Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 42

English Translation

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.

Detailed Commentary

'Kāmātmānah' – These individuals are so deeply immersed in their desires that they themselves become like desire. They perceive no distinction between themselves and their desires. Their belief is that without desire, a human cannot live, no work can be accomplished, and a person would become like a stone, devoid of consciousness. Such individuals are called 'Kāmātmānah'. The Ātmā always remains as it is; it neither diminishes nor grows, whereas desires come and go and continually change. The Ātmā is a part of the Paramātmā, while desires are connected to the material world. Therefore, the Ātmā and desires are two distinct entities. However, those immersed in desires are unaware of their true nature. 'Svargaparāh' – The primary objective of these individuals is to attain Svarga (heaven), as they believe that the finest divine enjoyments are found there. They remain occupied with this very aim. Here, 'Svargaparāh' refers to those who have faith in Svarga and similar realms described in the Vedas and Shastras. 'Vedavādaratah Pārtha nānyadastīti vādinah' – These individuals are interested in the desire-driven actions (sakama karmas) described in the Vedas. They believe that the purpose of the Vedas is to achieve worldly enjoyments (bhoga) and Svarga, which is why they are called 'Vedavādaratah'. According to them, nothing else is significant apart from worldly pleasures, such as the Supreme Being (Paramātmā), ultimate knowledge (tattvajñāna), liberation (mukti), or devotion to God (Bhagavat-prema). The main goal of such people is to experience worldly enjoyments. 'Yāmimām pushpitām vācham pravadantyavipaschitah' – Those who lack discrimination between right and wrong, eternal and transient, imperishable and perishable, regard the Vedic injunctions that describe the world and its enjoyments as the ultimate truth. Here, 'Pushpitām' signifies that speech describing the attainment of enjoyments and opulence is merely showy; it yields no lasting fruit. True satisfaction comes from the fruit, not from the beauty of flowers and leaves. That speech does not grant permanent results. The enjoyments of Svarga and similar realms appear beautiful, but they are not permanent. 'Janmakarmaphalapradām' – That speech gives rise to rebirth as the fruit of actions, because it attaches importance only to worldly enjoyments. Attachment to these enjoyments itself becomes the cause of future births (Gita 13.21). 'Kriyāvisheṣabahulām bhogaishvaryagatim prati' – That showy speech describes desire-driven rituals for the attainment of enjoyments and opulence, which involve numerous actions requiring various methods and materials, and also demand significant physical effort (Gita 18.24).