rites and duties (karma) is karma-phala. Birth (janma) itself is the karma-phala. That (speech) which promises this is janma-karma-phala-prada. (This speech) is kriya-visesa-bahulam, full of various special rites; bhoga-aisvarya-gatim-prati, for the attainment of enjoyment and affluence. Special (visesa) rites (kriya) are kriya-visesah. The speech that is full (bahula) of these, the speech by which that is full (bahula) of these, the speech by which these, viz objects such as heaven, animals and sons, are revealed plentifully, is kriya-visesa-bahula. Bhoga, enjoyment, and aisvarya, affluence, are bhoga-aisvarya. Their attainment (gatih) is bhoga-aisvarya-gatih. (They utter a speech) that is full of the specialized rites, prati, meant for that (attainment). The fools who utter that speech move in the cycle of transmigration. This is the idea.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.42 - 2.44 The ignorant, whose knowledge is little, and who have as their sole aim the attainment of enjoyment and power, speak the flowery language i.e., having its flowers (show) only as fruits, which look apparently beautiful at first sight. They rejoice in the letter of the Vedas i.e., they are attached to heaven and such other results (promised in the Karma-kanda of the Vedas). They say that there is nothing else, owing to their intense attachment to these results. They say that there is no fruit superior to heaven etc. They are full of worldly desires and their minds are highly attached to secular desires. They hanker for heaven, i.e. think of the enjoyment of the felicities of heaven, after which one can again have rirth which offers again the opportunity to perform varied rites devoid of true knowledge and leads towards the attainment of enjoyments and power once again. With regard to those who cling to pleasure and power and whose understanding is contaminated by that flowery speech relating to pleasure and lordly powers, the aforesaid mental disposition characterised by resolution, will not arise in their Samadhi. Samadhi here means the mind. The knowledge of the self will not arise in such minds. In the minds of these persons, there cannot arise the mental disposition that looks on all Vedic rituals as means for liberation based on the determined conviction about the real form of the self. Hence, in an aspirant for liberation, there should be no attachment to rituals out of the conviction that they are meant for the acisition of objects of desire only. It may be estioned why the Vedas, which have more of love for Jivas than thousands of parents, and which are endeavouring to save the Jivas, should prescribe in this way rites whose fruits are infinitesimal and which produce only new births. It can also be asked if it is proper to abandon what is given in the Vedas. Sri Krsna replies to these estions.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.42 See Comment under 2.44
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.42 Flowery speech is uttered by the unwise, taking pleasure in the eulogising words of the Vedas, O Arjuna, saying, "There is nothing else."
Commentary

2.42 याम which? इमाम् this? पुष्पिताम् flowery? वाचम् speech? प्रवदन्ति utter? अविपश्चितः the unwise? वेदवादरताः takign pleasure in the eulogising words of the Vedas? पार्थ O Partha? न not? अन्यत् other? अस्ति is? इति thus? वादिनः saying.Commentary Unwise people who are lacking in discrimination lay great stress upon the Karma Kanda or the ritualistic portion of the Vedas? which lays down specific rules for specific actions for,the attainment of specific fruits and ectol these actions and rewards unduly. They are highly enamoured of such Vedic passages which prescribe ways for the attainment of heavenly enjoyments. They say that there is nothing else beyond the sensual enjoyments in Svarga (heaven) which can be obtained by performing the rites of the Karma Kanda of the Vedas.There are two main divisions of the Vedas -- Karma Kanda (the section dealing with action) and Jnana Kanda (the section dealing with knowledge). The Karma Kanda comprises the Brahmanas and the Samhitas. This is the authority for the Purvamimamsa school founded by Jaimini. The followers of this school deal with rituals and prescribe many of them for attaining enjoyments and power here and happiness in heaven. They regard this as the ultimate object of human existence. Ordinary people are attracted by their panegyrics. The Jnana Kanda comprises the Aranyakas and the Upanishads which deal with the nature of Brahman or the Supreme Self.Life in heaven is also transitory. After the fruits of the good actions are exhausted? one has to come back to this earthplane. Liberatio or Moksha can only be attained by knowledge of the Self but not by performing a thousand and one sacrifices.Lord Krishna assigns a comparatively inferior position to the doctrine of the Mimamsakas of performing Vedic sacrifices for obtaining heaven? power and lordship in this world as they cannot give us final liberation.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.42-2.43 O son of Prtha, those undiscerning people who utter this flowery talk which promises birth as a result of rites and duties, and is full of various special rites meant for the attainment of enjoyment and affluence , they remain engrossed in the utterances of the Vedas and declare that nothing else exists; their minds are full of desires and they have heaven as the goal.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.42 Only the ignorant speak in figurative language. It is they who extol the letter of the scriptures, saying, There is nothing deeper than this.'
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)
Related verses
BG 2.44 BG 9.20 BG 15.1 SB 1.2.8 SB 4.31.10 SB 11.21.35 CC Madhya 8.83 CC Madhya 22.93 CC Madhya 24.143 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.5BRS 1.2.108
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
The flowery words of those promising heavenly enjoyment in exchange for ritual look attractive but lead away from real liberation.
Practical Applications
  • Be wary of any teaching whose primary promise is enjoyment — material or subtle.
  • Distinguish between offering Krishna out of love and trying to extract pleasure from Him.
  • Do not chase 'higher experiences' as the goal of spiritual life; chase Krishna.
Reflection Questions
  • Whose flowery promises have I been entertaining lately?
  • Where have I made spiritual life a more sophisticated form of enjoyment?
Analogy

A child given a garden picks every flower he can reach, leaving the tree itself untended. The flowery words of veda-vāda are these flowers — pretty, real, useful, but not the tree. Those who think there is *nothing more than this* have eaten the petals and missed the fruit.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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