Bhagavad-gītā 2.46
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके। तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः।।2.46।।
yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake tāvānsarveṣhu vedeṣhu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ
To the Brâhmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of so much use as a reservoir is, when there is a flood everywhere.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| yāvān | whatever |
| arthaḥ | purpose |
| uda-pāne | a well of water |
| sarvataḥ | in all respects |
| sampluta-udake | by a large lake |
| tāvān | that many |
| sarveṣhu | in all |
| vedeṣhu | Vedas |
| brāhmaṇasya | one who realizes the Absolute Truth |
| vijānataḥ | who is in complete knowledge |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through yāvān (whatever), tāvān (that many), and vijānataḥ (who is in complete knowledge). 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 2.46.
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
To the Brâhmana who has known the Self, all the Vedas are of so much use as a reservoir is, when there is a flood everywhere
- 2
yāvān: whatever
- 3
tāvān: that many
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
Picture the enduring self.
Link
Use the line starts: yāvān artha / tāvānsarveṣhu vedeṣhu.
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 2.46, 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 2.46 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 2.46 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 2.46 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 2.46, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition