Bhagavad Gita · Sankhya YogaChapter 2, Shloka 42 (2.42)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः
वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः
॥ 2.42 ॥
yāmimāṃ puṣpitāṃ vācaṃ pravadantyavipaścitaḥ
vedavādaratāḥ pārtha nānyadastīti vādinaḥ
Translation
"O Partha! Those undiscerning people who delight only in the (reward-related) words of the Vedas and say 'there is nothing beyond this' speak flowery words, beautiful to look at…" (the sentence continues in 2.43–2.44)
Interpretation
"Puṣpitā vāk" — flowery speech. Flowers are beautiful, but they are not fruit. Ramanuja: puṣpa-mātra-phalām, āpāta-ramaṇīyām — whose only fruit is flowers, beautiful only on the surface. Shankaracharya: puṣpita iva vṛkṣaḥ śobhamānām — as splendid as a tree laden with flowers, pleasant to hear.
"Veda-vāda-ratāḥ" — delighting in the claims of the Vedas. This phrase needs to be understood carefully. The Gita is not condemning the Vedas — the commentators make clear that this is about people who are attached only to the Vedic statements that describe rewards such as heaven (arthavada, phala-shruti). Ramanuja: vedeṣu ye svargādi-phala-vādāḥ teṣu saktāḥ. Shankaracharya: bahu-arthavāda-phala-sādhana-prakāśakeṣu veda-vākyeṣu ratāḥ.
"Nānyad astīti vādinaḥ" — "there is nothing beyond this". The problem is not merely the desire for enjoyment or heaven — but the belief that there is nothing at all beyond this. This limits the understanding.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.