Bhagavad Gita — Sankhya Yoga, Shloka 46
Sankhya Yoga
यावानर्थ उदपाने सर्वतः संप्लुतोदके । तावान्सर्वेषु वेदेषु ब्राह्मणस्य विजानतः ॥ २.४६ ॥
yāvān artha udapāne sarvataḥ samplutodake | tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu brāhmaṇasya vijānataḥ || 2.46 ||
For the brāhmaṇa who truly knows, all the Vedas are as useful as a small well is when water is flooding everywhere.
For a knower (brāhmaṇa), all the Vedas are as useful as a small well is when there is water everywhere.
As much use as there is in a well when water has flooded everywhere, so much use there is in all the Vedas for a brāhmaṇa who understands (reality).
Traditional translations often take “brāhmaṇa” here as ‘knower of Brahman’ rather than a social class label. The simile suggests that once comprehensive insight is attained, partial means (textual prescriptions for limited aims) become comparatively redundant—without denying their provisional value.
FAQs
The verse can be read as a critique of over-reliance on external guidance once one has internalized discernment: mature understanding reduces compulsive dependence on rules for reassurance.
It implies that comprehensive realization (often linked with Brahman/ātman insight) fulfills what many scriptural injunctions aim at indirectly—freedom from lack and confusion.
Following 2.45, Krishna reinforces the move from guṇa-bound, result-oriented Vedic sections to a knowledge-centered orientation in yoga.
Use teachings as scaffolding: study and practice are valuable, but the goal is embodied understanding that guides action even without constant reference to authorities.