Bhagavad-gītā 2.42
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चितः। वेदवादरताः पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिनः।।2.42।।
yāmimāṁ puṣhpitāṁ vāchaṁ pravadanty-avipaśhchitaḥ veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ kāmātmānaḥ swarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām kriyā-viśheṣha-bahulāṁ bhogaiśhwarya-gatiṁ prati
People of limited understanding delight in ornate Vedic language and insist that there is nothing beyond it, O Partha.
English rendering by Dharma Open School. Original school translation.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| yām imām | all these |
| puṣhpitām | flowery |
| vācham | words |
| pravadanti | speak |
| avipaśhchitaḥ | those with limited understanding |
| veda-vāda-ratāḥ | attached to the flowery words of the Vedas |
| pārtha | Arjun, the son of Pritha |
| na anyat | no other |
| asti | is |
| iti | thus |
| vādinaḥ | advocate |
| kāma-ātmānaḥ | desirous of sensual pleasure |
| swarga-parāḥ | aiming to achieve the heavenly planets |
| janma-karma-phala | high birth and fruitive results |
| pradāṁ | awarding |
| kriyā-viśheṣha | pompous ritualistic ceremonies |
| bahulām | various |
| bhoga | gratification |
| aiśhwarya | luxury |
| gatim | progress |
| prati | toward |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through yām imām (all these), vādinaḥ (advocate), and prati (toward). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to the enduring self and steady wisdom. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 2.42.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace the movement from grief through self, duty, disciplined action and the description of steady intelligence.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
People of limited understanding delight in ornate Vedic language and insist that there is nothing beyond it, O Partha
- 2
yām imām: all these
- 3
vādinaḥ: advocate
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the enduring self.
Link
Use the line starts: yāmimāṁ puṣhpitāṁ / veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha / kāmātmānaḥ swarga-parā / kriyā-viśheṣha-bahulāṁ bhogaiśhwarya-gatiṁ.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.42, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 2.42 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.42 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 2.42 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.42, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition