Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2, Verse 46

English Translation

A Brahmana with realization has that much utility in all the Vedas as a man has in a well when there is a flood all around.

Detailed Commentary

Regarding the phrase 'Yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake': When a person obtains a great lake that is completely filled with clean, pure water, they no longer need small reservoirs. This is because in a small reservoir, washing hands and feet pollutes it; after bathing, the water is no longer fit for washing clothes; and after washing clothes, that water is not fit for drinking. However, in a large lake, even after performing all these activities, its cleanliness and purity remain intact. Similarly, concerning 'Tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ': For those great souls (*Mahapurushas*) who have realized the Supreme Being (*Paramatma*), all the meritorious acts prescribed in the Vedas – such as *Yagya* (sacrifices), *Daan* (charity), *Tap* (austerities), *Teertha* (pilgrimages), *Vrat* (vows), etc. – become unnecessary, just like small reservoirs. A similar analogy is presented in the seventieth verse, stating that such a wise *Mahatma* is as profound as the ocean. No matter how many sense-objects (*bhoga*) come before them, they cannot create disturbance (*vikar*) within them. One who knows the essence (*tattva*) of *Paramatma* and the Vedas is here referred to as 'Brāhmaṇasya Vijānataḥ'. The implication of 'Tāvān' is that upon attaining *Paramatma*, one becomes liberated from the three *Gunas*. They become *Nir-dvandva*, meaning they are free from *Raga* (attachment) and *Dvesha* (aversion). They are established in the eternal *Tattva* (Reality). They become *Nishkama*, meaning they have no desire to acquire or protect anything. They always remain absorbed in *Paramatma*. **Connection:** The Lord (*Bhagavan*) had commanded Arjuna in the thirty-ninth verse to listen to the doctrine of equanimity (*Sama-buddhi* or *Samata*); now, in the next verse, He commands him to perform actions for its attainment.