Shloka 42
कर्मयोग–ज्ञानयज्ञ–अवतारोपदेश
Karma-Yoga, Jñāna-Yajña, and Avatāra Instruction
सम्बन्ध-- अब तीन श्लोकोंगें सकाम भावको त्याज्य बतलानेके लिये सकाम मनुष्योंके स्वभाव; सिद्धान्त और आचार-व्यवहारका वर्णन करते हैं-- यामिमां पुष्पितां वाचं प्रवदन्त्यविपश्चित: । वेदवादरता: पार्थ नान्यदस्तीति वादिन:
sañjaya uvāca | yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ | vedavāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ ||
Sanjaya said: O Partha, the undiscerning speak this flowery, showy speech—delighting in Vedic disputation and praise of ritual results—declaring, ‘There is nothing beyond this.’ Their outlook is confined to enjoyment and reward, treating heaven and prosperity as the highest aim, and thus their words entice the mind away from steady discernment of the Supreme.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns that attractive, reward-focused religious rhetoric can trap the mind in pleasure and results, leading one to deny any higher spiritual aim; true wisdom requires moving beyond mere promise of heaven and ritual rewards toward steady discernment of the Supreme.
Within the battlefield dialogue framework reported by Sanjaya, Krishna is instructing Arjuna by critiquing those who cling to the result-promising portions of Vedic ritual discourse; the teaching redirects Arjuna from outcome-obsessed action to a higher, steadier spiritual orientation.